Manly were 0-3, with all three losses coming at Brookvale. <\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776909012_441_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Anthony Seibold had been the first coach sacked of the young season. A popular wooden spoon pick pre-season was right on track. Things were grim.<\/p>\n
Not only had the Sea Eagles lost their coach so early in the season, he was being replaced by someone with no head coaching experience whatsoever.<\/p>\n
In fact, Foran had just started his coaching apprenticeship as an assistant under Seibold having retired from the sport only months earlier.<\/p>\n
So, when Manly players fronted up to Four Pines Park in the wake of Seibold\u2019s sacking and heard the Sea Eagles premiership winner wax lyrical about returning to the finals, a playing group low on confidence found Foran\u2019s message hard to believe \u2026 at first.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the time, we had lost three games but he believed in us as a footy side and he said his expectation were finals and that\u2019s what he thinks this footy team is capable of,\u201d skipper Tom Trbojevic told Triple M.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe and Kingy (CEO Jason King) spoke really well and they let us know that part of the reason with what happened with Seibs was because of us and we\u2019re the only people who can get us out of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably at the time given everything that had just happened, confidence wasn\u2019t high. But when we got out on the training paddock and trained really well, it didn\u2019t take long to realise we have a footy team and finals was a realistic goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The training session that followed Seibold\u2019s axing, and Foran\u2019s rousing speech, sparked one of the most startling form turnarounds in recent years.<\/p>\n
MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n
\u2018UNSELFISH\u2019: Luai\u2019s surprise move revealed as PNG contract twist comes to light<\/a><\/p>\n CRAWLEY: Shock axing that\u2019s haunting Ciraldo; Roosters baulking at re-signing star<\/a><\/p>\n BUY OR SELL: Verdict on awkward Munster call; troubles Dogs can\u2019t escape<\/a><\/p>\n Luai to PNG: ‘Something beyond sport!’ | 22:42<\/p>\n WHAT HAS CHANGED UNDER FORAN?<\/p>\n When Penn, Foran and King faced the media on a Saturday morning a little over a month ago at Manly HQ, it was hard to be overly excited as a Sea Eagles fan.<\/p>\n While the sacking of Seibold the night prior answered the wishes of many supporters, in the same breath, replacing him with a rookie assistant coach likely didn\u2019t inspire much confidence.<\/p>\n Foran is widely loved by the Manly fanbase, but how could you put your faith in someone who was only a couple of months into his apprenticeship.<\/p>\n It was a move labelled a \u201cPR stunt\u201d and \u201clacking strategy\u201d<\/a>, however the Sea Eagles decision to promote Foran over the other Sea Eagles assistants is now looking like a masterstroke.<\/p>\n Under Foran, the Sea Eagles have won all four games. At least three of those have been with a leg in the air. <\/p>\n Through those four games, Manly have recorded a points differential of +91 \u2013 the highest figure of any team in the NRL during that span.<\/p>\n So, what\u2019s different? What is \u2018Fozball\u2019?<\/p>\n According to Trbojevic, Foran changed the Sea Eagles\u2019 game style.<\/p>\n Too reliant in the past on their outside threats, under Seibold the Sea Eagles were guilty of playing east-west rather than north-south.<\/p>\n WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 10: Interim head coach Kieran Foran has made a stunning start.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Foran, who was a very direct player in the halves throughout the course of his career, quickly shifted the focus of Manly\u2019s attack. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was a weird start to the year and Seibs getting moved on. Everyone took it personally but having Foz come in, well he\u2019s really simplified it,\u201d Trbojevic said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wanted us to be more of a direct footy side. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of players out wide like Reuben Garrick, Tolu Koula, Haumole Olakau\u2019atu and Jason Saab who create a lot of opportunities for us and we probably were getting a bit too shift-happy and trying to go around teams. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, we\u2019ve had a real focus over the past few weeks of trying to be a more direct footy side, whether that be down short side or through the middle to get us up the field better.\u201d<\/p>\n The results are stark. <\/p>\n Manly are averaging 38 points a game under Foran and the renewed confidence with ball in hand is carrying over to defence. <\/p>\n What\u2019s scary is that without Trbojevic, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Sea Eagles\u2019 for\/against is +45.<\/p>\n Fox League\u2019s Greg Alexander, who was on the panel with Foran the night Seibold was fired, says his former co-worker has ticked an important box since assuming control.<\/p>\n \u201cThey just needed someone to reset them. And that\u2019s what Kieran\u2019s been able to do,\u201d Alexander told foxsports.com.au.<\/p>\n \u201dHe\u2019s got players that, you were questioning whether they had a place in first grade playing to their potential. That goes a long way in the game if you can get players to play to their potential.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n \u2018BROKE NO RULES\u2019: Luai opens up on Tigers exit… and \u2018team first\u2019 Galvin crack<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018BROKEN DOWN\u2019: Benji<\/a>\u2019s \u2018emotional\u2019 chat with Luai… and powerful reveal<\/a><\/p>\n