Coaching a game in Las Vegas isn’t the most bizarre thing that Anthony Seibold has done during his footballing career. Not even close.
No, that would have to be the time he got his gear off for a gay magazine. The shoot occurred during his playing days, when the Manly coach was a prop for the London Broncos.
Virgin boss Richard Branson was briefly the majority shareholder of the Super League club and was looking for risque ways to attract publicity. That included being the only sporting team in the United Kingdom to play on the day of Princess Diana’s death and arranging for star players – Seibold included – to be drummers for the opening act of the Brit Awards in 2000. On that occasion, Seibold shared the same stage as Robbie Williams, The Spice Girls and Tom Jones.
However, the most outrageous stunt was getting Broncos players to do a semi-nude magazine spread.
“Then they got six of us to do a centrefold for Attitude magazine,” Seibold said.
“It wasn’t like we were naked, we had a towel around our waists. I was one of them. It was quite bizarre.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold.Credit: James Brickwood
“I remember we did it in an old rugby change room, they were trying to promote the London Broncos and that was one of the quirky ideas that Virgin came up with.”
Seibold, Shane Millard, Tulsen Tollett and Jon Clarke, who is currently Manly’s head of performance, were among the players to get their kit off.
Asked if he had a copy of the centrefold spread to share with Sin Bin, Seibold said: “I get enough shit as it is, I don’t want to give any more ammo to anyone.”
Brooks ready for Souths clash
Luke Brooks spent some time working out solo when Manly had their first training session of their trip, at the Kellogg Zaher Sports Complex on Monday [US time]. The former Tigers playmaker has a slight lower leg niggle, but we’ve been assured the club’s big off-season recruit will be fit for the Rabbitohs clash.
Sea Eagles spot Chiefs
Several Manly types were starstruck when they hit the gambling tables at their Resorts World hotel. Just across from them were Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs stars who won the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium, the venue for the NRL’s double-header, just a fortnight ago. Kelce headed back into Sin City after following squeeze Taylor Swift to Sydney for her Australian shows.
… and meet UFC stars
There are plenty of UFC fans among the Sea Eagles, who got to rub shoulders with some of the stars of the sport at the UFC Performance Institute in Vegas.
The players got to catch up with former Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt, who is in town preparing to take on Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300. One lucky Manly staffer even got to watch Garbrandt go through a simulation of his entire fight-night routine, including the ring walk, a sparring session and even the referee raising his hand in victory at the conclusion.
Could this be the soundtrack for rugby league?
The NRL has nailed its advertising campaign for the American market, focusing on the game’s huge collisions with the slogan “No pads, no helmets, no fear.” Russell Crowe has even explained the game to the uninitiated. However, there hasn’t been a genuine anthem for the game, at least not since Tina Turner’s iconic hits.
Which is why Byron Koster and Charles Edwards have attempted to fill the void. The footy fans have come up with I Need My Rugby League, a catchy tune that pays homage to the Greatest Game of All.
The duo have been pitching up the song to the NRL and the Nine network in the hope it gets taken up. You can hear the track here:
“We decided it would be great to write an anthem that celebrates fans’ passion for the game, and gets everyone, of all ages, singing along – something rugby league hasn’t had for a really long time,” Edwards said.
“That song is ‘I Need My Rugby League’ and we think it perfectly captures the spirit of the game – including the anticipation that starts around now when days start getting shorter and cooler and people can’t wait for the season to fire up again. Everyone needs their rugby league!”
They have also penned These are the Immortals, a timely tune given the NRL is considering inducting another member this year. You can hear that one here:
More US eyes on Saab
Jason Saab has become quite the media darling in the United States.
A day after appearing on Sports Wrap, on KLAS 8 News Now, the Manly speedster has been booked in for another prime slot, this time for breakfast television.
Vegas hotels’ buggy issues
It’s a real-life case of ‘don’t let the bedbugs bite’. Local media has reported that guests at four popular Sin City hotels – Encore, Venetian, Excalibur Hotel & Casino and Mirage – shared their beds with the unwanted guests between September of last year and January of this year.
Given that only four rooms were impacted – and there are 155,000 hotel rooms for 41 million guests every year – hopefully none of the teams or travelling fans will be affected this week.
IRL reports operating loss
It’s a tough task making money out of international footy. For proof, look no further than the International Rugby League, who tabled their financial report for 2023. The IRL posted an operating loss of $484,731.
