The Anthony Seibold Grievances MEGA THREAD

[XV-1]

When you have the 5th or 6th best roster, believe it or not, it is acceptable to come 5th or 6th.

Given your incredibly high personal standards hopefully, you can get in touch with Mestrov and Seibold and help them to recruit the number 1 roster in the game

IMO we have the 4th best roster in the NRL.
6th is a fail.

What position does Seibold claim within the NRL coaches 🤔

 

[zfinkels]

Our past four coaches have had a turn at missing the finals, so us making Finals Week 2 is hopefully a start.

We have to improve next year and Top 4 has to be the pass mark. We haven't made consecutive finals series since 2013-14 so that needs to change. Defense and second-phase play needs to improve and that should be achievable. A few players need to swap around but that should be okay. What to do with our forward rotation is a bit trickier due to the salaries and contract length of some of those players involved. We still need proper cover for Tom so that should be addressed in the off-season.

If Seibold has secured a contract extension, then hopefully he'll be emboldened to make some tough but necessary calls for 2025.

Lucky it’s not a top 5.

 

[Rocky]

IMO we have the 4th best roster in the NRL.
6th is a fail.

What position does Seibold claim within the NRL coaches 🤔

4th best roster apparently - and yet all you have done is moan how bad they are all year. LOL

 

[Sheikheagle]

4th best roster - and yet all you have done is moan how bad they are all year. LOL

I think Ad nauseam is the term.

 

[XV-1]

4th best roster apparently - and yet all you have done is moan how bad they are all year. LOL

Who have I been critical of besides Seibold and Garrick all year?

Your attn to detail is a bit like Seibolds, non existent LOL

BTW, where do u think our roster lies with the rest of the teams?

 

[Rocky]

Who have I been critical of besides Seibold and Garrick all year?

Your attn to detail is a bit like Seibolds, non existent LOL

BTW, where do u think our roster lies with the rest of the teams?

Like i said in my other post i would have us around 5th or 6th best roster and that's where we finished.

Obviously Roosters, Penrith and Storm are clearly above us.

Then it becomes harder, but I would say the Broncos are better even though they had a sh!t year.

Then I would have us with Sharks and maybe Cowboys.

In terms of Seibold he is an "average NRL coach" IMO. I would have Bellamy, Bennett, Cleary, Fitzgibbon, Ciraldo and Flanagan clearly above him...and have to put Robinson in there even though i think he is overrated.

I would have Seibold in the next tier with Webster, Sticky, Hasler (obviously Des a legend but comparing him to the 2024 version) etc - competent coaches

 

[XV-1]

Like i said in my other post i would have us around 5th or 6th best roster and that's where we finished.

Obviously Roosters, Penrith and Storm are clearly above us.

Then it becomes harder, but I would say the Broncos are better even though they had a sh!t year.

Then I would have us with Sharks and maybe Cowboys.

In terms of Seibold he is an "average NRL coach" IMO. I would have Bellamy, Bennett, Cleary, Fitzgibbon, Ciraldo and Flanagan clearly above him...and have to put Robinson in there even though i think he is overrated.

I would have Seibold in the next tier with Webster, Sticky, Hasler (obviously Des a legend but comparing him to the 2024 version) etc - competent coaches

Oh year, forgot about Broncos. They do have a better squad.

Would they be better if they had a tier one coach, rather than Kevie?

 

[Rocky]

Oh year, forgot about Broncos. They do have a better squad.

Would they be better if they had a tier one coach, rather than Kevie?

I think absolutely. I would have Kevvie in the bottom tier of coaches. I would think that's consensus?

It's almost unbelievable that they were so so close to upending the Panthers dynasty last season. And that's in spite of Kevvie. Speaks to the talent they have on that team.

 

[eaglebuzz]

I agree it was a bad day Mark
Unlucky early KO's...some "strange" calls and just didn't bounce our way....I get that and agree - however......
My point is we have a few weaknesses in our side the other 3-4 top sides don't have and unfortunately, just my opinion, but ANY of the remaining finalists would have exploited these weaknesses in the high octane finals style footy, maybe even more so then Roosters did....but again, just my opinion mate.

I still think JWH should have gone to the bin for cold cocking Koula with his elbow, that was not an accident. If a defending player did that they'd be sent off.

 

[maxta]

I still think JWH should have gone to the bin for cold cocking Koula with his elbow, that was not an accident. If a defending player did that they'd be sent off.

Your probably right, but we notice it more as Manly fans and this incident.
If you watch basically every carry JWH makes, he uses the elbow/forearm as a bumper bar.
Never gets pinged, as says it's a protective style, which I find strange he gets away with it, but he does it "every game"
If you want my honest opinion, I'm a little suprised Manly players would not be aware JWH commonly does this on carries and thought Koula would not have his head in 'that' area of contact......he will do the same carry against Storm Friday night, but I feel Bellamy will have the Storm players in different contact area's due to this very reason.

 

[manly al]

Just on the unlucky side and have to give full credit to Koula for preparing to really rip in and show some real competitiveness from the get go .
No doubt a lesson learnt also and again the controversy of a defender not allowed to lead with a raised elbow or forearm but generally acceptable on a carry .
Can 't help but think that it would have less to do with self protection then to try and inflict some discomfort on a willing defender.
Should have been referred to the bunker , maybe some reluctance to set a precedent , particularly in a high profile final but can hardly see how a slightly misjudged tackle effort should have resulted in a basic T K O for that defender and essentially caused by an action which is prohibited in other on field circumstances .

 

[Frogz]

Just on the unlucky side and have to give full credit to Koula for preparing to really rip in and show some real competitiveness from the get go .
No doubt a lesson learnt also and again the controversy of a defender not allowed to lead with a raised elbow or forearm but generally acceptable on a carry .
Can 't help but think that it would have less to do with self protection then to try and inflict some discomfort on a willing defender.
Should have been referred to the bunker , maybe some reluctance to set a precedent , particularly in a high profile final but can hardly see how a slightly misjudged tackle effort should have resulted in a basic T K O for that defender and essentially caused by an action which is prohibited in other on field circumstances .

Surely it's not Koula's job to put the "first" hit of the game on JWH. Brown and Lodge should of been pushing everyone out of the way to get to the thug and set the tone. But no, Lodge was next to him and did nothing (like most of his game).

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Just on the unlucky side and have to give full credit to Koula for preparing to really rip in and show some real competitiveness from the get go .
No doubt a lesson learnt also and again the controversy of a defender not allowed to lead with a raised elbow or forearm but generally acceptable on a carry .
Can 't help but think that it would have less to do with self protection then to try and inflict some discomfort on a willing defender.
Should have been referred to the bunker , maybe some reluctance to set a precedent , particularly in a high profile final but can hardly see how a slightly misjudged tackle effort should have resulted in a basic T K O for that defender and essentially caused by an action which is prohibited in other on field circumstances .

Goosters’ coach Pineapple Face celebrated those first two hit ups at the post-match press conference. Too bad about that deleterious head knock stuff that Koula and Jake suffered from in the process.

One day some of these coaches might be found liable for brain injuries, suffered by their own and opposing players, in the (coaches) pursuit of on-field success.

Robinson should have a chat with Des Hasler about the aftermath of Keith Titmuss’s tragic death, and whether he (Robinson) would like to have a similar experience on his conscience.

 

[manly al]

Surely it's not Koula's job to put the "first" hit of the game on JWH. Brown and Lodge should of been pushing everyone out of the way to get to the thug and set the tone. But no, Lodge was next to him and did nothing (like most of his game).

No , it was not Koula 's job but must have been really fired up which was pleasing and of course ideally should have left it to the engine room guys to do the deed .
Seemed to be some good vigor with the Manly forward defence in the following couple of sets but a bit on the slack side on too many occasions after that and in terms of authority .
Real concern with Lodge 's form level on Saturday , not the only forward below par and fair enough a solid Rooster's pack overall but Manly pack has shown much better resolve against good sides previously and big let down on that outcome

 

[lsz]

What I find interesting is when we played the dogs the talk of how experienced we were as a roster

Take out Jurbo, DCE and Brooks the overall team is actually not that experienced over all.

While we were a heap closer and more competitive in games this year apart from a couple of notable exceptions (Dragons, Sharks and the last game) the challenge for the coach i think next year is the ability to grind out "ugly" games against the teams you are meant to win against.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

No , it was not Koula 's job but must have been really fired up which was pleasing and of course ideally should have left it to the engine room guys to do the deed .
Seemed to be some good vigor with the Manly forward defence in the following couple of sets but a bit on the slack side on too many occasions after that and in terms of authority .
Real concern with Lodge 's form level on Saturday , not the only forward below par and fair enough a solid Rooster's pack overall but Manly pack has shown much better resolve against good sides previously and big let down on that outcome

There was a piece relating to this in the SMH this week, where Adam Pengilly (from memory) argued that the process of kicking off towards the corners left open the posibility of Koula’s injury occurring. Rather than kicking at the goalposts, where theoretically front rower would tackle front rower.

Or the team kicking off could get a lucky bounce back off the posts, and score an early try.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

And here it is:

OPINION
After the Koula concussion, the NRL’s cookie-cutter kick-offs need to change


Adam Pengilly
Sports reporter
September 23, 2024 — 5.42am

Player A is a 108kg, 15-year NRL veteran, prowling at the back of the field, waiting to explode onto the ball with at least 20 metres of running at near top speed before colliding with an opponent.

Player B is 88kg, on a good day, a former sprinter in his school days who clocked 10.58 seconds for the 100 metres and has barely fully matured into his body.

It sounds like an unfair fight – because it is.

But within the first 10 seconds of a winner-takes-all finals match, this is precisely what happened when Roosters hardman Jared Waerea-Hargreaves poleaxed Manly’s Tolu Koula, leaving the latter concussed and out of the game. Deep down, even Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold knew they would struggle to win from there.

So, should we start the discussion about banning the kick-off again? No.

But why was Koula even in that position of having to make the tackle on Waerea-Hargreaves? And why aren’t coaches thinking about better ways to protect their most vulnerable defenders from the kick-

For 116 years rugby league has been a delicious tango between big men and small men. The game is better for the contest between athletes of varying shapes and sizes.

But there’s something not right about every cookie cutter kick-off seemingly being sent down into a corner, and often the opposition’s biggest man, like Waerea-Hargreaves, having the opportunity to hurtle into a centre like Koula, or a winger who was right next to him like Tommy Talau, or even a precious playmaker like Luke Brooks who defends a tad wider from the re-start.

For context, the Roosters exploit this tactic better than most.

Waerea-Hargreaves and Spencer Leniu, in particular, have developed a liking for arching towards the sideline at the smaller outside backs from the opening carry after the kick-off. It’s natural: they will probably gain more metres and generate a quicker play-the-ball. Big man v small man etc.

But here’s a novel idea: why don’t coaches start telling players to kick off into the middle third of the field, where their biggest and most powerful forwards are likely to make the opening tackle, rather than creating a Waerea-Hargreaves v Koula mismatch? There’s also an added benefit of aiming for the posts, and potentially causing chaos by hitting them.

Koula is not the first outside back to be concussed from a kick-off this year, but hopefully he’s the last.

St George Illawarra’s Moses Suli was ruled out of the game after the first tackle on Anzac Day when he had a head clash with, you guessed it, Waerea-Hargreaves. His incident was mainly caused by a slight bump from teammate Jaydn Su’A before impact, forcing Suli’s head into the wrong place.

Statistics show teams which lose an outside back to injury or concussion in the first half have a horrible winning record.

There have also been forwards such as Canterbury’s Poasa Faamausili and North Queensland’s Sam McIntyre who have had head collisions defending from the kick-off in 2024. It can happen to anyone.

Overwhelmingly, coaches know tackle technique needs to improve to avoid future incidents such as the one which cast a pall over Allianz Stadium.

But if they already try to protect million-dollar halves like Nathan Cleary, Jahrome Hughes and Mitchell Moses by lining them up on the wing when defending a kick-off, why keep sending the ball into an area where the centres and wingers are being targeted?

The NRL has already tried, controversially, to water down the risk of concussion from re-starts.

This year, it incentivised teams to take more short kick-offs and dropouts, and more teams are doing so. It came a year too late for the Broncos, who, everyone forgets, conceded a penalty goal for botching a short dropout in the first half before Nathan Cleary’s 17-minute grand final masterclass. They lost by two.

NFL buffs have reacted with apathy to the sport’s new kick-off rule in 2024, where defenders line up 25 yards in front of the kicker so they’re not running as far downfield before a tackle. The fans might not be quite on board, but the lawmakers don’t care.

The NRL’s kick-off remains a vexing issue.

When forwards like Manly’s Nathan Brown start their run-ups from outside the field of play - literally earning him the nickname “Back Fence Brown” - fans in the stands and viewers at home shuffle in expectation and excitement in their seats. It’s part of rugby league’s theatre.

But it’s a theatre which can probably do without the likes of Koula being asked to make the first tackle.

 

[XV-1]

And here it is:

OPINION
After the Koula concussion, the NRL’s cookie-cutter kick-offs need to change


Adam Pengilly
Sports reporter
September 23, 2024 — 5.42am

Player A is a 108kg, 15-year NRL veteran, prowling at the back of the field, waiting to explode onto the ball with at least 20 metres of running at near top speed before colliding with an opponent.

Player B is 88kg, on a good day, a former sprinter in his school days who clocked 10.58 seconds for the 100 metres and has barely fully matured into his body.

It sounds like an unfair fight – because it is.

But within the first 10 seconds of a winner-takes-all finals match, this is precisely what happened when Roosters hardman Jared Waerea-Hargreaves poleaxed Manly’s Tolu Koula, leaving the latter concussed and out of the game. Deep down, even Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold knew they would struggle to win from there.

So, should we start the discussion about banning the kick-off again? No.

But why was Koula even in that position of having to make the tackle on Waerea-Hargreaves? And why aren’t coaches thinking about better ways to protect their most vulnerable defenders from the kick-

For 116 years rugby league has been a delicious tango between big men and small men. The game is better for the contest between athletes of varying shapes and sizes.

But there’s something not right about every cookie cutter kick-off seemingly being sent down into a corner, and often the opposition’s biggest man, like Waerea-Hargreaves, having the opportunity to hurtle into a centre like Koula, or a winger who was right next to him like Tommy Talau, or even a precious playmaker like Luke Brooks who defends a tad wider from the re-start.

For context, the Roosters exploit this tactic better than most.

Waerea-Hargreaves and Spencer Leniu, in particular, have developed a liking for arching towards the sideline at the smaller outside backs from the opening carry after the kick-off. It’s natural: they will probably gain more metres and generate a quicker play-the-ball. Big man v small man etc.

But here’s a novel idea: why don’t coaches start telling players to kick off into the middle third of the field, where their biggest and most powerful forwards are likely to make the opening tackle, rather than creating a Waerea-Hargreaves v Koula mismatch? There’s also an added benefit of aiming for the posts, and potentially causing chaos by hitting them.

Koula is not the first outside back to be concussed from a kick-off this year, but hopefully he’s the last.

St George Illawarra’s Moses Suli was ruled out of the game after the first tackle on Anzac Day when he had a head clash with, you guessed it, Waerea-Hargreaves. His incident was mainly caused by a slight bump from teammate Jaydn Su’A before impact, forcing Suli’s head into the wrong place.

Statistics show teams which lose an outside back to injury or concussion in the first half have a horrible winning record.

There have also been forwards such as Canterbury’s Poasa Faamausili and North Queensland’s Sam McIntyre who have had head collisions defending from the kick-off in 2024. It can happen to anyone.

Overwhelmingly, coaches know tackle technique needs to improve to avoid future incidents such as the one which cast a pall over Allianz Stadium.

But if they already try to protect million-dollar halves like Nathan Cleary, Jahrome Hughes and Mitchell Moses by lining them up on the wing when defending a kick-off, why keep sending the ball into an area where the centres and wingers are being targeted?

The NRL has already tried, controversially, to water down the risk of concussion from re-starts.

This year, it incentivised teams to take more short kick-offs and dropouts, and more teams are doing so. It came a year too late for the Broncos, who, everyone forgets, conceded a penalty goal for botching a short dropout in the first half before Nathan Cleary’s 17-minute grand final masterclass. They lost by two.

NFL buffs have reacted with apathy to the sport’s new kick-off rule in 2024, where defenders line up 25 yards in front of the kicker so they’re not running as far downfield before a tackle. The fans might not be quite on board, but the lawmakers don’t care.

The NRL’s kick-off remains a vexing issue.

When forwards like Manly’s Nathan Brown start their run-ups from outside the field of play - literally earning him the nickname “Back Fence Brown” - fans in the stands and viewers at home shuffle in expectation and excitement in their seats. It’s part of rugby league’s theatre.

But it’s a theatre which can probably do without the likes of Koula being asked to make the first tackle.

So it's Seibolds fault Koula got knocked out
😊

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

So it's Seibolds fault Koula got knocked out
😊

Let’s just say that coaches - on both sides of the halfway line - need to consider their on-field tactics and how it might impact upon their own (and the opposition’s) players.

 

[madmax]

Goosters’ coach Pineapple Face celebrated those first two hit ups at the post-match press conference. Too bad about that deleterious head knock stuff that Koula and Jake suffered from in the process.

One day some of these coaches might be found liable for brain injuries, suffered by their own and opposing players, in the (coaches) pursuit of on-field success.

Robinson should have a chat with Des Hasler about the aftermath of Keith Titmuss’s tragic death, and whether he (Robinson) would like to have a similar experience on his conscience.

If it happened to 2 of his players he would have been on the front foot moaning like the bitch he is! The guy is a fu<king hypocrite of the highest order. Can’t stand the site of him plus he looks smelly & dirty & . He, his team & supporters can all go & get fu<ked. Looking so forward to watching the Storm destroy their hopes & watch Robinson moan & squeal & go red like a boil on an arse hole!