Sea Eagles Part Ways with Seibold After Disappointing Season Start, Foran Steps In
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have made a swift and decisive move, parting ways with head coach Anthony Seibold just three games into what the club has labelled a “disappointing” start to the season. The decision was confirmed on Friday night, bringing Seibold’s tenure at the helm to an immediate end.
In a statement released by the club, the Sea Eagles expressed their gratitude to Seibold for his contributions and wished him and his family well for the future. However, the club also acknowledged its dissatisfaction with the early season performance, declaring its unwavering focus on achieving success in the 2026 season.
Taking the reins as interim head coach is club legend Kieran Foran. The esteemed playmaker, who recently concluded his decorated playing career with the Gold Coast Titans, has been serving as an assistant coach this year. Foran, a figure deeply connected to the Sea Eagles, expressed his commitment to the role, stating, “I love this club and I’ve been asked to step into the interim coach role and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Chairman Defends Shock Sacking
Club chairman Scott Penn staunchly defended the decision to sack Seibold, highlighting the unprecedented home losses as a key factor. “We lost three games at home for the first time in 20 years and we’re not happy about that. It doesn’t meet our standards,” Penn told reporters. He emphasised the immediate need for wins and a renewed focus for the team, believing Foran is the best person to steer the club through this challenging period.
Seibold’s Defence Before Sacking
The sacking comes as a surprise, particularly as Seibold himself had publicly maintained his belief in his ability to lead the team just hours before the news broke. This was in the wake of a passionate home crowd turning on the team following their third consecutive defeat at 4 Pines Park. An emotional night saw Manly legend Daly Cherry-Evans run out for the Roosters, drawing a fervent reaction from the Sea Eagles faithful.
Despite a significant storm preceding the match, a large crowd turned up and vocally expressed their displeasure. Chants of “Seibold out” were audible in the closing stages of the game as Manly slumped to an 0-3 record, ultimately losing 33-16 to the Roosters.
Seibold, who had signed an extension with the club in late 2024, tying him to the Sea Eagles until the end of 2027, appeared unfazed by the fan sentiment. “Well I can’t control that narrative,” he stated after the game, claiming he hadn’t heard the boos and chants. He deferred to the club’s ownership group for any potential changes, asserting his significant investment of time and sacrifice over his three-plus years at the club.
“I still believe that we can do something together as a group so I haven’t really put any thought into it. I’m three games into a two-year extension, so it hasn’t sort of been a focus for me,” Seibold had said, reiterating his conviction that the team possessed the grit to win games. “I feel I’ve got a group there that can win games of footy and they fight hard. Like if we didn’t have any fight in us we would have got towelled up by 60 points with those stats.”
Key Moments in the Roosters Loss
The Sea Eagles’ defeat against the Roosters was a tale of two halves. They surprisingly held a lead at the break, but a swift turnaround in the second half saw them concede three quick tries. The Roosters demonstrated strong discipline both with and without the ball, preventing Manly from establishing any significant territorial advantage.
The crowd’s enthusiasm was evident when young forward Simione Laiafi entered the game from the bench, signalling a growing sentiment for the inclusion of more youthful talent, such as playmaker Joey Walsh.
“We led 10-8 at half-time against a team that many predicted to be one of the two or three teams that are premiership favourites,” Seibold reflected. “Leading 10-8 with only 40 per cent of the footy, we fought hard. Second half we had a penalty try against us and a sin bin against us. So there’s 12 points there and then two bad defensive reads on our last tackles. So there are so many positive things tonight, but one thing I know is you’ve got to keep cohesion in your group. It was good to see (Laiafi) get on the field, which is great. He’s got a great future but he’s got to build up his minutes.”
Facing the Dolphins Amidst Injury Concerns
The pressure on the coaching situation will undoubtedly intensify as the Sea Eagles prepare to face the Dolphins next week. The challenge is further compounded by an injury to forward Ethan Bullemor, who sustained an Achilles injury during the warm-up prior to the Roosters match.
“He was warming up and he was about to go on, and when he was warming up to go on, he hurt his Achilles. That sort of messed around a little bit with our interchange plan,” Seibold had explained. “I’m not sure (how bad it is) so I’d have to go speak to the medical staff. I mean it’s certainly not a rupture, but there’s a fair bit of pain there. He wasn’t able to go on and play, so that doesn’t sort of sound great.”
