Manly Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett will walk away from the struggling club at the end of 2018, according to reports on Tuesday evening.
According to NRL 360 host Paul Kent, Barrett will finish up at season’s end, intensifying the coaching merry-go-round which started seven days ago.
“He will quit at the end of the season, so there’s three games left for Trent Barrett at Manly,” Kent said.
“There was a story over the weekend that he’d sent a letter to the Manly Sea Eagles saying that they don’t come into play with a couple of promises that they’d made when he extended his deal last year that he’d look at resigning – in fact, it was a resignation and it’s going to be dealt with over the off-season.”
AAP said that a formal announcement regarding Barrett’s future will take place on Wednesday.
It’s been reported in recent weeks Barrett was less than impressed with the level of resources on the Northern Beaches and Kent said the coach issued the club a 12-month notice in July.
However, they will release him from the final year of his deal and source a new coach to take over ahead of the 2019 season.
This comes despite the Sea Eagles restoring some momentum last weekend, with an 18-6 victory over the Bulldogs.
Barrett had originally extended his contract with the club in late 2017. Had he seen it out, he would have remained at Manly until the end of the 2020 season.
It follows Ivan Cleary’s decision to stay with the Tigers after the Panthers sacked Anthony Griffin just last week, despite Penrith sitting inside the top eight – and now top four – on the run to the NRL finals, which start in early September.
Panthers boss Phil Gould has repeatedly denied Barrett is heading west – where the former St George Illawarra five-eighth started his career as an assistant – but it would appear there is a real chance of that happening now.
Speculation is also still rampant about the destination of Broncos coach Wayne Bennett next year, and who would be his replacement should he leave Brisbane.
Manly were attempting to keep the decision of their coach under wraps until the end of the season, but appear to have failed in this endeavour.
The Sea Eagles currently sit 12th with just three rounds to go and face the Gold Coast Titans this Friday. Manly are still a half chance of claiming the wooden spoon at the end of the season should their form continue to be poor and other results work against them.
Brian George
Guest
Sad. Sad, but true
Brian George
Guest
You mean "all one" of you guys surely?
Renegade
Roar Guru
Who reckon the rot isn’t at the top? Really?
Tom G
Guest
I had to laugh at a report on Fox who quoted an ex manly player stating that the rot was at the top at manly.. then I read that the statement was attributed to Isaac John!! Isaac who??? I literally had to Wikipedia search him to remember who he was. He was signed by Barrett and NEVER played a first grade game in his lengthy one season manly career. Serious reporting Fox
beachart
Roar Rookie
And also take Zorba with you , and close the door.
Nat
Roar Guru
So where does that leave Bennett? Master Coach making his way to the Gong again? Imagine the Centrelink clerk "Wayne, you can't keep asking the same 15 people for jobs each week..."
Jaime
Guest
It's because the ground is in a nice safe Liberal seat... No risk of losing it to labour or greens and therefore Libs won't spend any money upgrading facities... If it was a marginal seat Manly would have a nice boutique stadium like Parra are getting.. Even something like Campbelltown have would be m ore suitable.
John
Guest
Wouldn't surprise me, they were after Cleary who is also on a similarly underwhelming winning percent.
Big daddy
Guest
Most people only leave a job because they have got something already lined up. The letter to the board was probably just a smoke screen. Since the Penn a bought manly they have had ongoing problems on and off the field hence poor support by their fans.
Birdy
Guest
But you also have the atrocious condition of Brookvale oval. Why is that such a rundown embarrassment. Can't the NRL apply pressure to council and government.
Birdy
Guest
Lol
kk
Guest
Exactly, Paul.
Jaime
Guest
The owners?
no one in particular
Roar Guru
A privately owned club where the owner doesn't want to spend money
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Jumped before he was pushed. Very underwhelming as a coach. His handling of Gladstone and Hasting show he is sinking, not swimming. If Manly get one of the good young coaches out there they will be much better off then they are with Barrett
kk
Guest
Rebecca said "No"
Birdy
Guest
Is Paul Kent really Peeko?
Birdy
Guest
Any coaching merry go round that leaves Ivan at the Tigers has my mark of approval. I must ask though, what has happened to Manly, surely one of the most professional clubs in NRL history now looking at oblivion.
Forty Twenty
Guest
Hasler didn't set the world on fire in his first couple of years at Manly either , in fact their first two years were fairly similar. Haslers third year didn't have all the injuries and dramas that Barrett has faced so 40% doesn't mean much. I suspect most coaches would be around 40% with Manly over these last three years.
Birdy
Guest
Bennett to the Titans would tick all the boxes