Manly have told Des Hasler he won’t be their coach in 2024 and have already started background checks on Anthony Seibold.
As club owners shift towards moving on from Hasler, the man they can call if they want a reference for Seibold is his boss in English rugby.
England coach Eddie Jones says Seibold is ready to again take charge of an NRL team.
“I have no doubt Anthony is ready to hop back into the fire,” Jones said. “He certainly has his mojo back. He is smart, he has a good relationship with players, he is a good communicator. He develops a good rapport with players and he has good knowledge.”
Owner Scott Penn is a fan of “PowerPoint coaches”, which Seibold certainly is.
He has the nous to wow an owner or chairman of a club.
Des Hasler and Anthony Seibold.Credit:Nick Moir, NRL Photos
Penn is friendly with Broncos chairman Karl Morris, a man once enamoured with Seibold until things didn’t pan out in Brisbane.
Seibold’s rise with the Rabbitohs and fall with the Broncos was as spectacular a ride as there has been in the NRL. It was littered with false rumours, which had an impact on his reputation and mental health.
In the end, Seibold was relieved when his head coaching days ended – it had all become too much. That’s why Manly are examining every aspect of his life right now as they don’t want anything jumping out if he joins them.
And if he does sign, there will be another significant issue for the club to examine. Seibold is managed by Isaac Moses, and whenever Moses has a head coach at a club, a group of his players invariably end up there.
Manly will need strict quality control measures in place to guard against repeats of what happened at the Eels, the Tigers, the Broncos and now the Knights.
The way Hasler is being squeezed out of his position on the Northern Beaches is hard to watch. It appears clear he is being placed in an unworkable situation that will lead to an early exit.
The beginning of the end for Hasler were his comments at the inclusivity jersey media conference, when he blamed management for putting the players in such a position. Hasler was left to handle media enquiries from the fallout, and the narrative he presented was the final straw.
Final threat gone
The fanatical support for the two Sydney teams in last weekend’s grand final has torpedoed the NRL’s annual threat to take the biggest game of the year interstate. Head office would have been humiliated if it had robbed Penrith and Parramatta fans of a chance to see the match by taking it to Queensland.
With Sydney clubs currently dominating the competition, it would be a gigantic risk to hold the grand final anywhere but Accor Stadium in the foreseeable future.
Certainly the suggestion that the NRL adopt a “Super Bowl” system – and take the game to the likes of Perth and Melbourne – should be off the agenda.
That’s why there are whispers of a new stadium deal with the NSW government which would keep the decider in Sydney for the next decade.
Under the proposal, which has reached senior ministerial level, the government would upgrade Penrith Stadium rather than doing a full rebuild on the adjacent harness racing club site.
The money saved would be used to upgrade suburban grounds, enabling the NRL to save face and deliver a result to the clubs. In return, the NRL would commit to holding the grand final in Sydney for the next 10 years.
The recent brawl between the government and NRL has shown there is little public support for stadium funding, so the package will need to be sold publicly as a win for taxpayers who won’t have to pay up to $10million a year to keep the grand final in Sydney.
Cleary backs team as role models
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary has explained the true value of his successful team to the Penrith community, saying it helps them bury an inferiority complex that can exist in the area.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary.Credit:Getty
He has also hit back at criticism of his team’s approach to their football and celebrations by saying his players are good role models.
“We know the effect that we have on people’s lives,” he said. “Whether it’s the casual fan or rusted-on ones, our wins makes their week or their year.
“I’m really proud of the job the boys have done. Most of the boys have either been born and bred out here or they come at a young age. A lot of guys from the country come down as teenagers. So we have a real connection to the people. The people in the Penrith district are very authentic and it’s just good to see them being proud.
“If our team goes well it just helps everyone out here feel a bit better about themselves.”
Cleary says he can handle criticism of the team better than he could a year ago.
“I think it’s in part because we’re winning. Our guys do things a little differently sometimes. They’ve put so much work and time into it and sacrifice a lot.
“They’re letting their hair down a little bit and I think all of us can understand if you maybe drink a little too much too much sometimes you might say some things and you might like [the words] back but so I’m not too worried about that. But I also get that might not be everyone’s cup of tea and can’t please everybody.”
There is no doubt the Panthers’ critics are stuck in a time warp.
“The American influence is there on all our kids and the sports stars reflect that. We didn’t have that sort of content [US sport],” Cleary said.
“Young people today see everything and hear everything and the vocabulary is different. The way they talk to each other and interact is totally different. I’m so proud of our boys. They are completely respectful, young men.”
While on the Panthers, the club is looking for a media partner to work with after shooting and recording more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes material during the finals. They have all the footage ready to go. Players and staff were miked up at training and coaches during games.
Hard-working Dog
Cameron Ciraldo showed what he is made of by fronting up at Belmore less than 36 hours after winning a title with Penrith. He spent close to six hours at the club getting a feel for the challenge ahead.
Ben Hunt has a strong relationship with Dragons coach Anthony Griffin.Credit:NRL Photos
No Hook guarantee
With Anthony Griffin facing a shaky future, Ben Hunt says there is no “coach clause” in his new deal and no guarantee Griffin will be coach of the Dragons.
“One thing that we discussed … I was obviously very curious about who’s going to be coaching or which way the team’s going in recruitment and things like that but there’s no clauses in my contract,” Hunt said. “I got answers that the plans are for Anthony to be the coach. Obviously, things can change pretty quick if you don’t get results at the end of the day.”
With many prepared to take shots at Griffin, it’s interesting to hear why Hunt rates him.
“He’s honest and straight down the line, I’ve always felt like I can talk to him really well and you always know where you stand. I just like a coach that lets you know where you stand,” Hunt said.
Sullivan situation
The move to get Jayden Sullivan out of the Dragons may come back to assurances the club gave to Sullivan and his family during negotiations which took place on a Zoom call. When his deal was being done the message was clear – Ben Hunt would not be at the club beyond 2023. The club obviously didn’t have faith in Hunt, who then produced his best season and earned a new deal. This has the potential to get messy.
Welcome Matt
The Bulldogs know the value of Matt Burton both on and off the field. That’s why they have upgraded his contract for next year before he got on the plane for England. That has given Burton a sense of what he means to the club and it has tipped things in the Dogs’ favour. The way he spoke about the club indicated he is about to re-sign on a long-term deal.
Chooks eye back
The Roosters are in the market for an outside back and one player they are taking an interest in is Corey Allan. He is a more than capable winger and fullback but he has not found his feet at the Bulldogs.
