NRL Round 4: Should Kieran Foran Skip The Manly Apprenticeship?

Kieran Foran is suddenly the head coach of the Manly Sea Eagles – but is he special enough to skip the traditional assistant‑coach apprenticeship and keep the job beyond 2026? In this Footy IQ episode, we break down Manly’s shock sacking of Anthony Seibold, how Foran ended up in the hot seat, and what the tape says about his chances of turning the Sea Eagles around. Then we dive into the Canterbury Bulldogs’ Round 4 loss to the Newcastle Knights – what actually happened in that 24–16 defeat, how Matt Burton was deployed in attack, and what it tells us about the Bulldogs’ spine, systems and long‑term ceiling. 00:00 - 03:08 Anthony Siebold 3:09 - 4:07 Kieran Foran and benji connection 4:08 - 11:40 Separating coach and assistant career paths 11:41 - 17:14 Manly’s style of play. 17:15 - 23:17 Matt Burton back in the centres 23:18 - 26:48 No need for Bulldogs panic 26:49 - 32:30 The Drinkwater effect 32:31 - 33:50 Melbourne Storm 33:51 - 38:31 Adam Doueihi 38:45 - 45:54 Raiders v Sharks 45:55 - 52:38 The rise of Wakefield