Amid the teeth-gnashing and finger-pointing over Connor Watson’s announcement that he was leaving Newcastle it was disappointing but in no way surprising to see Anthony Seibold turned into a talking point.
In a discussion on NRL 360 about Watson’s departure and what it meant for the club, the fact the former Broncos coach has been made an assistant at the Knights was brought up by the panel.
“I don’t want this to be a bash-up on Seibold, but the criticism of him at Brisbane was that he created all this head noise in the players because he talked in algebraic terms, everything was formulas and science and the players got bamboozled by it all,” Kent said.
“He was brought in at Newcastle, at the time we were told it was to do video analysis for O’Brien and he wouldn’t have any contact with the players, which would’ve avoided the problem that happened to the Broncos.
“Now we know he’s doing one-on-ones with the players … What do you say?”
Probably supposed to be a rhetorical question (“Rhetorical, eh? Eight!”) but I say: good.
An Anthony Seibold is exactly what the Knights needed on their coaching staff in 2021 – it just took them half a season to work it out.
Anthony Seibold (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Last December the Knights announced Adam O’Brien’s support staff for 2021 would be Willie Peters, Eric Smith and Rory Kostjasyn, a trio who brought precisely zero games of experience as the head coach of an NRL club to the table. And in fact neither Smith nor Kostjasyn had even been an assistant in the top flight before.
That meant O’Brien, in just his second year as a first-grade mentor, was the sole person in the coaching set-up who understood the stress of a job that requires one to wear any number of hats, with Peters the only member of his support staff who’d even been an assistant at this level.
Compare that to the previous year, when O’Brien had a premiership-winning player and coach of more than 100 first-grade games – as well as having been an assistant to Paul Green during the Cowboys’ 2015 premiership run – in David Furner as his right-hand man. However, Furner returned to Sydney at the end of 2020 to take up a role with the Bulldogs.
While not an ironclad law, coaching in the NRL tends to be a bit like exorcising a demon – you want a young priest and an old priest.
Wayne Bennett is aided by blokes who have never been full-time first-grade coaches, ditto Trent Robinson and Ivan Cleary. As for Craig Bellamy and Ricky Stuart having Stephen Kearney and Andrew McFadden on their respective staffs, that’s balanced by also having Marc Brentnall at the Storm and Brett White at the Raiders.
It’s also why eyebrows were raised last September when the Dragons announced that 54-year-old Anthony Griffin would be assisted in 2021 by fellow quinquagenarians Peter Gentle and Matthew Elliott.
Much like your playing group, you want your coaching staff to have a mixture of youth and experience, and by midway through this season, the Knights’ lack of the latter in this department was being held up as part of the reason the team was struggling on the park.
Following a 40-4 flogging at the hands of Parramatta in Round 13, it was reported that club CEO Phil Gardner had decided to put a bit more support around his coach.
However, Gardner’s suggestion of getting premiership-winning coach Shane Flanagan was said to have been emphatically rejected by O’Brien.
It was also around about this time – about a fortnight earlier, according to the Newcastle Herald – that Seibold’s role had expanded from that of advisor to having “a more hands-on coaching role”.
Now, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that O’Brien was able to successfully argue that he didn’t need Flanagan holding his hand as he was already gripping Seibold’s digits – Gardner just needed to give them both a little more time.
Because what’s often lost in any discussion about Seibold is that prior to 2020 he had largely been a success as a coach.
In his only season in charge at Souths he steered the Bunnies to within one game of the grand final and was named Dally M coach of the year, while his first year at the Broncos also saw Brisbane play finals footy.
Obviously 2020 was a historically bad year in the Queensland capital and it cost Seibold his job – and justifiably so – but the rot at the Broncos went far deeper than the coach, as evidenced by their ongoing turnover of front-office staff. With the benefit of hindsight, the club giving a rookie coach a six-year deal was probably one of the first signs they were headed down a bad road.
(Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Seibold also brings a wealth of knowledge as a second-in-command, having been an assistant at the Storm (where he first struck up a friendship with O’Brien), Manly and Souths as well as for the Queensland Origin side.
All of which is to say that when the Knights needed a dash of experience to right the ship for 2021, bringing Seibold on was far from the worst option.
While just a few years older than O’Brien, Seibold is a seasoned campaigner who may have only a few more matches of experience in the hottest of seats, but having led high-profile clubs in the Bunnies and Broncos, he understands better than most the stresses and strains of being a first-grade coach.
As for him bamboozling players with his “formulas and science” – like a nerd – Seibold got his education long before he became a coach and his academic approach didn’t seem to be a problem until that one abysmal season in Brisbane.
But while it may have caused problems at the Broncos, there’s every chance it’s an advantage at the Knights, because you don’t just want your coaching staff to be a mix of young and old, you want them to have a bit of variety in other aspects.
While I haven’t sat in on a game-day speech from O’Brien, I’ve listened to enough of his press conferences to have formed the opinion that he’s a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. Maybe the players actually enjoy having someone bring a bit more of an academic perspective to their footy – whether that’s because it’s something different than what they usually hear or because it’s how they also think about the game.
Admittedly that’s just me spitballing – but then, that’s also what Kent was doing – so let’s analyse Seibold’s actual job in O’Brien’s setup.
(Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
According to the aforementioned Herald article, “O’Brien has given the controversial former Brisbane Broncos coach the reins to oversee the Knights’ defence with the head coach now taking a far more active role in his side’s attack.”
Now, if the Novocastrians have got a major problem, it’s that despite boasting weapons the likes of Kalyn Ponga and Bradman Best, they struggle to score points.
But you’re seriously clutching at straws if you’re trying to pin that issue on the defensive coach.
So how has he done in his role?
Well, prior to Seibold taking on the task of tightening up the Knights’ D, the team had given up 256 points at an average of 25.6 points conceded per game. Compare that to a total of 266 points at an average of 22.2 points since his role expanded – an improvement of more than three points per game.
Just to put that in context, the team’s attack in that same period has actually got slightly worse, from scoring 17.9 points per game to 17.7.
So while the Knights’ injury ward has become less crowded over the months Seibold has been more involved, the only part of the team’s performance that has trended upwards – and notably so – is the aspect over which he plays a leading role.
Apparently it’s all been for naught, however, with Seibold’s season wearing a red and blue polo set to be one and done.
“We’ve been told the Knights will be putting a full stop on Seibold’s tenure at the end of this season. Seibold won’t be at Newcastle beyond this season,” James Hooper wrote last week (I swear, the man’s never met a point he couldn’t belabour).
If it’s accurate, then the Knights will need to have a proper think about their coaching structure for season 2022, because having a veteran on board just makes sense.
As for Seibold, this season shows that at the very least he’s a handy assistant, having helped the Knights go from 11th on the ladder to seventh while increasing their winning percentage from 40 to 58 per cent.
He may be a single cog in a larger machine, but Seibold’s role being expanded has seen an undeniable improvement that has Newcastle in charge of their own destiny ahead of this season’s finals.
Obviously it’s not going to extinguish the raging inferno that still seems to burn for him north of the Tweed, but the Knights making the finals should earn Anthony Seibold a bit of gratitude from the people of the Hunter and finally get certain sections of the media off his back.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Seibs at Souths in 2018 was Dally M Coach of the Year, he was a rookie coach but importantly had 3 experienced leaders / captains on the field (Inglis, Sutton and Sam Burgess). It really didn't matter what Seibs said to an extent as the younger players in the team were listening and looking up to these 3 captains on the field. It was a successful formula, a young, smart enthusiastic coach with some very experienced players taking it forward. At the Broncos. it wasn't the case, a young coach and plenty young players but no leaders. There were no senior players at the Broncs to the calibre of a Sutton, Inglis, Sam Burgess or Thaiday, and Milf and Boyd are not natural leaders. Hence the collapse. The Broncos still suffer from this, and Adam Reynolds will greatly help in this respect. At the Knights, they have one of the best and most experienced forward packs in the game, it's a Origin pack, and it is of no surprise the team starts winning when an experienced, natural leader like Pearce is back in the team. AOB / Seibs can take a back seat.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The Knights have improved as Seibold became more involved but it's drawing a long bow to attribute a slight improvement to a single factor like that when there are 100 other factors. You could do the same with any team. The Warriors have for instance strung together a series of wins since RTS left town but is that the reason? Sacking the Sharks coach was meant to send the place into turmoil but they've come good. Maybe someone will attribute the decent form to the sacking now? Maybe it didn't matter who was coaching? It's not a simple equation. If the Bunnies beat the Pennies last weekend no doubt Bennett would be considered a major factor but somehow different laws apply when Cleary masterminds a clear victory? Maybe the players have a major role in how teams perform?
Nat
Roar Guru
It was a disgusting and disappointing mess how that played out. Without doubt it had an effect on the playing group.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Bennett was showing such open disrespect for the club that the board was forced to bring Seibold in a year earlier than planned.
Nat
Roar Guru
There seems to be a lot of sunshine heading his way because the Knights just got over the Dogs - by 6pts. The Knights missing -20 tackles might say more about the Dogs attack than their staunch defence.
Nat
Roar Guru
I'm not sure there is a link there. Because Bennett went to lunch with his misses he would have deemed it ok for TPJ to go to a party during lockdown? My point is more that TPJ would have more respect for club and coach if Bneett was still there. Speculation of course.
Albo
Roar Rookie
I just don't see any evidence of this premise of Anthony Siebold being " a decent assistant coach" ? The Knights were just finalists in 2020, and despite having the softest draw of any team in 2021 , and the same squad with another years experience, they look like just falling into the 8 again in 2021 ? Sure, they have had a few injuries this year , just like most teams, but with 11 wins & 11 losses, and with the 2nd worst attacking figures ( apart from the Dogs) and the 8th worst defence, and a for and against of -131, where has any improvement come in 2021 ? They have beaten just one team above them on the ladder all year , that being Manly when Turbo played but was basically resting that day, before the SOO ? Whilst they have won their last 4 matches against bottom 8 dwellers, and with their best team now on the park, they have just fallen in in most of them. If the Knights get past week 2 of the Finals, I will certainly reconsider my position regarding Siebold, as finally some evidence will become visible.
PNG Broncos fan88
Roar Guru
This idiot shipped off Nikorima to play Tom Deardud...who was another passenger along with Glenn, Boyd and Milford. No surprises there why Brisbane fell of a cliff and got handed it's first spoon. 0-58 record breaking defeat at the hands of the Eels after limping into the finals was his crowning achievement, i will give him that. Ponga is back, with the emergence of Clifford and Knights are climbing up the ladder again. Nothing whatsoever to do with this quack.
Walter Black
Guest
We see lots of assistant coaches step into the big job when the current Head Coach is sacked (step up Cronulla) and in the main, they do an OK job with an inherited team that is often disillusioned at the sacking of the Head Coach. These guys never claim to have the smarts for the head coach job and are happy to step back once a new coach comes along. These stand in assistants have all done a better job than Seibold did at the Broncos despite Seibold's advantages of having 2 full seasons and a large degree of latitude. Now he may have some skills as an assistant but if I was a head coach, I wouldn't be taking that risk.
Rolando
Roar Rookie
Absolutely. It was obvious that Siebold had to pick Boyd for many reasons including to avoid being completely white-anted ( by Boyd et al). Boyd’s loyalty to Bennett and antipathy to Siebold became cancerous to the cream. As for Milford, the d…s in charge at Broncos forced Siebold’s hand by arguing they had (mis) spent so much of the salary cap on him that it was incumbent on Siebold to somehow extract top performances from him (Milford). When one moves into a such a parochial/partisan environment, (eg from NSW into QLD) there is a wall of resistance to climb over.
Opposed Session
Roar Rookie
How do you know he tries to reinvent the wheel? How many sessions did he put you through for you to get this take on his coaching? He did try get the broncos to have better training attitude as the success he’d seen before had an element of hard work. Is that reinventing the wheel? Bennett’s game three win was made in that comment “worst Qld team in history”, he just leveraged off that. He knows how to assess each situation. That’s what coaching over 900 elite level games gets you over a 60 game early career coach.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
I think the Broncos board did actually show Seibold a lot of support. It’s easily forgotten now, but those internet rumours that came out were extremely damaging, even though they were clearly untrue. Coupled with the family issues, he really had to move on, unfair as the situation was and convenient it might have been for the board. I don’t think the board blamed him for the losses. They stood solidly by him despite a huge amount of criticism for doing so. The board deserves criticism for a lot of things in recent years, but they weren’t particularly bad on this occasion.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Bennett himself breached the covid protocols, so its probably a stretch to think that TPJ would have shown more respect for the protocols under Bennett.
Opposed Session
Roar Rookie
I did not see that but I am not surprised.
Cam
Roar Rookie
TPJ strikes me as maybe not such a great team player, at least from a coaching perspective. The players might love him, but he looks hard work for the men with the clipboard. I couldn't help but notice when when TPJ debuted for the Panthers on the weekend, the camera panned to the bench and every reserve player, assistant, physio and support staff had masks on. Except TPJ.
Opposed Session
Roar Rookie
Some guys are suited to be a head coach, some suited to just being the second banana. Interesting to note O’Brien has never been a head coach prior to the Knights job. He played under Brad Arthur in Cairns, BA took him to Melbourne to be assistant 20’s coach. He progressed from there but not once did he coach a team himself. It’s one of the only career paths where it doesn’t fully prepare you for the role your about get. That’s not a criticism of Adam, I think he can become a fine coach.
Cam
Roar Rookie
The problem with Seibold is he is trying to reinvent the wheel rather than making sure the tyres are pumped up on said wheel. Game day plans will change depending on match-ups, but I'd argue the nuts and bolts of offensive and defensive patterns are very similar from club to club. The Storm's defensive structures are not dissimilar to the Panthers or for that matter the Broncos or my park team. It is just the clarity of the message and quality of the training that separates the good from the average. It is why Bennett was to win the 2020 Origin series with the worst QLD team ever assembled. When they were down 10-0 at half time, Wayne didn't say "ok, we need to do a, b, c, d, e and f because NSW are doing x, y and z". When Capewell was asked about Bennett's address, he replied "he didn't say much, just to stop shifting the ball and be far more direct and combative through the middle". Or in layman's terms, hard up the guts.
Adam
Roar Guru
I reckon he's a great assistant coach that may never be able to make the leap. He seems motivated by analysis and can break down the game to a minute level that would be valuable to a head coach. Though I imagine as a head coach if he were trying to do the same thing he'd get analysis paralysis and be continuously wanting to do his own analysis instead of entrusting his assistants to do their roles.
Opposed Session
Roar Rookie
I was told “influential figures”, agree it wouldn’t have been white as he was standing by at the exit. I didn’t press for information as I know my source couldn’t say any more than he already had. Started 2/2 and club obviously didn’t handle restrictions well. He left in round 13 for leave of absence (before resigning) at 3/13 and they didn’t win another game. It didn’t seem to change with him not there. A bounce back certainly would of gone some way to saying it was all on Seibold.
Adam
Roar Guru
Educated game plans still get a bad wrap from fans. Despite plenty of teams actually having complicated game plans.