Mark Geyer Challenges Manly’s Work Ethic Under Anthony Seibold Following Demolishing by Dolphins

Mark Geyer has raised doubts about the work ethic of the Sea Eagles under Anthony Seibold following the club’s emphatic victory over the Dolphins on Thursday.

The Dolphins were left stunned in Redcliffe this week as Manly secured a 52-18 triumph, marking an impressive start to Kieran Foran’s tenure as head coach.

In the opening month of the season, glimpses of Manly’s potential were evident, but only Foran was able to fully unleash the team’s capabilities.

While Foran couldn’t contain his enthusiasm at launching his head coaching career with such a resounding win, he acknowledged that some old negative patterns resurfaced after the match.

It was clear the playing group’s morale was noticeably higher than in previous outings.

However, Geyer remains sceptical about whether the attitude and determination exhibited by Manly during Thursday’s match were consistently present while they were under Seibold’s leadership.

“If Manly were a racehorse, the stewards would surely be calling for a swab. That performance was just extraordinary,” Geyer commented on 2GB’s The Continuous Call Team.

“The Fozball era has commenced; that was truly an incredible achievement. This team is distinctly different from the one we observed in the season’s opening month.

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“Tommy Turbo (Trbojevic) was back to his form from 2022. Jake Trbojevic, who has only averaged about three runs this year, had three runs in the first ten minutes.

“The attitude was evident … but you have to question their work ethic. If they could perform like this on Thursday, why not every week under Seibold? Clearly, they weren’t fond of him as a coach.

“And they did everything they could to ensure he lost his job.”

Foran has been with the club throughout the season, serving as an assistant under Seibold during the first three matches. This marks his first role since retiring from the NRL last season.

It appeared that a lengthy journey lay ahead for Manly if they were to contend for finals football, but Geyer feels Foran has made that aspiration attainable.

“This is a team that seems capable of making the finals if they can maintain that level of performance,” he remarked.

Conversely, Geyer acknowledged that the Dolphins face significant challenges moving forward.

“They were dismal,” he added.

“Some of the defending against Haumole Olakau’atu was reminiscent of a first grader taking on under 7s. It was simply embarrassing for the Dolphins.”

Foran’s next challenge with Manly awaits against the Dragons next Friday.