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Jamal Fogarty, a top recruit, has criticized Manly’s decision to dismiss Anthony Seibold, arguing that the Sea Eagles leadership should have allowed the coach more time to rectify the team’s struggling NRL season.
During a press conference, with CEO Jason King present, Fogarty expressed his dismay over the firing of the coach who played a key role in his move from Canberra, especially after just three matches into the new season.
Although Fogarty has adjusted well to his new role at the Sea Eagles despite their winless start, he believes the players should take responsibility for Seibold’s exit.
“It’s beyond my role to decide, but if I were in charge, I’d want to give him a chance to improve things,” Fogarty stated.
He added, “He’s not the one missing tackles or making handling errors out there.”
New Manly halfback Jamal Fogarty wasn’t happy to hear Anthony Seibold got sacked
Seibold was sacked after just three matches despite signing a contract extension last year
The Sea Eagles are no strangers to recovering from slow starts to the season.
The club lost their first four games in 2021, only to surge into a preliminary final on the back of Tom Trbojevic’s career-best form.
‘We still have 21 games to go to turn our season around. I thought to be sacked after three is pretty harsh,’ Fogarty said.
‘He was the reason that I joined the club. Unfortunately three games haven’t gone our way and he’s had to wear that.
‘We can’t control that. It is disappointing from my end because he was the one that got me here, but life goes on, doesn’t it?’
Fogarty has reached out to check on Seibold, only after first getting in contact with the 51-year-old’s wife to determine whether he would appreciate a message.
After King told Trbojevic on Friday that Seibold had been fired, the Sea Eagles captain called his former coach to apologise for the way his tenure had ended.
Seibold had effectively been three games into a two-year contract extension, having signed on for the 2026 and 2027 seasons after Manly made finals in 2024.
Sea Eagles owner Scott Penn has come under fire for his handling of the situation
Manly CEO Jason King is on the lookout for a new coach
Club great Kieran Foran is the interim coach for 2026
‘(It was) an apology to a degree, letting him know that I’m sorry,’ Trbojevic said of his phone call.
‘As a playing group, we’re sorry that we couldn’t put in performances that we wanted to for him, for the club, for everyone, and this is the outcome.
‘We definitely feel responsible and accountable for where we sit and the outcome happening with Seibs.’
Club legend Kieran Foran presided over his first training session as interim coach on Sunday, having been promoted from his role as an assistant to Seibold.
The 35-year-old only began his coaching career in November after playing his final professional game with the New Zealand national team earlier that month.
Manly’s most recent premiership-winning five-eighth, Foran has already impressed his charges.
‘He’s an ultimate competitor. If you can’t get behind him, then I don’t know who you can,’ said centre Reuben Garrick.
The Sea Eagles will aim to turn over a new leaf from Thursday night’s round-five clash against the Dolphins, their first away trip of the season.
‘It’s got to be a line-in-the-sand moment,’ Garrick said of the tumultuous opening month.
‘We lost three in a row at home. If there’s ever a kick up the arse, that’s as big as it can get here at Manly.’