Seibold kicks off at Broncos: 'I'll do things my way'
Mon 3 Dec 2018, 11:04 AM
Anthony Seibold has wasted no time getting to work as Brisbane Broncos coach, addressing the players at training on Monday, the morning after he was appointed Wayne Bennett's successor.
Seibold, who was released by South Sydney Rabbitohs on Sunday, will oversee his first Broncos training session on Monday afternoon.
"I'm happy to be here and I'm really looking forward to the positive opportunity going forward," he said.
Seibold said he was happy to have "the circus" that's followed them over the past couple of months to be over.
"I can't wait to start this afternoon with the guys. I thought potentially on Friday I'd be here today but then I was told that wouldn't be the case," he said.
"This is quite unexpected. I was at the movies watching The Grinch with the kids yesterday afternoon then got the call.
"There's a sense of relief as far as the circus that has followed myself and Wayne over the past couple of weeks has been put to bed now.
I'll do things my way and I'll communicate that with the playing group.
Anthony Seibold
"Anytime there's change and tough decisions have to be made there are emotions that go with that.
"This is a great opportunity for Darius [Boyd] and the playing group as well to work hard for season 2019. I see it as a real positive challenge.
"It's a great opportunity for me to come back to Queensland. There are always challenges with whatever team you coach and whatever level you coach at.
"I'll do things my way and I'll communicate that with the playing group. I'm a big believer in providing a framework for the playing group but it's up to the players to paint within that framework.
"Talent will only take you so far so I'm a big believer in the effort areas of our game. I'm sure the senior players like Darius and Matt Gillett and those guys will make the players accountable as well."
Boyd also spoke at Seibold's first media conference as Broncos coach, saying the players were happy to have the situation finally resolved. Seibold confirmed he would retain the captaincy.
"It's a very young side and that comes with inexperience. I think as a group it's good to have certainty and now we've got that certainty we can move on for 2019," Boyd said.
"I'm looking forward to the new season with Seibs.
"At the end of the day we can't worry about Wayne." clash behind Bennett v Broncos battle
Seibold said he would try to avoid comparisons with Bennett in his new role.
"There's no comparison. Wayne's legacy as coach is probably second to none. It's not about me comparing with Wayne or anything like that," he said.
"I've been coaching for 13 years – it's not something I've only done for the last year or two, it's something I'm passionate about have done not only here but in the UK as well."
When asked about his weekend outburst, published by NewsCorp, in which he said he was fed up with the coaching saga, Seibold replied: "As far as I'm concerned I've drawn a line in the sand. I just want positivity going forward. I want positivity for the players and the club at South Sydney as well.
"I've had my say, I'm not going to go any further. It's a new beginning today."
Seibold said high-performance chief Paul Devlin, asssistant coaches Peter Gentle and Ben Cross have followed him from the Rabbitohs to the Broncos.
"I'll have a good look at where we're at from a squad point of view. This has all happened very quickly – 12 hours ago I was in Sydney," he said.
When asked about criticism from former Broncos player about him getting the job, he replied: "I want the old boys to be proud of the club and proud of the performances but my priority is the staff and the players."
Seibold wants Brisbane players to create own history
Mon 3 Dec 2018, 02:08 PM
Undaunted by following in Wayne Bennett's footsteps and the expectations that surround the club, new Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold insists his focus is helping the players "create their own history".
Seibold, who spoke for the first time in Broncos kit at the club's headquarters on Monday morning, played for the Broncos in the early 1990s in the lower grades where he watched the beginning of the club's early dynasty unfold.
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga once said following in Bennett's footsteps at the Broncos was a "poisoned chalice" but Seibold does not see it that way.
He steps into the role on what is now a five-year deal in the wake of Bennett's sacking and constant commentary from the club's vocal Old Boys about why Kevin Walters should have got the job or why Bennett should have been retained.
With captain Darius Boyd by his side, Seibold enunciated why he would handle the scrutiny and pressure of a one-team town after he had already guided a club with one of the richest histories in the game.
"You have to understand the club I have been working with the last 12 months as head coach has Russell Crowe as an owner and has a long history," he said.
"I am used to having media at training every single day and I am used to having that scrutiny. The last couple of weeks has been a different experience, an intense experience, but it is what it is. I will just deal with things my way.
"I can't control the other commentary outside this group. What I do know is that there is a great legacy left behind by the Old Boys at the Broncos. What excited me is that there is an opportunity for this group to create their own history.
"I want the Old Boys to be proud of this club and our performance but my priority is the staff and players. They are the ones who control the result."
Seibold said it was "a big conclusion" to assert the side was ready-made to win a premiership and break the club's 12-year title drought.
"There is talent in the group and a young group here with an opportunity to cement positions in the team and it looks as though there will be competition for spots," he said.
"As we progress in the pre-season I will get a good understanding of the weapons in the group and the limiting factors in the group. I need to assess that."
Seibold spoke to Boyd on Sunday night after his appointment confirmed would remain as captain in 2019.
"He is a terrific leader, has got a wealth of experience and has had success wherever he has played. It is a great opportunity for me to work with Darius and we will work closely together," Seibold said
Boyd, who will play under a head coach other than Bennett for the first time, worked alongside his new coach when he was Queensland Maroons assistant.
"I've had that Origin experience with him and he gets his point across and is very thorough with his analysis," Boyd said.
"More importantly, he gets along with the players and that is something at Brisbane that we are pretty used to, having a head coach that gets along with the players and who cares about them. It is a young group, and Seibs is going to be really good at doing that."
Comparisons to Bennett will be drawn by outsiders, but they are not views or Seibold will be entertaining.
"The last time I was exposed to Wayne as a coach was 1995 so that is a long time ago now. It is not about comparisons with Wayne," Seibold said.
"Wayne's legacy as a head coach is probably second to none in a lot of ways. I'll just do things my way. I've been coaching for 13 years as a full-time professional now.
"It is something I am really passionate about, having invested a lot of my life in and had to move around Australia and different parts of the UK for. I am excited about the opportunity and it is good to be back home in Queensland."
Seibold last played at the Broncios in the 1990s but his life was shaped in a large degree by the good examples of those he respected greatly at the time.
Master recruiter and teacher Cyril Connell was one whose legacy still lingers, as does the culture of success that surrounded him at the time.
"Cyril Connell had a lasting impression on me. He encouraged me to do a teaching degree," Seibold said.
"Although I didn't play first grade here I had four seasons in the lower grades and by the time I had finished I had finished a teaching degree, so I thought that was a pretty fair takeaway.
The last couple of weeks has been a different experience, an intense experience.
Anthony Seibold
"I saw how hard the players worked. It was a successful period of time for the first-grade side.
"They won a couple of premierships and challenged for the title, so I looked up to people like Alfie [Allan Langer], Glenn Lazarus, Chris Johns, Kevvie Walters and those sort of guys.
"You'd be crazy if you don't learn something from them."
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