Aug 20th, 2018

Aug 20th, 2018

Manly chairman Scott Penn insists there is adequate support for the football department at the Sea Eagles and that his administration has fulfilled all promises to coach Trent Barrett.

Barrett's future remains in the air at the Sea Eagles, with players unsure who will be coach after reports emerged last week that Barrett was ready to walk over a lack of support.

The drama has reached the point of significant criticism of Penn's leadership at Manly, while captain Daly Cherry-Evans questioned the board's support of Barrett last weekend.

Manly are still operating without a recruitment manager and pathways coach, while they are also searching for an assistant accountant to help with salary cap matters.

(AAP) Sea Eagles chairman Scott Penn suggested that all promises to coach Trent Barrett had been fulfilled

But a defiant Penn declared they'd done all required to back Barrett in 2018 after agreements were reached in last year's contract extension, and that plans were well advanced to fill vacancies.

"From a process point of view there is an annual budget, we have certainly given Trent and the football department everything they have asked for for 2018," Penn told AAP.

"I'm really not sure where the deficiency is.

"In terms of support we believe the board and management has been fully supportive of trying to fill roles as fast as we can. There's no deficiency there."

Penn also defended the club's facilities at Narrabeen, pointing out they had invested more than $500,000 in the gym - something Barrett said he had no issue with last week.

(AAP) The Sea Eagles looked listless again after conceding 42 points to the Gold Coast Titans

The chairman also claimed Barrett himself had been sorting through more than 140 applications for the club's new recruitment manager, and that some offers had previously been sent out.

"We identified the roles as part of the budget, we've been actively working to fill them," Penn said.

"Some of them we haven't filled yet because we haven't found the right candidate.

"It's not through a lack of desire to fill them or a lack of financial resource to pay for them. They are budgeted positions."

Manly and Barrett are still working over his future, but questions must remain over how the two parties can carry a working relationship forward.

(AAP) Barrett and the Sea Eagles' brass are reportedly "working over his future"

Penn refused to comment on that on Monday, but is frustrated by the way his business has been portrayed in a season in which Manly's crowds have hit 52-year lows at Brookvale and the team have edged closer to their first ever wooden spoon.

However, he maintained he wasn't going anywhere, amid calls for change.

"We've done nothing but put our heart, soul and hard-earned into this club because we love it and also believe in it," he said.

"The suggestion we're not doing everything we can to make the club as successful as possible is incredibly frustrating and disappointing.

"Are we going to be successful in the future? Absolutely. There is no question. We're not in this to not make finals and compete."

©AAP2018