The injury prone Tom Trbojevic will line up against the Wests Tigers on Friday at 4 Pines Park in the no.4 jersey, relinquishing the no.1 spot to Lehi Hopoate in a move Seibold claims is 鈥渘ot a punishment.鈥
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鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what the take has been on it externally, but it鈥檚 not a punishment,鈥 Seibold said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 around helping 鈥楾urbo鈥 find a little bit of confidence without worrying about the team.
鈥淎nd I feel for Turbo, (it鈥檚 about) going about himself and playing with a bit of flow and enjoying footy again and competing, without having the organisational skills, which he is unreal at.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just about taking a little bit of pressure off him. And it鈥檚 also about recognising and rewarding Lehi Hopoate.鈥
Pressure has also been mounting on Seibold to drop the captaincy of the side from halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, whose decision to announce he won鈥檛 be staying in Brookvale has coincided with his and the side鈥檚 significant drop in form.
The halfback has also been dropped by Queensland coach Billy Slater after the side鈥檚 loss in the first game of State of Origin this year.
The Manly side have also now lost three of their past four games and dropped out of the top eight, also placing intense scrutiny on Seibold, which has only intensified with this week鈥檚 positional change.
But one change Seibold won鈥檛 make is a change of captains.
鈥淣ever, not once. I鈥檝e never thought about that,鈥 Seibold said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 see the need to change. Chez is our leader. I鈥檝e said that publicly a number of times. So I鈥檓 not sure where that suggestion has come from.鈥
Manly boss Tony Mestrov this week said 鈥淪eibs is safe at this point鈥 and had full support of the board in his decision making.
But Fox Sports reporter Anthony Hooper has suggested the first move should be a stripping of the captaincy.
鈥淕ive it to Jakey Turbo 鈥 even if he鈥檚 not the biggest fan of coach Anthony Seibold right now 鈥 because at least you know Trbojevic is always going to bleed maroon and white,鈥 Hooper said.
鈥淭he way Manly鈥檚 season spectacularly combusted against Newcastle and the Gold Coast Titans before a bye it鈥檚 clear the playing group is no longer following DCE as a leader.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l follow Jake. Which might explain why Manly coach Seibold asked Cherry-Evans last week if there was any chance of clearing the air around his playing future publicly.鈥
Cherry Evans is rumoured to be on the way to the Sydney Roosters on a two year deal, which by the end will leave the premiership winner at the age of 38.