“We got what we deserved”: Anthony Seibold’s direct admission following a defeat rife with mistakes.
Coach Anthony Seibold of Manly has acknowledged that the Sea Eagles “got what they deserved” after their 20-12 loss to the Dragons in Wollongong on Saturday afternoon.
Throughout the Round 4 match, the Sea Eagles were beset by absurd unintentional mistakes, and they lost for the second time in a row as the Dragons scored four consecutive touchdowns.
During the press conference after the game, Seibold admitted to media that Manly failed to execute basic plays, missing several tackles and dropping the Steeden. This contributed to an eight-point defeat.
“Everyone could clearly see that the Dragons outplayed us tonight,” Seibold remarked.
They caused quite a few mistakes by hustling and bustling us. They were worthy victors.
“We trailed behind by quite a bit.”
With a completion percentage of only 67%, the Sea Eagles missed 36 tackles and made 16 mistakes.
“In this competition, you receive what is just. It’s a challenging competition,” Seibold said.
“I thought the Dragons were the better team tonight, but if you show up and you’re not at your best, you get what you deserve.”
Superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic was especially wasteful in defence, giving up possession early in the second half with a reckless forward ball and knocking on three times.
During the game, Fox League pundit Andrew Voss stated, “I’ve never seen Tom rattled, but he’s dropped out of this game.”
“Is this a double, or is this Tom Trbojevic? The Aldi version of Tom Trbojevic, cut pricing.
“What took place?”
Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans refuted claims that the team was suffering from a “hoodoo” at WIN Stadium, where the Dragons have triumphed nine times out of ten meetings with Manly since 2005. Cherry-Evans this past weekend tied the club record of 309 games.
“I don’t really focus on the hoodoo stuff,” Cherry-Evans said to reporters following the match.
“I’ve never entered a game with the expectation of losing, much less due to hoodoo.
“Tonight, we just didn’t give it our all.
“Luckily, we still have plenty of time to fix it as it’s only Round 4.”
Cherry-Evans also declined to attribute the team’s carelessness to the environment, saying instead that “we were just not good enough.”
“Neither the football nor the slick circumstances are to blame. That kind of carelessness is just something we don’t want to become accustomed to.
While acknowledging that his team wasn’t at its best on Saturday, Dragons coach Shane Flanagan commended his group for its defense-mindedness.
For us, it was a crucial game, according to Flanagan.
“We played with some genuine defensive resiliency… I was rather pleased with our mindset.
“My football team is really good. I only need to persuade them—I know it.”
The Sea Eagles will welcome the Panthers, the current champions, in Manly, while the Dragons will next play the Knights in Newcastle.
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