Talking Points for Round 4, Anthony Seibold’s selfless Joey Walsh call before he was sacked, Michael Maguire and Ben Te’o argument

The Sea Eagles stunned the NRL when they sacked Anthony Seibold on Friday and while pressure was building on the under-fire coach, few saw Manly acting this soon.

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Read on for the key Talking Points out of Round 4.

Seibold did have one way he could have potentially bought himself more time, but he opted to make a selfless decision instead that he deserves credit for — even if he won’t be there to see the benefits of it.

Meanwhile, another coach in the headlines in Brisbane’s Michael Maguire had the last laugh after concerns his team’s defence could be in trouble.

Plus, an unsung hero for the Tigers announces himself and more headaches for Cameron Ciraldo in Belmore?

THE BRUTAL REALITY FOR SEIBOLD IN SELFLESS CALL BEFORE AXING

When a team like the Sea Eagles are struggling, the temptation is to throw the young halfback in to give the fanbase something to look forward to.

Joey Walsh is that shiny, new toy.

It is like in the NFL when a team is down in the doldrums and the current quarterback isn’t the answer. Regardless of whether the quarterback has been put in a situation to succeed, often they are made the scapegoat and the next big thing is thrown in the deep end.

Sometimes it is a matter of self-preservation, and for someone like Anthony Seibold who was sacked last Friday night, it would be defendable to pull that trigger.

The more things stay the same, the more likely he was to lose his job and as the losses piled up, you could understand giving in and naming Walsh in the halves to silence some of that outside noise. To prove he is at least trying something new.

And if the team continued to struggle, at least Seibold could have argued in a bid to save his job that he was building towards a bright future centred around the emerging Walsh.

In fact, it sounded like Seibold would have had the support of Manly powerbrokers to make that call.

Code Sports reported that Seibold and chairman Scott Penn disagreed over the development plan for Walsh, with Penn more inclined to see the young playmaker included in the NRL set-up.

“The bottom line is I don’t interfere with any decisions,” Penn told the publication.

“I think he’s a really important part of our future and I said something along the lines of, ‘If we need to shake things up a bit, there’s nothing better than giving him a shot’.

“It was a normal conversation.

“He said he had a plan. I was like, ‘OK, you’re the coach’.”

Time and time again, Seibold made his stance clear. Even as his seat got warmer and warmer, he did not put Walsh out there.

Not only was the 19-year-old not quite ready yet according to the Manly coach, but the situation wasn’t the right one to be throwing him into either.

“I just want him to play 80 minutes. Everyone can see the quality in Joey, knowing he’s going to be a long-term player. But we need to make sure we don’t set him up to fail,” Seibold told reporters before Thursday’s loss to the Roosters.

“He’s a 19-year-old kid who has only played 21 games in four years of rugby league. There are parts of his game that are NRL-ready and there are one or two that aren’t NRL-ready, particularly around some of the organisation for a halfback.

“… He’ll get to play 10 or 12 games this year, there’s no doubt about that. We want to set him up for his future, not just this year or next year, it’s about the next 10 or 12 years with Joey.

“He’s only 19. What we don’t want to do is put him in too early and we need to get into some good touch as well and bring him into a team that is in good form.”

Of course, the brutal reality for Seibold is that while he had the best of intentions and was right to prioritise Walsh’s long-term development, he now won’t be around to see the benefits of his patient approach.

As much as some of the scrutiny towards Seibold was fair considering what Manly has produced this season, he does deserve some credit for what was ultimately a selfless decision when it came to Walsh’s development.

It wasn’t just Seibold who felt that way either.

Speaking after Manly’s loss to the Roosters, Matty Johns said he has spoken to a few people in and around the club who tell him Walsh is a “fantastic talent”.

But like Seibold, those people also believe the 19-year-old is “not quite ready yet”. They also have the same concerns that the way the team is performing, it wouldn’t be fair to put Walsh in.

That is especially true when you consider the way the forward pack is going, with Manly consistently struggling to provide an experienced halves pairing like Jamal Fogarty and Luke Brooks with a strong platform to play off.

“I think particularly (with) the way the side’s playing, it’s very, very difficult when the side is in a hole, particularly with the forwards struggling to get ascendancy, to bring the young halfback in,” Johns added.

“I think they’re doing him a favour.”

Now, the question is whether Manly’s next coach — be it the interim or Seibold’s long-term replacement — takes the same approach.

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TOUCHING SACRIFICE BEHIND ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ RETURNING TIGER

Last week, the Tigers were a chaotic mess at times in attack.

There was lots happening and you couldn’t fault the effort or energy, but the attack inside the opposition 20 was disorganised and in periods resembled touch footy.

That was before halves Jarome Luai and Adam Doueihi went off injured.

So, without their leader in Luai the Tigers were expected to struggle against a red-hot Warriors outfit.

The opposite turned out to be true. Doueihi made a miraculous recovery from his hamstring injury, putting in a man-of-the-match performance with a staggering 226 run metres, five tackle busts and two try assists.

But ask the Tigers halfback who was behind Friday’s upset win and he’d tell it was actually new halves partner Jock Madden. He may not have generated too many headlines, but Madden was just as important to the surprise 32-14 victory.

Doueihi was at his destructive best running the football, but that wouldn’t have been possible without Madden shouldering most of the responsibility steering the team around.

The former Bronco kicked for 615 metres and generally straightened up the Tigers’ attack, something that was missing last week against South Sydney.

“Unbelievable,” Doueihi said of Madden’s performance in an interview with Fox League.

“He’s been knocking on the door for a few weeks now and he’s been great. From the first day he arrived in the off-season, he’s been really good for us in terms of straightening up our attack.

“His talk (is great). I just let him do his thing tonight. His kicking game is one of his biggest strengths. He just allowed me and Reamy to be free. It worked really well.”

Tigers coach Benji Marshall echoed Doueihi’s message, and even revealed a selfless sacrifice Madden made in the lead-up to Friday’s game which spoke volumes to how important this opportunity was to him with Luai injured.

“He’s been on the bench for two games with us, biding his time. (He) had a great pre-season.

“I thought he was the difference tonight,” Marshall said.

“He put Adam in position so he could just run. He did all the kicking, took all the pressure off Adam and let him just play, you know, so (that’s) Jock Madden I’m talking about.

“His grandfather passed away last week, and he didn’t make the funeral because he wanted to play for the team.

“He said his grandfather would have wanted him to play. So, we’re really proud of him.

“We’re really proud of him for that, and his grandfather would have been really proud of him.”

Alex McKinnon, meanwhile, wrote in his column for foxsports.com.au earlier in the week that he was excited to see Madden get his shot and declared he is “what the Tigers are missing”.

“He’s a mature half that showed a couple of glimpses last time he was there, but he never really got his opportunity,” McKinnon wrote.

“I strongly believe Madden has got that experience to manage a game. He kicks well and competes and I think it’s what the Tigers are missing.

“Someone to be able to steady the ship and control the contest with their long-range kicking game.”

Madden is contracted at the Tigers until the end of 2027 and has his path to regular NRL footy blocked without injuries, but McKinnon went as far as to claim he could be the halfback that partners Jarome Luai for the “next five years”.

That is how highly he thinks of Madden, and if not with the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs soon to enter the league McKinnon believes the former Bronco could put himself in the shop-front window for rival clubs in the next few weeks.

“He’s got an opportunity to put his best foot forward and prove he belongs in the NRL,” McKinnon added.

“There are multiple new teams coming into the competition and with the game becoming a lot more fast, I really think that suits Madden’s style of play.”

BRONCOS REDISCOVER DEFENSIVE RESOLVE AFTER SHOCK RESIGNATION

After one of the most tumultuous off-field periods in the Brisbane Broncos’ history, there are signs Michael Maguire’s men have emerged on the other side stronger than ever – and ready to defend their title.

Brisbane’s efforts were in high praise following their resilient 26-12 victory over the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium Friday night.

But in an NRL season that has so far been defined by rolling attack and big swings in momentum, it was the Broncos’ defence that impressed most.

“Their defence was outstanding,” said Fox League commentator Greg Alexander, adding the Broncos had finally silenced their critics.

“A lot of territory, a lot of ball inside the 20 – they had 40 tackles the Dolphins inside the Broncos’ 20, and they are a team that we know can score points.

“The Broncos kept them to two tries tonight and while they did have some chances, Brisbane’s desperation defensively tonight, I think, was the big thing to take out of the game.”

There has been some highly publicised dissension in the Broncos’ ranks in the opening weeks of 2026 – on the back of a public stoush between club legend Gordon Tallis and coach Michael Maguire, and the sudden departure of defence coach Ben Te’o this week.

Maguire has been critical of his side’s defence in the opening rounds of the season. Brisbane leaked 80 points in their first three matches – a mile away from top-flight defensive sides including Penrith and Canterbury.

However, Fox League’s Braith Anasta believes last night’s defensive efforts vindicate Maguire’s direction of the side, and give the Broncos a clear road to continue along this year.

“There was a big fight this week with Ben Te’o – and Te’o moves on – but justice here for Michael Maguire,” said Anasta.

“Only 12 points conceded and one try was from a poor pass from Ezra Mam. The Broncos showed great resilience and there are some glimpses of that premiership-winning team returning: that second half against Melbourne last week and into this game. The way they started this game, they were on.”

Maguire cut a completely different figure to recent weeks in the Dolphins post-match press conference, expressing admiration for his side after a tough week away from the field.

“I was just really happy with the resilience that they showed for each other; there’s always something there that you can find to work on but the fact that they did the 40 tackles and worked hard right to the death of the game – it was a special performance,” he said.

“As a group and a team we’ve been through plenty together. It’s just the next step, moving into next week now. The group knows what its capable of doing.”

For Fox League pundit Michael Ennis, the Broncos reminded fans why they deserve to be considered premiership contenders in 2026.

“When Brisbane went on that run at the back end of last year – key players were playing well,” Ennis explained.

“Ezra Mam is probably not at his best yet, but boy (Adam) Reynolds, (Reece) Walsh, (Kotoni) Staggs – their big guns are firing. (Pat) Carrigan defensively was huge for them tonight with no Payne Haas.

Newly appointed Manly interim coach Kieran Foran added: “I love the fact that they focused heavily on their defence tonight. That’s an area that’s been lacking over the first few rounds for the Broncos but they got it right tonight. They did incredibly well.”

BULLDOGS DEFENCE GOES MISSING AS HALVES PICTURE GETS MESSIER

All the talk around the Bulldogs this season was around waiting for their attack to click, but it was their reliable defence that went missing in a 24-16 loss to the Knights.

The Bulldogs missed a whopping 52 tackles and conceded six linebreaks in the five tries to three loss that saw them slip out of the top four.

Roosters legend Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was critical of the Bulldogs’ defensive performance, which would worry Cameron Ciraldo.

“Really disappointing from the Bulldogs missing 52 tackles that is not up to scratch,” Waerea-Hargreaves said.

“No doubt Cameron Ciraldo will be disappointed about that.”

Next up the Bulldogs face the Rabbitohs and their lethal left edge in a mouth-watering Good Friday clash at Accor Stadium and Adam Reynolds noted his old side would have a field day if Canterbury defend poorly again.

“They missed 52 tackles, so if they are going to compete with Souths, who we know have a strong left edge, they are going to need to fix that up,” Reynolds said.

Ciraldo has built his Bulldogs team on commitment in defence and working hard for your teammate, so the performance against the Knights is troubling to say the least, especially since their two best attacking weapons Dylan Brown and Kalyn Ponga were not in the team.

Skipper Stephen Crichton missed six tackles and has just 72 metres from seven runs in a quiet day at the office by his standards.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs’ attack wasn’t much better and they are now averaging just 15 points a game this season after three matches.

Ciraldo tried to shake things up by giving Lachlan Galvin and Matt Burton permission to roam on both sides of the field and swap at times, but that only made their attack more clunky.

Burton was even shifted to the centres, with Stephen Crichton moved to five-eighth and Sean O’Sullivan getting some minutes off the bench, which will do little to quieten the noise of making a permanent halves change at some point.

Burton impressed with his running game with 102 metres, three linebreaks, a linebreak assist and a classy double, but it remains to be seen if five-eighth is his best position.

Galvin also impressed with his running game with 136 metres, but he had no try or linebreak involvements and two errors in a performance that will only cast more doubt on his ability to be a chief playmaker.

But moving Burton to the centres will only make it harder for Bronson Xerri to get back in the team, which may see him leave the club if his stay in NSW Cup continues.

Two things remain clear for the Bulldogs, they don’t have the spine to score points consistently in attack and if their defence fails them as it did against the Knights, they won’t win many football games, especially against the elite teams in September.

They will need to fix their defence to beat Souths on Good Friday, but if they don’t score more than 16 points they will still likely lose.

EELS DEPTH TO BE TESTED AFTER DOUBLE INJURY BLOW

“We’re about to find out.”

Those were the words from Jason Ryles after the Parramatta Eels were dealt two more injury blows over the weekend.

Less than seven days after losing J’maine Hopgood (knee) and Jordan Samrani (knee) for an extended period of time, the timing couldn’t have been worse when Isaiah Iongi (ankle) and Matt Doorey (knee) were forced from the field against the Panthers.

“Devastating news for Isaiah Iongi…and frustration on multiple fronts at the moment for Jason Ryles,” Greg Alexander said on Fox League when the fullback exited the field.

Set to undergo scans on Monday, early indications have revealed that Iongi suffered a syndesmosis injury while Doorey has sustained a suspected ruptured ACL injury – the club’s second in consecutive weeks.

“He’s had a couple of long-term knee injuries. That was a while ago but that’ll be in the back of his mind,” Dan Ginnane said.

“He did his ACL in 2021 and his PCL before that.”

Alexander continued, “Devastating for Matt Doorey who has fought his way into this Parramatta side and brings great impact off the bench. It’s been a tough night for Jason Ryles as coach.”

“What a shame for Matt Doorey.”

Meanwhile, Richard Penisini (knee), Will Penisini (groin) and rising star Lorenzo Talataina (concussion) also remain sidelined.

For a team pushing for finals football, the mounting injury toll in key positions presents an early-season test for Ryles and his squad.

“We’re about to find out and it’s another opportunity for someone else to come in and put the jersey on,” Ryles said.

With depth now set to be tested, Parramatta’s response over the coming weeks may shape the trajectory of their entire season, as too many losses could lower the confidence and morale of the playing group.

If the Eels can remain competitive and pick up wins despite the disruption, it could galvanise the squad but losses would see more pressure mount on them over the next few weeks.

Joash Papalii looms as the obvious replacement for Iongi but he will have some competition from rookie Te Hurinui (Apa) Twidle who has been a revelation in NSW Cup and scored four tries against Penrith’s reserve-grade side over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Charlie Guymer, Teancum Brown, Toni Mataele and Jack de Belin will contend with one another for Doorey’s vacant spot.

PAYTEN EASES THE PRESSURE… AS NRL-WIDE SHIFT PLAYS INTO COWBOYS’ HANDS

There’s an argument to say it was Todd Payten, not Anthony Seibold, who was under more pressure leading into Round 4.

One coach has been sacked and the other beat a premiership heavyweight in the Storm with a comeback victory that could be the “spark” they need to kick on in 2026.

The Cowboys scored three tries inside seven minutes to beat Craig Bellamy’s outfit only a week after North Queensland bested the Titans.

While Payten’s position has come under fire to start this season, it’s important to note the Cowboys now sit above the Roosters and Eels on the ladder and are on equal wins as the Broncos, Dolphins and Storm.

So, how did Payten mastermind a win against a red-hot Storm outfit? He leaned into his side’s strengths.

There’s arguably no team in the competition who can produce quick points — especially when they have momentum on their side.

With the increase in ruck infringements producing more repeat sets and the game speeding up, momentum swings more often and harder than ever before and that could serve to benefit a Cowboys side littered with attacking weapons.

“I think the game at the moment, particularly with the ruck infringement shift, it’s all about momentum and possession,” Payten explained post-match on Fox League.

“We know when we get that, we can score in bunches.

“I’ve got to give our leaders the credit with the way they finished the game. Spoke to Jake in particular just about wanting him to run the ball more.

“He’s a big body, he’s hard to handle and he’s a real threat when we run the ball and I think Scott Drinkwater and Tom Dearden are more threatening when they run the ball.

“Hopefully that’s the spark that they need.”

In the last 10 minutes of the clash, the Cowboys had 57 per cent of possession and they also won the territory battle 61 to 39 per cent in the second half.

Throw in their five linebreaks to three, 265 post-contact metres to 173 and a whopping 141 more running metres — and it’s fair to say North Queensland capitalised on their momentum.

Integral to their charge was the usual faces. Scott Drinkwater was excellent as well as Tom Dearden, but Jake Clifford was also one of the best players on the field.

Dearden’s halves partner was a major talking point heading into the 2026 season, and Jaxon Purdue had trained in the No.6 in pre-season.

However, Clifford’s form in the pre-season challenge was impossible to ignore and he has carried that into the season, taking on the direction given to him by Payten.

”Todd just kept it simple, obviously we didn’t start the season the way we wanted to,” Clifford said post-match.

Clifford scored an impressive try to start the clash, beating Jahrome Hughes in the air to find the white line.

“He’s earned it, he’s kept his head down and worked really hard,” Payten said of Clifford’s performances.

“It means something to the kid to play for this club… see how much work he puts into it each day, and it’s showing in the footy.

“He’s a confidence type player, and I want him to play to his strengths, kick well and run the ball. It’s as simple as that, if he continues to do that he makes us better as a team.”

Purdue, meanwhile, has proved to once again be a lethal attacking threat out wide and will remain in the centres for the time being, especially considering his form.

“Really pleased with our game. The last couple of weeks, we were definitely heading in the right direction. (We) showed some grit, some fight,” Payten said.

“I’ve got to give the lads the credit they deserve, throughout the first couple of weeks they haven’t dropped their heads.

“They have still believed… and we have seen the rewards for that.”

RAIDERS MINOR PREMIERSHIP DEFENCE ON THIN ICE AFTER THIRD STRAIGHT LOSS

The Raiders’ minor premiership is already on thin ice after they slumped to their third straight defeat in a 34-22 loss to the Sharks on their home turf in Canberra.

The Raiders had their chances after fighting back from 12-0 down and 18-12 to make it 22-all on the back of a stunning try from Xavier Savage.

But errors and penalties down the stretch cruelled their chances of coming over the top of the Sharks and they finish Round three third last.

Greg Alexander noted how important the game was for both teams given they faced a 1-3 hole amid pre-season top four hopes.

“I know we are only in Round 4, but the Raiders have won only one game and that was back in Round 1,” Alexander said.

“This was such an important game for both sides.

“Canberra got themselves back into the game because they are just so athletic and they have so many players that can create things.

“When it got to 22-all when Xavier Savage scored that unbelievable try you though anything could happen here, but the Sharks hustled errors into that Canberra side.”

Luke Keary warned the Raiders that Ricky Stuart would be furious with their brain melts and the Roosters legend was quite prophetic.

“I think Canberra is going to sit there and Ricky will probably tell them, they were their own worst enemy today,” Keary said.

“The errors they came up with, the Corey Horsburgh sin bin at the start of the game, which got Cronulla off to a flying start at 12-0.

“They were chasing their tail from then and even in the second half, they looked likely, but they were just trying to push that final pass, throw offloads, gave away some silly penalties and they go to 1-3.”

Keary feels the Raiders had their chance to win the game, but shot themselves in the foot time and again.

“Ricky will be disappointed with the brain fades,” Keary said.

“The sin bin at the start of the game, the offloads they were pushing in the second half. There were times there in the second half where if they just completed a few sets in a row, they had the Sharks on the rack ready to break them.

“They have got the ability and the team to go on a 10 game winning streak. They have got the athleticism and the power.

“They are a young team. They need to sort out their defence and they need to sort out their discipline with the ball.”

Stuart revealed he spoke to his side post match about their worrying ability to self-destruct.

“Our biggest issue is the self-destruction. It’s happened three out of our last four games, that we’re not giving ourselves an even chance to test ourselves against the opposition.“But we’ve been dealing with it, we spoke about it again just then after the game, and until we do, we won’t win a game of footy.”

TITANS UNCOVER NEW FIFITA? NO, SAYS TINO

David Fifita departed the Titans in the lead-up to the 2026 season.

Rookie coach Josh Hannay was happy to let the superstar back rower walk, and the Gold Coast club even reportedly chipped in to secure his exit.

Maybe Hannay knew something the rest of us didn’t — that he had another raging edge forward ready to slot into his place in Arama Hau.

The 21-year-old delivered the best performance of his short NRL career to down the Dragons, scoring two tries including a matchwinning effort that stunned from distance.

Josh Patston was largely tipped to fill the void left by Fifita, but Hannay pulled a selection shock in Round 1 and Hau won that spot.

For the foreseeable future, it looks like it’s Hau’s spot to lose too after a crowning display and a combination forged with halfback Jayden Campbell that looks dangerous.

“He’s a good story, he’s one of our young players… that’s four-straight 80-minute performances from Arama,” Hannay said in the post-match press conference.

“He didn’t get that at any point last year. So you see tonight the quality of the lead and again he’s a guy that can do that when he gets his fair share of football.

“He spent the last three weeks working his backside off and tonight he gets a couple of opportunities to shine and show what he’s about, so really happy for him.”

As for the comparisons to Fifita, Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was asked if he was reminded of “shades” of his “old mate”.

“No, that’s shades of Arama Hau,” he said.

“You know, he’s his own person, his own player. And like coach said, to see him be rewarded tonight was really good because he’s put a lot of hard work in.

“I don’t think he’s played an 80-minute performance back-to-back like that a long time, even last year.

“So for him to put four games in-a-row and get rewarded tonight, it’s so good to see that his work is paying off.

“So, yeah, shades of Arama Hau and there’s going to be more this year, we just have got to keep working hard.”

Hannay then revealed that his NRL future was in the balance during pre-season.

“To be fair, I would say middle of January, he was probably not in contention,” he explained.

”He’s a young lad, right? And these young guys, there’s possibly a little bit of immaturity about Arama. Like he probably didn’t take his craft serious enough.

“And you know, we’d have these conversations… so that’s been a work on for him and it will continue to be. So what he’s done is he’s put his head down and we’ve seen the rewards. “Now, the challenge for him will be, it’s been a four week block, is to put a season together.”