Manly Sea Eagles sack Anthony Seibold after 0-3 start; Kieran Foran named interim coach
Consensus Summary
Manly Sea Eagles sacked Anthony Seibold after a disastrous 0-3 start to the 2026 NRL season, with the club terminating his contract just three games into a new deal that was set to run through 2027. Seiboldâs firing followed three straight home losses, including a 33-16 defeat to the Sydney Roosters on April 18, 2026, where fans chanted for his dismissal. Kieran Foran, a former Manly premiership player and assistant coach, was swiftly appointed as interim head coach, making his debut against the Brisbane Dolphins on April 25. Foran, aged 35, holds the distinction of being one of the youngest and fastest-rising coaches in NRL history, having transitioned from player to head coach in under six months. The clubâs board is now considering long-term options, with Brad Arthur and Matt Ballin emerging as top candidates, though Willie Peters was recently poached by the Papua New Guinea NRL franchise. Seiboldâs tenure at Manly was marked by inconsistency, with a 49% win rate over 77 games, and internal club issues reportedly contributed to his early exit. Foranâs appointment aims to stabilize the team amid a roster transition, with nine of his former teammates still on the roster, though he has vowed to maintain squad cohesion while pushing for results.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Anthony Seibold was sacked as Manly Sea Eagles head coach on 2026-04-19 after a 0-3 start to the season, including a 33-16 loss to the Sydney Roosters on 2026-04-18.
- Kieran Foran, a premiership-winning Manly player and former assistant coach, was appointed as the clubâs interim head coach following Seiboldâs dismissal.
- Foranâs first game as head coach will be against the Brisbane Dolphins on 2026-04-25 at Redcliffe Stadium.
- Seibold had a 49% win rate (37 wins, 38 losses, 2 draws) in 77 games at Manly since 2023, including a 48% win rate (37 wins, 39 losses) in 76 games as reported by multiple sources.
- Manlyâs 2026 season began with three straight home losses: Sydney Roosters (33-16), Newcastle Knights, and Canberra Raiders.
- Seibold was granted a contract extension in late 2024 covering the 2026 and 2027 seasons, but was fired just three games into 2026.
- Willie Peters, a former Manly assistant, was poached by the Papua New Guinea NRL franchise (Chiefs) as their inaugural head coach, removing him from consideration for Manlyâs full-time role.
- Manlyâs board met on 2026-04-20 to consider interim and long-term coaching options, with Brad Arthur and Matt Ballin as leading contenders for the permanent role.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Simon Smaleâs live blog includes personal Easter-themed commentary and a lighthearted tone about chocolate consumption during the game.
- Foranâs quote about âoverdosing on chocolateâ and âhot cross bunsâ during press conference remarks was included in ABCâs live blog.
- ABCâs Article 1 mentions Foranâs comment about âdusting ourselves offâ and âgetting on with the jobâ in his first press conference.
- ABCâs Article 2 notes that Seibold was the third NRL coach sacked within the first month of a season, following Brad Arthur (2016) and Matt Ballin (2017).
- ABCâs Article 5 includes a fan chant of âSeibold outâ during the Roosters match, which was not mentioned in other sources.
- SMHâs Article 3 details Seiboldâs turbulent coaching career, including his sacking at South Sydney (2020) after a 40-game stint and his release from Brisbane Broncos in 2019.
- SMHâs Article 4 claims Seibold knew he was in trouble from the moment Jason King became Manlyâs CEO in December 2025, citing internal club dynamics and a $750,000 budget cut.
- SMHâs Article 4 includes a detailed account of the contract dispute involving Daly Cherry-Evans, which allegedly contributed to Seiboldâs unpopularity within the club.
- SMHâs Article 4 mentions a crisis summit between Fox Sports and Brisbane Broncos over Gorden Tallisâ criticism of Michael Maguire, unrelated to Manlyâs coaching change.
- SMHâs Article 3 notes that Seiboldâs sacking was announced via a WhatsApp group message to players on Friday night, 2026-04-19.
- No separate entries for The Age as it was not referenced in the provided articles.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC Article 1 states Foranâs first press conference included a joke about âoverdosing on chocolate,â but SMH Article 3 does not mention this detail.
- SMH Article 4 claims Seibold was âa dead man walkingâ from December 2025 due to Jason Kingâs leadership, while ABC Article 2 does not reference this timeline or internal club sentiment.
- ABC Article 2 lists Brad Arthur, Matt Ballin, and Michael Ennis as frontrunners for the permanent role, but SMH Article 3 only mentions Arthur and Ballin explicitly.
- SMH Article 3 states Seiboldâs sacking was confirmed via a press conference with Jason King and Scott Penn on Saturday morning, 2026-04-20, while ABC Article 5 does not mention this press conference.
- ABC Article 6 claims Foranâs appointment marks the âshortest rise to head coaching of anyone since Craig Young at St George in 1979,â but no other source confirms or disputes this specific comparison.
Source Articles
Sea Eagles sack Seibold just three games into NRL season
Manly have sensationally sacked Anthony Seibold after a terrible start to their 2026 campaign....
Manly sacks coach Seibold after three games of 2026 season
Manly has sacked head coach Anthony Seibold after a dismal start to his fourth NRL season at the helm....
Seibold was a dead man walking from the moment his bodyguard left Brookvale
The axed Manly coach was seen as an appointment by his mate, Tony Mestrov. When the former chief executive departed at the end of last year, Seiboldâs support within the club dried up....
Foran adamant age and experience no issue as new Sea Eagles coach
Kieran Foran says he will not be afraid to have hard conversations with former teammates as he prepares to complete the fastest shift from NRL player to head coach this century....
Live: Kieran Foran makes his NRL coaching bow as the Sea Eagles take on the Dolphins
Kieran Foran makes his NRL coaching debut as his winless Manly Sea Eagles head to Redcliffe to take on the Dolphins. Follow live....
Foran named interim coach after Manly sack Seibold following 0-3 start
Club legend Kieran Foran is appointed Manly's interim coach, after the Sea Eagles sacked Anthony Seibold just three games into the 2026 NRL season....