The great league Andrew Johns believes ex-Broncos coach Anthony Seibold was doomed from the start of his tenure at Red Hill.
Seibold officially announced on Wednesday that he would quit his job for two years with a five-year contract.
Kayo is your ticket to the NRL Telstra Premiership 2020. Every game of every round Live & On-Demand with no commercial breaks during the game. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming right away>
Then he shot goodbye at the club legends who had slammed the team’s performance in the last few months.
Johns believes the old boys at the club were so critical of Seibold because of their story with Wayne Bennett, who was fired in December 2018.
Seibold started immediately with the Broncos – a year earlier than originally planned.
“Part of it is that they care so much that it matters to them,” Johns said Immortal Behavior of the Wide World of Sports.
“But a lot of older players, those old guys, have a real relationship with Wayne Bennett too.
“And there are a lot of theories and things about how Wayne got there (fired from the Broncos in 2018) and people weren’t happy.
“So you’re automatically on Wayne’s side.
“Really, the next guy to get the job wasn’t hiding from anything, it was always going to be a really tough job.”
As one of the largest sports organizations in the country, the man at the helm of the Broncos must be able to handle more than just what goes on on the soccer field.
In the club’s 32-year history, Bennett has had two coaching positions, while Anthony Griffin, Ivan Henjak and Seibold have all made efforts. Bennett has proven to be the only coach who can handle the increased attention and criticism that comes with the performance.
“I think Wayne had all of the connections in Brisbane, whether it was media or corporate – he had a lot of connections there and I doubt Anthony Seibold did,” Johns said.
“Especially on the media side, in a city with a team, you have to try to have pretty much everyone on your side.
“So it’s not just about coaching the team, it’s about sponsors, the old boys, the fans, the media – a huge job.”
Regardless of the Broncos having their worst season in history, Johns believes there is room for improvement, but it will start by attracting a certain type of player to the club first.
“There’s a really good team there – a core of a good team – but it’s a very young team,” said Johns.
“There are some young people in this striker package – (Thomas) Flegler, (Patrick) Carrigan – they will be top line players, but it will take time.
“We’re not going to see the best of them for two or three years.”
“You have to buy an experienced half.
“But there is a team, Xavier Coates, the young man on the wing, Kotoni Staggs – we can see what kind of player he will be, so there is a team.
“You just need some experience in a few key positions.”
.
