Premiership winning coach Phil Gould says he wouldn't blame Brisbane mentor Anthony Seibold if he walked away from the club, amid constant speculation over his future.
The Broncos have lurched from one crisis to the next this year, and could pick up the club's first ever wooden spoon. Up to 10 players are still under investigation by the NRL over a possible COVID-19 breach, while Seibold himself is currently in isolation after dealing with 'a serious family matter' in Sydney.
Three other members of the coaching staff are on COVID holds after attending a private function, and Seibold has called in the police over a series of vicious social media rumours doing the rounds.
With the club in the headlines almost daily for the wrong reasons, Gould said he would understand if Seibold walked away.
"I couldn't blame him if he did," he told TODAY.
"It doesn't mean his career is over, and it doesn't mean he's not a coach of the future. Maybe just now is not the time and place, given what's happened over the last 15 months, and what he's going through and what his family is going through.
"I wouldn't blame him if he walked away, put it that way, and I wouldn't see it as a weakness, and I would see that there's a future in the game for him somewhere down the track."
Gould coached sides to premierships in 1988 and 1991, and remains New South Wales' most successful State of Origin coach.
He noted the huge personal toll the last few months had taken on Seibold, and pointed out that history suggests there's no easy fix for the club unless major changes are made.
"There's no doubt the intense scrutiny and criticism of this man has affected family members, and that must be weighing heavily on his mind," Gould said.
"That's probably the great priority he has at the moment.
"Rarely have you seen clubs resurrect themselves from this, particularly with the coaching staff.
"I think that there has to be a reconsideration here, I think for Anthony's personal benefit he needs to reconsider where he is at the moment, his family is his priority, and his own mental health is a priority as well.
"I think we might see some big decisions in the next fortnight."
Gould conceded the club is in turmoil, although he stopped short of saying they'd thrown in the towel as far as 2020 is concerned.
"Well from where we all sit it looks like a mess, I'm not sure they've given up, and things are never as bad as they seem, but we've seen the warning signs over the last 15 months with this club, and I just feel as though they've been in denial," Gould said.
"Whether it be recruitment, retention, the management of the salary cap, the development of players, coaching, leadership, culture, and everything is being played out before us this year, both on and off the field.
"The first thing they need to do is be honest about how they've got themselves in this situation, before they can even think of a solution to go forward."
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