The man who once pulled Manly back from the financial abyss has a stark message for the people currently running the club: get out of the way.

Max Delmege, the former Sea Eagles supremo, rescued the Northern Beaches institution from the brink of insolvency in 2002 and presided over the historic 40-0 grand final demolition of Melbourne in 2008 before finishing up serving as a majority shareholder and board member until 2010.

He spoke passionately about how it's time the Penn family needs to remove themselves from the club, and for the Sea Eagles to start clean from the very top.

The numbers tell a damning story. Five coaches. Eight chief executives.

Now, the sacking of Anthony Seibold after just three games and four rounds suggests the club cannot seem to find its footing.

Delmege, who always made it his business to understand what the fans were feeling, says the pulse of the Manly faithful is not hard to read right now. 

In an interview with Wide World of Sports, Delmege didn't mince his words about the chaos in Manly.

"I always put the fans first - I would often stand with them on the hill - and the fans are hurting," Delmege said.

"I speak to a lot of people in the area and see all the comments on social media - everyone is disillusioned with the way the club is going.

"You need peace and harmony and everyone working together - then you will win games.

"Manly have lost that.

"You can't chop and change coaches and CEOs on a whim. You've got to stick by them. I think sacking Seibold after just three games of a new season was a knee-jerk reaction from the owners to take the heat off themselves.

"Some people have egos that are too big - the club becomes a political football for them. The need to remember it's the people's game.

"I think if they care about Manly, they should step aside and stop looking at the club as something they can get kudos or acclaim from.

"The fans want change at the top - they aren't stupid - they realise the club is not being well run."

The Manly Sea Eagles are winless so far this season, with the club heading to Kayo Stadium to play the Dolphins on Thursday night, with interim coach Kieran Foran making his head coaching debut against the number one attacking team from last season.

They will hope to execute an upset on the road.