Tom Trbojevic has thrown his backing behind Kieran Foran to keep the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles job full-time after the interim coach steered the club into the NRL top four. Trbojevic said he would "love" Foran to be handed the role permanently as Manly prepare for a home clash against the Titans on Saturday night.
Manly have won six of seven games since Anthony Seibold was axed, with their only loss under Foran coming in a two-point defeat to Penrith in Round 9. The run has lifted the club into the top four and produced defensive numbers that Trbojevic said are the best he has seen at Manly since the 2008 premiership-winning season.
Trbojevic said Foran has changed the feel around the team by making the game simpler and setting clear standards. "Kieran has always had a great temperament when he’s talked. He just instills belief in the playing group (and) we all have so much respect for him. We all just want to perform for him," he said.
"It was a big job for Kieran to step into, and the boys have just responded to it. He believes in everyone and if you can’t get up for Kieran Foran, just hand the jersey back. I speak on behalf of everyone at the club that we’d love to have him there," Trbojevic said. He added that Foran "drives high standards" and that his approach strips away unnecessary complexity.
Trbojevic said he expects Manly bosses to formalise the appointment in the coming weeks. "I don’t know what process it has to go to but I’m sure Kingy (CEO Jason King) is having conversations with the right people and it will get done," he said. The push for certainty comes as Manly continue to press their case on the field, with the Titans next and plenty of momentum behind the club.
Trbojevic also addressed his own return, saying a hamstring injury has delayed his expected comeback from Round 13 by at least a week. He said he is recovering from the eighth hamstring injury of his career and will need more time to rebuild confidence before he plays again. "Recovery from hamstrings can be a bit slower than you’d like them to be," he said. "It won’t be Round 13. We’ll try for one or two matches after that but we’ll see how I’m tracking."
"There are a few different things I’ve got to work on (but) I’ve just got to build some confidence back. It’s a process and it’s one that I’m familiar with. Hopefully I can be back soon to help the boys out," he said. For Manly, the form surge has already changed the mood around the club. The next step is whether the people running it decide the man in the coaching box has already earned the job for good.
