Pressure on Manly coach Anthony Seibold continues to mount after questionable calls
The injury prone Tom Trbojevic will line up against the Wests Tigers on Friday at 4 Pines Park in the no.4 jersey, relinquishing the no.1 spot to Lehi Hopoate in a move Seibold claims is 'not a punishment.'
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'I don't know what the take has been on it externally, but it's not a punishment,' Seibold said.
'It's around helping 'Turbo' find a little bit of confidence without worrying about the team.
'And I feel for Turbo, (it's about) going about himself and playing with a bit of flow and enjoying footy again and competing, without having the organisational skills, which he is unreal at.
'It's just about taking a little bit of pressure off him. And it's also about recognising and rewarding Lehi Hopoate.'
Pressure has also been mounting on Seibold to drop the captaincy of the side from halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, whose decision to announce he won't be staying in Brookvale has coincided with his and the side's significant drop in form.
The halfback has also been dropped by Queensland coach Billy Slater after the side's loss in the first game of State of Origin this year.
The Manly side have also now lost three of their past four games and dropped out of the top eight, also placing intense scrutiny on Seibold, which has only intensified with this week's positional change.
But one change Seibold won't make is a change of captains.
'Never, not once. I've never thought about that,' Seibold said.
'I don't see the need to change. Chez is our leader. I've said that publicly a number of times. So I'm not sure where that suggestion has come from.'
Manly boss Tony Mestrov this week said 'Seibs is safe at this point' and had full support of the board in his decision making.
But Fox Sports reporter Anthony Hooper has suggested the first move should be a stripping of the captaincy.
'Give it to Jakey Turbo – even if he's not the biggest fan of coach Anthony Seibold right now – because at least you know Trbojevic is always going to bleed maroon and white,' Hooper said.
'The way Manly's season spectacularly combusted against Newcastle and the Gold Coast Titans before a bye it's clear the playing group is no longer following DCE as a leader.
'They'll follow Jake. Which might explain why Manly coach Seibold asked Cherry-Evans last week if there was any chance of clearing the air around his playing future publicly.'
Cherry Evans is rumoured to be on the way to the Sydney Roosters on a two year deal, which by the end will leave the premiership winner at the age of 38.
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