Anthony Seibold sat to Daly Cherry-Evans’ right during one of rugby league’s most extraordinary press conferences on Sunday night.
But now in his third year at Manly and navigating the club’s best shot at a premiership in that time, Seibold has found himself in the middle of a soap opera few do as well as the Sea Eagles.
It’s the lot of any NRL coach – keeping the dramas big and small at bay.
Cherry-Evans’ pass the popcorn claims of an “ugly, hurtful and nasty smear campaign” being waged against him which Manly fans “saw right through,” was more Broadway than Brookvale.
The wantaway Sea Eagles skipper refused to detail where he thinks the smear campaign is coming from, but Cherry-Evans had Manly’s top brass firmly in his sights.
On Monday, the club was moving to take the sting out of the saga.
Daly Cherry-Evans in action after a week of drama.Credit: Getty Images
CEO Tony Mestrov pulled out of a scheduled, and promoted, appearance on Fox Sports’ NRL360 on Monday night – shouldering arms when presented with a chance to respond to Cherry-Evans’ comments and their implications.
Seibold did likewise when approached by the masthead, pointing to his comments in the press conference and saying the drama had been put to bed.
“While Chez is at the club I’ve got his back,” Seibold said, having sat uncomfortably alongside his captain for six minutes of questioning about the week and alleged smear campaign that was.
“He knows that. I’ve had conversations with Chez with regards to that. I know it makes him uncomfortable with regards to a lot of the questioning but the biggest thing we can do is continue to play good footy … I’m not worried about 2026. I’m worried about now.
“And I’m worried about next week. It’s business as usual for me. My job’s to prepare the team and that’s what I’ve done.”
Fair enough too, considering the job at hand is hosting premiership favourites Melbourne next Sunday without talismanic fullback Tom Trbojevic.
The only thing needed less than Trbojevic going down for a month right now with a gammy knee is another week of damaging stories from both sides of the Cherry-Evans saga.
As it stands, Manly hierarchy and Cherry-Evans’ camp are both saying they’ll stay quiet if the other side does.
But attempts to defuse the saga might well go the same way as the Manly staffer who jumped into Sunday’s incendiary press conference to ask Cherry-Evans about playing in front of a sell-out home crowd.
Daly Cherry-Evans and Manly fans on Sunday.Credit: NRL Photos
The next question pivoted straight back to whether he feared being booed by the sell-out home crowd that overwhelmingly threw their support behind him, which is how Manly’s entire 2025 season will be played out and recalled in years to come.
Having arrived at Manly in the wake of Hasler’s second ugly demise and the Pride jersey debacle, a united club has been Seibold’s remit right through to this campaign – easily their most promising since 2021.
‘The Manly way’ has been a theme, and the title of two behind-the-scenes documentaries about their past two off-seasons.
For whatever reason at a proud, successful club, history shows the Manly way has often included ending on the worst possible terms with their favourite sons, before eventually mending relationships. And maybe if there’s time, torching them again.
Daly Cherry-Evans has blossomed into a leader during Hasler’s second stint in charge after his first netted them the 2011 premiership.Credit: NRL Photos
Bob Fulton, Immortal and the single greatest figure ever at Manly, made a show-stopping move to the Roosters to end his career. He eventually returned for a storied coaching and administrative career on the Northern Beaches, but the Fulton family has since split from the club for good.
Paul Vautin’s own move to the Roosters – after being offered a drastically reduced contract in 1989 – is regarded as one of the game’s messier club exits.
Both of Hasler’s coaching stints have ended with lawyers at 20 paces. Geoff Toovey was unceremoniously sacked as coach in 2015.
His role in letting Glenn Stewart leave a year earlier, a move that rattled Manly players at the time, was later cited by owner Scott Penn as playing a part in Toovey’s own demise.
Seibold’s great coaching challenge might not come this Sunday against the premiership favourites without arguably the most influential fullback in the game.
In an NRL season, ups and downs are inevitable.
Even if the Cherry-Evans saga simmers down, any losing run is when it will boil right back up, along with questions on where the players, staff and club all truly stand.
Right in the middle, charged with keeping the peace, will be coach Seibold.
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