Why the Anthony Seibold-led Manly Sea Eagles coaching staff is among the best in the NRL

Replacing a coach with almost 500 games of experience is no easy feat, but Manly may have assembled the NRL’s most formidable coaching unit, writes Michael Carayannis.

The appointment of Anthony Seibold cannot be looked at in isolation. The addition of Shane Flanagan and Jim Dymock gives Manly one of the NRL’s best coaching units. Picture: Supplied.

So how do you replace someone who has coached 489 games? You do it as a team.

Manly’s Anthony Seibold appointment should not be viewed in isolation. What the Sea Eagles have done is place key pieces in and around Seibold to implement one of the more formidable coaching units in the game.

In Shane Flanagan you have a premiership winning coach who knows what it takes to build a club from the bottom up. He is long considered the best coach without a full-time gig.

Jim Dymock has spent more than a decade coaching teams – even working as Des Hasler’s right hand man at Canterbury. He is a players’ coach – one that builds relationships and trust within the squad. Dymock has worked with Flanagan at Cronulla and the Roosters.

The appointment of Anthony Seibold cannot be looked at in isolation. The addition of Shane Flanagan and Jim Dymock gives Manly one of the NRL’s best coaching units. Picture: Supplied.

Flanagan will help Seibold deal with the external pressures which was something he struggled with at Brisbane. He won’t allow Seibold to get distracted. Flanagan’s appointment shows how much Seibold has grown as a leader with the former Cronulla Sharks mentor still having a burning desire to return into the top seat one day.

For all of Hasler’s success one of the biggest criticism has been of those he surrounds himself with.

One former top ranking Manly official once quipped to me “which of Des’s assistants has gone on to coach first grade”. Think about that.

Flanagan is a premiership winner and will help Seibold deal with external pressure. Picture: AAP.

Dymock will help Seibold build relationships and trust with the players. Picture: Gold Coast Titans.

The coaching tree of the likes of Sheens, Bennett, Bellamy, Smith and now Robinson is evident. But as for Hasler?

Manly fans still have cold sweats when they think about the Trent Barrett era. Deck chairs and all. Barrett has been the only ‘outsider’ to be given a crack at Manly in the past two decades and that ended in tears. Seibold will have to convince the Sea Eagles faithful that he is one of them.

While Hasler’s exit rightfully raised a few eyebrows there is little doubting the coaching unit Manly has employed – coupled with the highly respected Steve Hales who remains at the club – is among the best in the game.