Following three games of NRL action in 2026, the Manly Sea Eagles were headed nowhere except into a genuine fight to aviod their first ever wooden spoon.
Three straight losses to start the campaign is never ideal, especially when your coach enters the season with 95 per cent of the fanbase already calling for his resignation.
Add to the simmering pot the fact that all three losses came at Brookvale Oval and there was only going ever be one outcome.
The only real surprise around Anthony Seibold's departure is that it came a game after the bye, rather than during the bye week itself.
Although one could argue that the biggest surprise of all came when Manly named Kieran Foran as interim coach.
Foran, who had been acing it at the desk for Fox Sports, was only six months retired and looked as shocked as anyone at his introductory press conference.
It was all but confirmed that Matt Ballin was target number for the Manly brass, with Foran tasked simply to restore faith amongst the Brookvale faithful.
Fast forward three weeks and calls for Foran to be appointed, for life, were loud on the back of three straight wins.
The 52-18 win in Foran's debut game as interim coach was equal parts blistering and shocking. Manly had shown nothing in the prior weeks to suggest they were capable of such a result.
A comfortable 28-18 win over the Dragons followed before a 38-6 hammering of the North Queensland Cowboys, in Townsville no less, gave birth to the term "Fozball".
Those unfamiliar with Brendon McCullum, former New Zealand cricketing great and until last week the coach of the England test squad, probably won't fully understand the reference.
McCullum completely changed the approach his England side took to test cricket.
They were tasked with going ultra aggressive. Always looking to move the game forward. Always on the front foot.
When it worked, it was beautiful to watch. When it didn't, it was comical.
Fozball, a beautiful play on words, hasn't had time to develop such a cult following or hatred, but it certainly worked early on.
A fourth straight win, this time a 33-18 season breakthrough win at Brookvale over old rivals the Eels, made it impossible to deny that Manly had found their guy.
He would be formally announced as full time Manly coach in early June, following a further three wins from five games.
Fozball took over north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Manly Vale's KFC store replaced the Colonel Sanders face with Kieran Foran's. Manly fans made signs. They booked they grand final tickets and all was splendid.
Fast forward to Round 21 and Manly now sit ninth. Their massive +126 points differential makes them dangerous as it is far superior to those sides around them.
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That said, Manly's recent run has been shaky at best.
Since returning from their Round 15 bye, Manly have dropped four out of five games. Their sole win did come against old sparring partners the Melbourne Storm, but the run has all but ended their top four chances.
Fozball is no doubt faltering.
Injuries to Luke Brooks and now Tom Trbojevic haven't helped but their once free flowing scoring slowed and their air tight defence started to leak.
It happens to every team but Manly's losses are celebrated by opposition fans just that little bit louder than most. For good reason says this Sharks fan.
There is no doubt that the new car shine is off the Foran revolution, but I'd argue that Foran's extended new coach life has Manly well ahead of where they otherwise had any right to be.
If the club had not moved on from Seibold, there's no chance in the world they're only a spot outside of finals.
Brookvale would not be heaving each and every home game. Fans wouldn't be proudly wearing their maroon scarves.
They'd be 15th, playing in front of 8,000 people at home and the clouds over the north would be dark and stormy.
The Manly roster is not set up for success in 2026.
It's littered with stars. Haumole Olakau'atu is the most destructive second rower in the competition. Tolutau Koula played Origin.
Tom Trbojevic misses as much time as he plays but when he's on the field he's still super dangerous. Joey Walsh looks like the next big thing in the halves.
But, respectfully, it's an aging roster and their only major addition this season was Jamal Fogarty.
If you'd told me in the pre-season that Manly would be ninth, I'd believe it but it would take some convincing.
Kieran Foran is the reason they're only one win outside of finals contention. Simple as that.
Whether or not he proves a success in the long-term is up for debate but Manly fans absolutely owe him everything when it comes to 2026.
The players obviously love him and play for him. The crowds undisputedly verbally chair him off after every home game.
He's brilliant in the media. I actually miss him on the Fox Sports desk. He, Shaun Johnson and Luke Keary were/are highlights whenever they're involved.
There's every chance they dust the Sharks on Sunday afternoon and jump right back into the eight. There's every chance they don't though.
That's part of the fun, as an outsider, of Fozball. You never really know what Manly are going to do.
Truthfully I'll be happy to see the back of the term, but we know we're stuck with it for the next few years.
Foran deserves all the respect in the world for the turnaround he's been able to oversee at Manly.
This despite the fact that Fozball is absolutely faltering ... for now.
