Broncos back Anthony Seibold as coach faces some big decisions

Brisbane has backed coach Anthony Seibold as some of the club’s more experienced players come under the microscope.

Anthony Seibold may finally be forced to drop Darius Boyd. Picture: AAP

Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold has received the backing yet again of Broncos powerbrokers, but faces a crucial week in his tenure as the return of Kotoni Staggs leaves him with a decision to make over the future of some of his senior players, chief among them Darius Boyd.

Young half Thomas Dearden is also expected to get his chance in the starting side against Canterbury this weekend as Seibold ponders what to do with his halves. Brodie Croft is the most likely to make way as the club looks to wrap their arms around a player who has taken the six-game closing streak harder than most.

Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership. Every game of every round Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Staggs has missed recent weeks with a hamstring injury but the expectation is that he will make his return against the Bulldogs – barnstorming backrower David Fifita and hooker Jake Turpin are expected to be another week away.

Staggs will waltz back into the centres, leaving Seibold to decide whether to partner him with Boyd or Herbie Farnworth.

On form, Boyd should be the player to make way.

Seibold has kept the faith with the likes of Boyd and Anthony Milford this season but his own future is now on the line. The Spanish have a saying for a bit of mongrel: ‘Mala leche’. The rough translation is bad milk in the veins.

Perhaps Seibold hasn’t had enough bad milk running through his veins in recent weeks but Staggs’ return has given him the opportunity to make a decisive stand. While the club insists that Seibold retains their unequivocal support, at some point it will run out unless he can find a way to dramatically improve their fortunes.

The return of Kotoni Staggs should prompt some big calls by Broncos coach Anthony Seibold. Picture: John Gass

“To say we are gutted by where we sit after six straight losses would be an understatement,” Brisbane chief executive Paul White said.

“I want to make it clear … that everyone at this club is hurting at the moment. The reaction you saw from our players last night shows how much they are hurting.

“I do want to reassure everyone who supports our club that we are right behind our players and our coach and our coaching staff because I think right at this period in time they need a lot of support.

“If we are going to get ourselves out of this place we are in right at the moment, we are going to have to continue to support that group of players and get behind them.

“The club has been through tough times in the past, the club has been through losing streaks in the past.

“The club has a history of staying the course and that is what we are going to do. We will stay the course, we will keep providing the necessary support as we can.

“But we are acutely aware of the position we are in, we are not happy to be there and we know we are up against it.”

White elected to front the media in the wake of another devastating loss, this time at the hands of the Warriors on the Central Coast on Saturday night. Brisbane players were reduced to tears at fulltime, among them Croft and captain Alex Glenn.

“We’re eight games into a 20-round season,” White said.

“The results are poor. We’re trying to keep our young players and entire roster supported and upright. We’re going through a process.

“We’re always reviewing our actions, our roster, what we can do better, the resources. We’re not a club that sits still on that.

“We know there is a lot of work to do. We have to stay the course with them. They’re hurting and when players do hurt, there is a lot to work with there.”

White also rejected claims that the club hasn’t surrounded the players or Seibold with enough ­experience or people with Broncos DNA.

“We will always be willing to provide whatever support is necessary,” he said.

“We brought in Peter Ryan. We did that deliberately. (He) reached out to us. Corey Parker was assisting with the coaching, but he has been removed because of the Project Apollo bubble.

“We have Allan Langer involved with the footy program. He (Seibold) is a good coach, he is going to through a tough time at the moment.

“Many other coaches …. Wayne (Bennett) included, have gone through tough periods in their career.

“We have sustained periods where we have lost eight in a row and the club stayed the course and was rewarded on the other side of it.”

In response to suggestions the club’s share price had slumped through their recent barren run, White said: “We didn’t plan on losing six games in a row. We will come through this stronger.

“To reach the promised land is the ultimate goal. We understand week to week we are judged on wins and losses.

“No one judges us on share prices.

“They are owned by two really major shareholders. The price of our shares can fluctuate on any given day. Over the last 10 years we have doubled the size of our business, we have one of the best sponsorship books in Australian sport. We’re really well placed to be able to navigate the next two years.”