Anthony Seibold calls for calm as scrutiny grows on Manly coach ahead of Daly Cherry-Evans Roosters NRL match
Daly Cherry-Evans' return to Brookvale has coincided with mounting pressure on Manly coach Anthony Seibold, but he says there is no bad blood with the club’s former captain.
Under-pressure Manly coach Anthony Seibold has called for patience, adamant it is too early in the season to judge the Sea Eagles as a complete product in 2026.
Thursday night’s clash with Daly Cherry-Evans’ Sydney Roosters looms as crucial for a winless Manly, who have not lost their first three home games since 2004.
Seibold was handed a two-year extension for 2026 and 2027 after taking the Sea Eagles to the finals in 2024, before his job appeared under threat midway through last season.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The spotlight on his future intensified after the Sea Eagles’ poor showing against Newcastle ahead of last week’s bye, after a golden-point loss to Canberra in round one.
“We’re two games into a two-year extension, the club showed a lot of faith in me,” Seibold said on Wednesday.
“They signed me for another two years, and I felt a real loyalty to stick around for the players.
“We felt as though we’ve been really building, and we’ve developed some young players like Tolu Kola and Lehi Hopoate to name a couple.
“It’s early days, we’ll get better. We’ve just got to stay the course. It’s really early in the season.”
It may be early in the season, but Thursday night still looms as crucial in the narrative surrounding Seibold.
It is 12 months since Cherry-Evans announced 2025 would be his final year at Manly, kicking off a debate around whether he had been offered a contract.
The halfback claimed days later there had been a nasty “smear campaign” against him, before signing with the Roosters on less money at the end of last year.
At the same time, Manly were able to land Jamal Fogarty as their new No.7 on a three-year deal, on similar money to what was offered to Cherry-Evans.
Former CEO Tony Mestrov has since left Manly, but it would still not be a good look for the Sea Eagles if their former halfback blitzed them at Brookvale.
Seibold has maintained that he and Cherry-Evans are on good terms, and while he does not expect the Manly great to be booed, he does expect the 37-year-old to come out firing.
“Every time Chez has been written off or criticised or whatever, he’s always been someone who has been very determined to use that as fuel,” Seibold said.
“He’ll be really determined - and we’re really determined to try and minimise what he does in the game as well.”
Adhering to his own call for patience, Seibold has resisted any urge to make mass changes after the loss to Newcastle.
Teenage playmaker Joey Walsh will be left to develop, starting in NSW Cup, with Seiboild predicting he will play half the season in first grade.
Young prop Simione Laiafi is a chance to debut off the bench, while Siua Taukeiaho is expected to miss another two games after a setback with his calf strain.
Seibold also insisted the signs were positive with Cherry-Evans’ successor at No.7 in Fogarty, with the pair’s match-up to be highly scrutinised.
“Jamal’s had a pretty positive start for us,” Seibold said.
“I thought he was very good in round one against his old club, and then round two, he didn’t get a lot of field position.
“One of those opportunities he scored a try with a really good show-and-go. I feel like his kicking game’s been really strong.”
