Reaction to Kieran Foran’s shock appointment as Manly interim coach has mostly been positive, but one expert disagrees with it, labelling the move as a “PR stunt”.
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Ahead of Foran’s coaching debut against the Dolphins, The Daily Telegraph’s Dave Riccio says the Sea Eagles’ call to promote a rookie assistant coach to replace the sacked Anthony Seibold borders on “brain dead”.
“I think he’s absolutely been thrown in the deep end, to the point that I honestly can’t believe the appointment,” Riccio said on NRL360.
“Manly fans will jump at me because they love that one of their own is taking control of this football club which is in disarray.
“I won’t say it’s brain dead, but it’s close enough to it because it lacks strategy.”
Seibold was fired last Friday night after a 0-3 start to the season with Foran announced as interim coach for the rest of the 2026 campaign despite just three games as an assistant coach
A Sea Eagles legend, Foran is only four and a half months removed from hanging up the boots, last playing for New Zealand in November.
“Your throwing in a 35-year-old who has been at the football club for less than four months with limited coaching experience and putting that type of pressure on him to rectify this problem that could’ve been sorted by the pre-season,” Riccio continued.
“I want to make this clear, I love Kieran Foran. He could be a future coach but it’s a decision made by a management of a team that are completely focused on appeasing fans.
“Is Manly playing for next year against the Dolphins and that’s it? Because it feels like all they’re worried about is ass-covering for next week’s game and getting a result next week.
“There’s nothing to do with the vision or a plan here and I say this knowing the likes of the Storm and Panthers plan two and three years in advance.”
When NRL360 host Braith Anasta asked Riccio if he believed it was a PR stunt to promote Foran, the journalist replied: “It is.”
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Foxsports.com.au’s Paul Crawley said the Sea Eagles should’ve fired Seibold after the conclusion of last season but agreed with Riccio that Manly have put Foran in a tough position, also noting the club’s history of mismanagement.
“You’re right Dave, that they’ve throw in the deep end because right now it is probably the right decision for them but it’s the wrong decision because it shows no foresight which has been a problem for ages,” Crawley said.
While Foran will steer the ship until the end of the season, there are a number of candidates in consideration for the full-time gig.
Foran will be in the running if he’s able to turn the Sea Eagles’ season around. Former Eels mentor Brad Arthur, Broncos assistant and Manly legend Matt Ballin and Dragons assistant Mick Ennis are the other names that have been floated.
Anasta revealed that Arthur has given the Sea Eagles a June 30 deadline but Crawley thinks the 51-year-old coach of Super League’s Leeds Rhinos should be the favourite to win the Manly job, even tossing up an intriguing idea.
“To me you have Matt Ballin, Mick Ennis and you’ve got Brad Arthur and now Kieran Foran and I you could make a case for any of those guys. My thoughts for Arthur, in the situation they are in at the moment, he could pick a club up off the canvas. He did it at the Eels,” Crawley said.
“That club needs experience but I would almost marry him in a tag-team situation with Kieran Foran. I believe Foran in time, if given the opportunity to do a apprenticeship, could become a good coach and lead Manly into the next 10-15 years.
“It gives Arthur a chance to come back from Leeds and give him a three-year deal and Manly stability.”
Originally published as ‘Just about brain-dead’: Manly move labelled ‘PR stunt’ in swipe as shock coaching call raised
