Can Manly Turn Their Season Around?

Following the sacking of head coach Anthony Seibold alongside Manly's worrying start to the 2026 NRL season lot of NRL fans are wondering, is the season already over for Manly?

In the modern period, no team that has ever started a season 0–3 and gone on to win the premiership. Following last weekend’s 33-16 loss to the Sydney Roosters, coach Anthony Seibold was fired in the middle of the season, making it an extremely turbulent week for the club.

However, the appointment of cult hero and former Manly five-eighth Kieran Foran has certainly lit a spark in the hearts of Manly fans. Throughout his playing career Foran has built a reputation for toughness, which is an aspect that has been missing from Manly throughout the start of the season. The introduction of the already coined ‘FozBall’ could be everything that Manly fans are looking for after a string of below-par seasons.

Coming up against a very strong Dolphins side who have had a decent start to the year, Manly will be focusing on strengthening their middle defence to combat in-form players like Kulikefu Finefeuiaki and Thomas Gilbert. Whilst these units will be giving the Manly pack trouble in the middle, Manly’s edge defence will need to be switched on to deal with the likes of The Hammer, Herbie Farnworth, and an ever-improving Jake Averillo.

With changes to their pathways system and the cutting of ties with former feeder club Blacktown Workers, the future of their club’s success is looking ominous, and fans are becoming restless.

With the rough start to 2026 the appointment of interim coach Kieran Foran has definitely seemed to light a spark in Manly fans and all eyes will be on this Thursday night clash, to see if this same spark has been lit in the Manly players.