Anthony Seibold reveals final straw moment that pushed him to walk away from Broncos
Anthony Seibold says the pressures of coaching the NRL’s flagship club had taken a toll on him and his family as well as slanderous rumour mongering as he opened up on his Brisbane exit.
Anthony Seibold looked like a man who had finally found peace.
He was calm and composed, freshly shaven, silver hair gelled and debuting a navy blue suede jacket to formalise his exit as head coach of the Brisbane Broncos.
Seibold's turbulent 20-month tenure came to an end on Wednesday after he agreed to a seven-figure severance package to depart with three years remaining on a five-year contract.
His unsuccessful stint as the fourth coach of the Brisbane Broncos - which yielded only 14 wins from 40 games (37 per cent winning record) - had it all.
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The Broncos experienced record losses, big wins, pokies parties, protocol breaches, coaching grudge matches and social media scandals.
But it was the personal toll and relentless scrutiny of coaching the Broncos which finally broke Seibold and prompted him to sever ties with the club.
"What was the final straw for you to go to the board?" asked a reporter after the Broncos announced it was Seibold's decision to leave.
That's when the usually cold Seibold cracked.
“The final straw was hopping back on a plane from Sydney when I wanted to be with my daughter," was all Seibold could manage before his voice broke and tears welled in his eyes.
Seibold, 45, finished a 14-day home quarantine in Brisbane on Monday after attending to a family matter in Sydney following the Broncos' loss to South Sydney on August 7.
He never rejoined the Broncos' COVID bubble after negotiating a payout to quit the club and move on with his life, beginning with a farm stint in central Queensland.
After leaving South Sydney in controversial circumstances, Seibold spent the first year of his tenure at the Broncos living in Brisbane alone after his wife and three daughters opted to remain in Sydney.
The family relocated to Brisbane this year, with Seibold's oldest daughter remaining in Sydney to study.
The situation was manageable until the stress of Brisbane's disastrous season was compounded by travel and border restrictions in recent months.
When asked why he returned to Brisbane if he didn't want to, Seibold said: “I had my wife and two other kids up here.
“I knew I’d have to get into a 14-day home isolation.
“At any other time I would have been able to get on a plane, miss one session, come back into work, and no one even knows about it.
“With the COVID stuff and border restrictions I didn’t want to get on a plane because I was leaving someone really close to me."
Seibold has also had to endure relentless slandering and rumour mongering on social media.
He has referred the matter to police and promised to prosecute those responsible for the campaign.
In December, 2018, Seibold became the fourth coach in the 32-year history of the Broncos when Wayne Bennett was sacked to make way for his arrival.
On Wednesday he joined Bennett, Ivan Henjak and Anthony Griffin as the fourth Broncos coach to be sacked before the end of their tenure.
Bennett, the architect of Brisbane's six premierships, is the only coach to have absorbed the pressure of coaching the Broncos.
Seibold admitted the scrutiny had been a challenge.
“There’s no doubt that’s a challenge being a one-team town," he said.
“You guys in the media drive the commentary and narrative. I don’t control that.
“If we’re winning on the field there’s not as many stories in the paper about the Broncos.
“It’s been a hell of an experience. It’s been a wonderful experience. I’ll reflect fondly on my time here. I’ll take away some really key learnings.
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“It was ultimately my decision. I’ve made the decision in the best interests of the footy club.
“You guys have seen the narrative and social media the last couple of weeks. It’s not fair to put my family and myself through that."
Seibold will take the rest of the year off before targeting his next role.
He is determined to coach again and believes he will be better for his time at the Broncos.
“I haven’t lost the passion for coaching," he said.“I love helping people. I think I’ve helped a lot of the young players here become better players.
“I’ve given it my best shot. I’m proud of that fact."
Originally published as Anthony Seibold reveals final straw moment that pushed him to walk away from Broncos