'Catastrophic': Fans divided over 'scapegoat' Anthony Seibold's exit
Brisbane will part ways with head coach Anthony Seibold as soon as Wednesday with the embattled boss agreeing to leave the NRL club.
The development comes a day after the club’s part owner Paul Murphy likened Seibold’s coaching tenure to “a cancer” that needs to be removed.
The Broncos are expected to confirm Seibold's departure once a severance package can be finalised.
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Assistant coach Peter Gentle is expected to once again lead the club for Friday's match against the Sydney Roosters, as he has done for the past two games with Seibold in isolation after leaving the club's COVID bubble to deal with a personal matter.
The 45-year-old made a brief return to Red Hill on Tuesday morning after his isolation period ended, in what may well be his last appearance at the club's headquarters.
AAP has sought comment from Seibold's management and the Broncos.
News of Seibold's imminent exit from the club has been met with mixed reactions from fans, with many insisting he is just one part of a bigger problem at the club.
Now that he will be gone as a huge part of the problem Brisbane need to get started on the fools who gave Seibold 5 years who screwed the roster (which isn’t as screwed as everyone is making out) Seibold 1 huge problem in a club that seems to have a lot of huge problems
— Nathan Riddell (@F4tboy04) August 25, 2020
Seibold obviously isn’t the entire problem (teams don’t get to where the broncos are right now with just a bad coach) but I’m seeing a lot of “Seibold isn’t the problem” oh so Broncos fans would like to keep him then?? He is a huge part of a massive problem.
— Nathan Riddell (@F4tboy04) August 25, 2020
The biggest shareholder in the Broncs calling Seibold a cancer says a lot about that man who obviously has a lot of say in the running’s of the club
— Dan Brennan (@AusandPomDan) August 25, 2020
Seibold leaves the Broncos having coached 38 games with a W/L % of 37%. Truly catastrophic.
— Red Hill Rebuild (@thaidaynightfb) August 25, 2020
Fair. But you'd have to say it's been a poor 2 years. They scrapped into finals last year having lost more games than they won, then got spanked 58-0 by Eels. Bennett being ousted followed by Kevvie being ignored for the job with Seibold chosen instead was the start of the rot.
— Mitch Phillips Ⓥ (@mitch_phillips) August 25, 2020
Seibold the scapegoat.. #NRL
— antonios (@ayejay17) August 25, 2020
What a horrible chapter in our history! Gutted for Seibold that it didn't work out - always presents as an authentic guy. Obviously it had to end based on performance but the club's leadership let this go too far out of hand
— Paul Banister (@pmbanister) August 25, 2020
Coaching is certainly not the only problem with the Broncos, but some people with an interest in controlling the narrative would have you believe it starts and ends with Seibold. It doesn't.
— Brett Debritz (@debritz) August 25, 2020
Broncos coach cutting short five-year deal
Seibold's reign at the Broncos lasted less than two seasons of a five-year contract handed to him by a Brisbane board that has also come under fire.
The 2018 Dally M coach of the year was given the lengthy deal after his maiden NRL campaign as South Sydney coach, with reports he was appointed after Brisbane reneged on a handshake agreement with Kevin Walters.
Queensland Origin coach and club legend Walters is now being heavily tipped as the man to take over the coaching reins from Seibold.
Last year Seibold led the Broncos the finals but a 58-0 hiding by Parramatta ended the club's campaign in turbulent fashion.
In 2020, Seibold found himself increasingly isolated in Brisbane as the club went on a run of 12 losses from its last 13 matches to slip to second-last on the ladder.
On Monday the club's biggest private shareholder Paul Murphy said the Broncos' fall from grace under Seibold had been tough to endure.
"It becomes like a disease. If you get cancer, you've got to treat it, but they haven't cut it out," Murphy told reporters.
Off-field dramas have also plagued the once-mighty club which has come under fire for its recruitment and culture.
Club legend Kevin Walters and former North Queensland coach Paul Green are the frontrunners to replace Seibold.
with Yahoo Sport staff
