Jake Trbojevic can't stomach the claim that you have to be a Manly man to succeed as Manly coach.

The argument that stems from the fact that former Sea Eagles players have guided the club to all 19 of their grand finals, with the mentors including Ron Willey, Des Hasler, Bob Fulton and Geoff Toovey.

And the part of it that suggests new coach Anthony Seibold won't thrive at Brookvale as a so-called outsider.

"I don't like it," Trbojevic told AAP.

"The only reason people say that is because history probably suggests it, which is fair enough.

"But those coaches who have done well are great coaches too.

"So it's not like: 'Oh he played for Manly, you're going to win now'. They are good coaches."

Trbojevic is about as much of a Manly man as there is.

He grew up in Mona Vale, his family make up 10 per cent of the club's top-30 roster and he appears utterly distraught after every loss.

And as far as he is concerned, Seibold is a Manly man too.

He points to the fact Seibold was an assistant at the club in 2016 and his family have lived on the northern beaches since.

Trbojevic is adamant Seibold can be a great coach for the club - and achieve success without having played for it.

"It would be nice to change (that stat)," Trbojevic said.

"Seeing how much effort Seibs puts in, how much passion and how much detail he has, he deserves success.

"The thing I respect about him too is he puts really good people around him.

"We have premiership-winning Shane Flanagan as an assistant, we have Jim Dymock as an assistant, very experienced.

"He's not scared to do that, because he wants us to do well. Which you have to respect."

Seibold has made "Manly mentality" the theme of the team's summer.

Trbojevic sees it embodied in the Sea Eagles of the late 2000s, who made a habit of thriving off a siege mentality, with Brookvale their fortress.

"You think of the great Manly sides ... They just got it done," Trbojevic said.

"It didn't matter what was going on. They did the little things right, they were just a tough side.

"It's hard to emulate, don't get me wrong. But when our club was at its best, that was the mentality. You cover your mate."

Keen to embrace those links with the past, players were told to call Sea Eagles of yesteryear and speak with them.

Ex-players have also been invited in to talk at Brookvale.

At Wednesday's launch in front of the likes of Ken Arthurson and Max Krilich, Seibold again pushed the Manly mentality motto in his speech.

"We've done a lot of work on legacy in the pre-season, and the guys have really bought into that," Seibold said.

"I'm proud of the boys for doing it, having those uncomfortable conversations, introducing themselves and welcoming those players that dug the well for us."

For Seibold, this coaching stint is crucial.

Since his exit as an assistant in 2016, he has been Dally M coach of the year as a rookie at South Sydney and then chewed up and spat out in two difficult years at Brisbane.

For Manly, the next few years are also vital.

With Jake and Tom Trbojevic, Daly Cherry-Evans and a rising crop of young stars, they have the potential to contend like they did in 2021.

But they need to rebound after the disastrous end to 2022, which included seven straight losses and rumours of a rift between players after the Pride Jersey saga.

Seibold has stressed the importance of a connected group as part of his Manly mentality.

"We have done some really unique things in that space," Seibold said at the launch.

"I am really proud of the way the guys have bought into that. The environment and their stories.

"They've spent time together. Time is the most precious thing we have, and the guys have spent time together in smaller groups and bigger groups doing social activities."

Players remaining from Seibold's last Brookvale stint insist he is still the same man.

Defence is built on effort and the attack is up-tempo and thrives on being on the front foot.

"He's worked really hard, he is a really good communicator," Trbojevic said.

"His attention to detail is really good. In terms of footy he has kept it the same.

"He deserves success with how hard he has been working and the things he is trying to implement.

"He definitely deserves a fair shot."