Tom Trbojevic remembers matches in which Manly would kick out to a big lead, only for Kieran Foran to start “spraying players if they weren’t doing the right thing”.
“We can laugh about those moments now, but that’s the person ‘Foz’ is – he’s such a competitor, he went after every game and every contest as a player, and he’ll be no different as coach,” Trbojevic said on Monday.
Foran is now the Manly coach after being parachuted into the job on Saturday, less than 24 hours after Anthony Seibold’s time on the Northern Beaches came to an unceremonious end after a winless start to the season.
“Foz is a legend of this club, and we still have 21 games left this season to turn things around,” Trbojevic said.
“Hopefully, he can get the best out of me. He was one of my favourite players to play with, and to be led by him now, it’s special.
“It will be a lot of fun to work with him. Together, we’re hoping we can get the best out of everyone.”
Trbojevic said he had been upset by the news of Seibold’s axing on Friday afternoon.
“I’m disappointed we got to this point, that Seibs is gone, and it’s hard not to take that personally,” he said.
“Had we played better, we wouldn’t be in this situation. I definitely feel for him. I spoke to him over the weekend; he’s disappointed, and I’m disappointed for him. He helped me a lot and did a lot for this club.
“The reality is we haven’t played the footy we’ve wanted to, and this is the outcome … Now, it’s about focusing on what we can. I’ve already had good chats with Foz; he knows he will need help from people around him, and that’s what I’ll try to do.”
‘He’s such a competitor, he went after every game and every contest as a player.’
Tom Trbojevic on new Manly coach Kieran Foran
Seibold’s departure comes on the back of CEO Tony Mestrov’s axing, and the departure of former fan favourite Daly Cherry-Evans, but the constant changes had not left Trbojevic questioning whether he should re-commit to his junior club beyond 2027.
“I signed a one-year extension last year because I wanted to focus on playing good footy, and nothing has changed there,” he said.
“The reality is we haven’t played that [good] footy, and we need to turn things around. What has happened [the past six months] doesn’t change the way I feel about this club. I want to win. And having Foz now with his knowledge and passion for the club, it will only inspire us to do more.”
Foran describes Trbojevic as “the smartest player I’ve ever played with” and “my No.1 pick as the greatest I’ve played with”.
“My opinion of Tommy is extremely high, and to have the opportunity to not just drive this team alongside him, but to also challenge him in different ways, it’s something I’m really excited about,” Foran said.
“I have a wonderful relationship with all the Trbojevic boys – all three of them have been solid in our first three games.
“I’ll be leaning on Tommy a lot, and I’ve already spoken to him about that. He will be a huge sounding board for me.
“People see the wonderful performances on the field, but what they don’t see is his footy IQ, which is like nothing else.
“You need to keep him feeling good. Half the battle is making sure Tommy is feeling up and about. If he feels like he can let the shackles off, you know you’ll get a good performance.
“You need to make sure he’s enjoying himself, and he’s happy about his footy. If you get those two things right with Tommy, you’ll get a world-class performance every week. While he’s fit and healthy, he’ll be the fullback for the rest of his career.”
