Manly powerbrokers are reportedly set to spark a club “overhaul” with Anthony Seibold as head coach and rugby league legend Laurie Daley as an advisor.
Sea Eagles officials have been locked in messy contract negotiations with Des Hasler for months and the club are readying to unveil their next coach according to The Daily Telegraph.
Hasler’s contract ends after the 2023 season, however his days are reportedly numbered in Manly and an announcement is expected this week as to whether he will coach the Sea Eagles in 2023.
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Daley has reportedly spoken to Sea Eagles chief executive Tony Mestrov and is interested in taking up a part-time role focused on junior pathways and roster management.
“The next 48 hours are going to be crucial as to how it is played out, a couple of weeks ago when it looked like it might go belly up with Hasler, Manly started looking for alternative options,” The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“Anthony Seibold’s name came up and was the favoured choice, but they also think the whole football department needs an overhaul and this is where Laurie’s name came up.
“It is an interesting one, it is really up to Laurie… I think he’d be a wonderful choice but there are a couple of conflicts there with Manly sponsored by PointsBet and Laurie working for the TAB.
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“These are hurdles that can be overcome, they just want his great experience, I think he’d be a wonderful person to be around the place just for his positive vibes.
“They’d be a very happy camp with him around the place.”
Rothfield is confident Daley will have a role within the club even if Hasler stays on for next season.
“What this is all about is a power struggle and they feel Des has been head coach, head of recruitment, head of football, almost CEO for too long,” Rothfield added.
“Even if Des was to stay, I think there was going to be a role for Laurie as a part of the club restructure to spread the workload.
“To make sure that Des isn’t doing as much as he does now and is just 100 per cent focused on coaching the team.”
Daley has a number of obstacles to overcome after an approach by the Tigers to employ him as the club’s halves coach was denied in 2019 due to his betting industry connections.
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The 52-year-old has been approached by Manly in the past and was interviewed for the head coaching role in 2016 before withdrawing.
Meanwhile, NRL Mark Geyer believes Des Hasler is a “dead man walking” as Seibold’s name continues to be mentioned as the club’s next head coach.
“It appears untenable at the moment, Des Hasler, it has been mentioned that both Anthony Seibold and Josh Hannay have been mentioned as possible replacements,” Geyer said on Triple M.
“Manly are saying Des won’t be coach in 2024, the big question is will he be coach in 2023.
“I can’t see it, as far as football terms go Des is a dead man walking and it seems to be all off the back of that pride jersey fiasco that happened at Manly.
“It won’t go away, it is one of the biggest issues of the season, if not the biggest, and the way Manly handled it as a club was the way not to handle things.
“The carnage is still falling, the collateral damage is still falling and unfortunately for Des, he appears to be a part of it.”
