No Excuses but Only accountability...
Last year according to Mestrov and quite rightly Seibs inherited a competitive finals team and Seibs failed to meet expectations and underachieved and we missed the finals
This season we have these Headlines ....
NRL FOX
Seibold set to face ‘hard questions’ after ‘diabolical’ Manly showing, head-scratching call
Questions have been raised over the future of Manly coach Anthony Seibold after the Sea Eagles dished up a “horrific” performance in a 14-0 loss to South Sydney.In a game veteran journalist Brent Read labelled as “awful”, Manly looked listless in attack without star halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, gun back rower Haumole Olakau’atu, Jake Trbojevic and Reuben Garrick.
NRL360 host Braith Anasta didn’t mince words about the Sea Eagles after they failed to score a point against a Rabbitohs team that was also missing stars Latrell Mitchell and Cam Murray.
“The Manly Sea Eagles were horrific. Their attack was diabolical it has to be said,” the NRL360 host said.
“They looked like scoring once and then they stuffed the pass up.
“They kept going sideways, throwing block plays, they weren’t direct, they weren’t threatening, they didn’t change, they didn’t look what was in front of them and evolve or try and create different scenarios or situations.”
In Cherry-Evans’ place, Manly named Karl Lawton at halfback, with Luke Brooks remaining in the No. 6 jersey.
It was a head-scratching decision according to Fox League’s James Hooper, who wondered why the Sea Eagles didn’t blood a promising playmaker instead.
“I had concerns when I saw that Karl Lawton was named at halfback,” Hooper said.
“You have Luke Brooks in the side, he’s played halfback for the majroty of his career, I don’t know why you wouldn’t just make him the No.1 playmaker.
“They’ve also got a young gun in their set up called Jamie Humphreys, I’m surprised he didn’t get a go.
“There’s some heat going on Manly now because what is it? They’ve won two out of their last five games. It hasn’t been a great record in recent times after a really positive start.”
The Sea Eagles have won two and lost two since Seibold reportedly stormed out of a meeting with club powerbrokers after being denied a contract extension late last month.
Hooper believes there is still underlying friction between Seibold and the club, and it’s showing.
“I think there will be some hard questions asked of Anthony Seibold and we know that he’s had that blow-up with the CEO Tony Mestrov,” Hooper said
“He wanted an extension and the CEO said ‘no, you aren’t getting one in this point in time’. So there’s a little bit of friction there and they can’t get Tommy (Trbojevic) back quick enough.”
Manly sit in 11th entering Round 17, with seven wins and seven losses. They are just one point out of the eight and three points behind the fourth-placed Roosters, so there is plenty of time to make a finals push.
Manly have a much-needed bye this week but will likely get star fullback Tom Trbojevic for the Round 18 clash against the Cowboys in Townsville.
Anasta asked the NRL360 panel if the Sea Eagles coach will keep his job is the Sea Eagles don’t turn things around and miss the eight, .
Manly finished 12th last season in Seibold’s first year at the helm.
“Well I mean they finished 12th last year and then they don’t make the finals. It’s hardly a pass mark,” Hooper replied.
Read added: “I don’t think he’s gone but he’ll be under pretty intense pressure to start next year.
“Again, there’s been some extenuating circumstances this year. They’ve lost Tommy for a long period of time, he’s been a really important player for a hell of a long time and they don’t win without him.”
“I always agree with when Tommy is out because it happens a lot, but watching that game on the weekend, no matter who was in or out, Souths had Latrell and (others out) but it was the way (Manly) lost,” Anasta said.
“I know the conditions weren’t good, but it was the way they lost.”
