Manly chairman Scott Penn insists Anthony Seibold is going nowhere, despite fresh questions emerging around the coach’s future, in the wake reports linking Tom Trbojevic with a Sea Eagles exit. Turbo is contracted until the end of 2026 but is reportedly exploring the possibility of moving to the English Super League in 2027.
The Manly fullback and his brother Jake have made it clear they would rather play overseas than for a rival NRL club. And while Manly bosses remain in discussions with the brothers about extending their contracts beyond 2026, there have been suggestions that Turbo’s stance indicates a lack of faith in Seibold as coach.
Manly insist Anthony Seibold will be coach in 2026 despite questions over his future in the wake of reports linking Tom Trbojevic with an exit. Pic: Getty
Nine league reporter Danny Weidler claimed on Thursday that Turbo ‘is not happy at Manly’ and that the club ‘have some major issues’ to resolve. And SEN’s Jimmy Smith questioned whether it might force Manly bosses into making a choice about whether to keep their star player or coach.
“Let’s face it, Jake and Tom are powerful voices within that club,” Smith told SEN radio. “Do we just make a presumption (that this means they are saying) ‘we don’t want the coach’? So now (Manly CEO) Tony Mestrov and Scott Penn have huge decisions to make.”
However, Manly’s chairman has put to bed any notion that it will force the club to part ways with Seibold, who is contracted for two more years at the club. Seibold has come under immense pressure after Manly’s failure to make the finals this year, with reports emerging that he does not have the full support of the playing group.
Penn and Mestrov have publicly backed Seibold and believe external forces have been trying to destabilise the club and push for the coach’s exit. And the Sea Eagles chairman reiterated his assertion that Seibold would remain head coach at Manly in 2026.
Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold is pictured here celebrating with Tom Trbojevic after a Manly win. Pic: Getty
Manly boss insists Anthony Seibold will be coach in 2026
“I really just want to clear the air on Seibs – he’s got another couple of years to go and we’re right behind him,” Penn told News Corp. “What I’ve seen from his history is he’s got the talent to win a premiership…
“I see a character that has the potential to win a comp. He’s incredibly technically strong, he’s an ex-school teacher so he understands how to communicate with people. He’s got really good structures and systems in place. For ’26 and beyond, what he’s going to be working on is how he can really bring the best out of himself and the playing group.”
The 2026 season looms as a defining one for Seibold after missing the finals in two of his first three seasons in charge at Manly. The Sea Eagles have signed Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty to replace long-serving captain Daly Cherry-Evans and Broncos forward Kobe Hetherington has agreed to join on a four-year deal, with Manly’s roster shake-up likely to gather steam in the coming days and weeks.
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Whether the club can agree on extensions for local products Tom and Jake Trbojevic could also be decisive. The brothers are viewed as the heart and soul of the club and if either were to leave, it would spark inevitable backlash from fans.
Tom has already indicated he’s willing to take a pay cut on his $1.1 million a season deal. While Manly are reportedly willing to offer Jake a one-year extension worth between $500,000 – $550,000, which also represents a huge downgrade on his current deal.