With Manly facing a rebuild after sliding out of finals contention last season, former halfback Andrew Johns has delivered a pointed message to coach Anthony Seibold: something significant needs to change at the Sea Eagles.
Tom Trbojevic will captain the club, taking over from Daly Cherry-Evans following his departure to the Sydney Roosters. That loss of experience and leadership, combined with recent on-field struggles, has prompted Johns to call for bold tactical decisions from the coaching box.
Johns' comments speak to a broader tension facing Seibold as he prepares for the 2026 season. The Sea Eagles enter a new era in 2026 with the departure of long-term captain and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, leaving for the Roosters after 15 seasons with Manly. The hole left by Cherry-Evans is substantial, particularly given his decade-plus tenure in the number seven jersey.
Yet Manly have moved decisively in the transfer market. New signing Jamal Fogarty has been entrusted with the reins to take Manly back into the finals, with the addition of 2025 premiership winner Kobe Hetherington boosting the forward stocks. Fogarty, the former Raider, is coming off an excellent season for the Raiders where he guided the Green Machine to the minor premiership. These are meaningful acquisitions, yet questions remain about whether they alone address the Sea Eagles' defensive and structural issues.
One of the more intriguing selection debates involves young half Joey Walsh. Seibold said Joey Walsh and Onitoni Large won't be ready for first-grade in 2026, with Walsh 'a couple of years away' before appearing in the top grade. This conservative approach stands in contrast to Johns' suggestion that Manly must pursue bolder choices. Whether that means accelerating the development of young talent or reshuffling the spine arrangement remains Seibold's call to make.
What often goes unmentioned is how much Manly's recent instability stems from factors beyond the immediate playing squad. Negotiations with high-profile players that either failed or faced significant issues included the now former captain and halfback Cherry-Evans and fullback Tom Trbojevic. Such corporate uncertainty filters down onto the field, and new CEO Jason King enters a role requiring both football acumen and stabilising influence.
From a practical standpoint, Manly possess the talent to compete. They are looking strong in their backline, with the speed of Jason Saab and Tolutau Koula set to be an important attacking weapon for the team. The problem has not been resource scarcity but rather translating individual quality into consistent team performance. Seibold's system, coaching decisions, and player deployment will determine whether 2026 represents genuine progress or a continuation of the struggles that defined 2025.
Johns' message ultimately reflects what the Sea Eagles faithful already sense: the club sits at a genuine crossroads. New halves partnership, new captain, new CEO, and fresh recruitment create the raw materials for either resurgence or further decline. What remains to be seen is whether those pieces fit together coherently, and whether Seibold possesses both the tactical innovation and human management to make it work. The next few rounds will tell.