Manly Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold is reportedly set to be offered a new deal by the club to extend his tenure beyond three seasons.
Seibold arrived at the club ahead of the 2023 campaign where he replaced Des Hasler, who was axed by Manly at the end of 2022 in controversial circumstances.
Handed a three-year contract, it ensured the ex-Brisbane Broncos boss, who was axed from the Red Hill-based club after a dreadful stint in Queensland, would remain Manly's head coach until at least the end of 2025.
However, it's now being reported by News Corp that the Sea Eagles will open talks with the coach regarding a contract extension after Round 10.
The move from Manly may come as a surprise so early in the piece given the Sea Eagles missed finals last year and have had a mixed start to the new year so far.
A draw against the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland on Saturday afternoon was the latest moment of indifference over Manly's season, which has seen a surprise win against the Penrith Panthers and a horror loss in Wollongong to the St George Illawarra Dragons the week prior.
As it stands, Manly have won three and drawn one of their first six games, giving the club seven competition points from six games and leaving them at the bottom of the top eight pending results on Sunday in Round 6.
No other clubs are believed to be after the services of Seibold, however, an early contract extension for the coach would allow Manly to negotiate with rival players who may be confident in the future direction of the club.
That said, Manly would still like to see success this season before guaranteeing the extension for Seibold, even as talks set to open within a month.