Anthony Seibold will return to the rugby league on Thursday, starting on the first day of his new advisory role with the Newcastle Knights.
Head coach Adam O’Brien confirmed he will reunite with Seibold after the couple first worked as assault assistants under Craig Bellamy eight years ago.
They have remained good friends since then, and after seeing Seibold’s career as a first-class coach disintegrate over the past two seasons with the Broncos, he didn’t hesitate to reconnect with him.
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“I don’t want anyone to go through this, and to be honest, you don’t have to be this close to feel for them. Once I knew him, I knew he would come through the other side, ”said O’Brien.
The club confirmed that Seibold will commute from Sydney and work three to four days a week as a “contract consultant, not full-time” with no commitment beyond this season.
“Seibs is one of the best I’ve worked with,” said O’Brien. “His planning and organizational skills are second to none. He understands that the art of coaching has much more to offer and that its connection from the meeting room to the training paddock is phenomenal.
“Our staff and players will benefit from Seibs’ involvement. He will coach our young coaches.”
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After David Furner leaves for Belmore out of season, these young coaches that Seibold works closely with will be Willie Peters, Eric Smith, Rory Kostjasyn and another new face in Andrew Ryan who will work across development and pathways.
The club’s entire coaching, performance and medical team took a four-day planning trip last week to prepare for an “exciting” 2021 season after the Knights ended this year disappointingly.
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O’Brien says he feels “energetic and very ready” as players return to pre-season training on a staggered basis over the coming weeks.
“I missed the playgroup, I’m thrilled with the list and its abilities in the new season.”
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