Manly Sea Eagles are a side in turmoil.
Just four games into the season the side is winless and coachless following Anthony Seibold’s shock sacking and replacement with interim coach Kieran Foran last week.
The move took on fresh significance on Sunday, with claims of a fracture between the now-former coach and club leader Jake Trbojevic emerging as a central factor in the club’s early-season implosion.
Speaking on Triple M’s Sunday Sin Bin, Ben Dobbin claimed the relationship between the now former coach and Jake Trbojevic had deteriorated significantly, describing a breakdown in communication and trust that contributed to the coach losing the playing group.
“Jake Trbojevic— I’m going to name him — he’s been treated poorly. He’s a club leader,” Dobbin said.
“Jake Trbojevic is a leader and that club is void of leadership. Jake and Tom are the two leaders. Jake Trbojevic has fronted Seibold, not agreed with the game plan, and said it’s absolutely been over played. These are the same issues that happened at Brisbane.”
Dobbin pointed to a poorly-managed captaincy handover from Jake to his younger brother Tom Trbojevic during the off-season as a flashpoint.
Tom was elevated to captaincy duties ahead of the season, but Jake was reportedly not formally informed by Seibold himself — instead hearing the news directly from his brother.
“I’ll give you an example,” Dobbin said.
“Tom was told that he was going to be the captain this year, and rightly so because he’s on the field more. Jake Trbojevic, at the end of last season, was captaining the side.
“He’s also the former New South Wales captain. Tom told Jake he’s not going to be the captain this year. You would think that (Seibold would tell that to Jake).”
“It’s about communication,” Dobbin further explained. “That falling out with Jake Trbojevic has been one of the huge issues.”
Journalist Brent Read pushed back on the severity of the claims, insisting Seibold had privately praised Jake’s leadership and value to the team although conceding the broader picture painted was one of a fractured dressing room.
Read said he had spoken to Seibold off the record about Jake’s poor on-field form in recent weeks.
“I spoke to Seibold about it off the record (a few weeks ago). I said I’m going to do a column basically saying that Jake has to retire, and Anthony Seibold actually talked me out of doing that column,” Read said.
“He said, ‘Mate, [Jake] has been amazing around the playing group this year. He’s a lot more valuable to us than stats.”
The tensions reportedly emerged from tactical differences with Jake arguing for dominance through the middle and emphasis on the ruck – a more conventional success theory as exemplified by Panthers in recent seasons – compared with Seibold who believes playing more expansive football.
The drama comes as Manly powerbrokers attempt to steady the ship, throwing their support behind Foran to revive the club’s fortunes and, crucially, unlock the best of Tom Trbojevic.
“When it comes to the next coach the reality is our captain will also need to get on with the person coming in.” Manly chairman Scott Penn said.
“It’s always ideal if the coach is a Manly person.
“We need the right calibre of person to help us win premierships.
“It’s important to have someone who understands our DNA and expectations of the club.
“That’s not to say people who haven’t played or been at our club won’t know that, but if you’ve lived and breathed and bled for the Sea Eagles, you truly understand it.”
That statement looms large given the reported fractures under Seibold, with the club now prioritising “Manly DNA” candidates such as Brett Kimmorley, Matt Ballin, Mick Ennis and Brad Arthur.
Foran, a former teammate of Tom Trbojevic, has already signalled he won’t shy away from tough conversations — a trait Penn believes is critical after the communication breakdowns that plagued the previous regime.
The extent to which the reported rift with Jake Trbojevic ultimately proved decisive in Seibold’s departure will likely remain unclear however a telling sign occurred in the sides first field session under Foran on Sunday.
Code Sports reported Jake Trbojevic was first to take the field and first to have a conversation with the new coach at the session, minutes before his teammates followed, displaying his eagerness to get underway with the new era at Manly.
