Brisbane Broncos part owner Phil Murphy has launched a shocking attack on Anthony Seibold, likening the under-fire coach to a cancer on the club.

The scathing comment comes as Seibold looks to finalise his departure from the Broncos, ending a tumultuous two years at the helm. 

The parties are currently negotiating a severance package for Seibold, who has also been subjected to horrible rumours about his personal life.

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But if Brisbane's coach rejects a $1 million-plus payout to leave immediately, he will face the humiliation of being sacked at the end of the season.

But that couldn't be much worse than being labelled a "cancer" by Murphy, the Broncos' biggest private shareholder, who was adamant Seibold had to leave the club.

"It's like having a cancer and it has not been cut out," Murphy told Channel 9 of Seibold remaining as Broncos coach.

"If you don't treat the cancer you die and … unfortunately and sadly, I don't want to see the Broncos die." 

Fans took to social media to support Seibold and vent their anger at Murphy's over-the-top comments, which will not go down well as the Broncos are locked in delicate negotiations to broker the coach's immediate departure.

"What a putrid thing to say," one person said on Twitter, while another added that "Seibold should wait it out to get paid in full after that. Grubby comment."

Fans were also disgusted that Murphy had trivialised cancer with his comment.

"Don't compare football to cancer, those of us who have recovered from it know the difference very much. One is very serious the other is a hobby," one user tweeted.

The Courier-Mail's NRL reporter Travis Meyn labelled it a "disgusting comment", while The Daily Telegraph's Sports Editor-at-larte Phil Rothfield said "What a horrible thing to say about a person who has been doing it tough".

A week ago Seibold told Rothfield that, despite being on the receiving end of some vicious and vile attacks from social media trolls, he had not heard from a single person at the NRL.

"I feel angry," Seibold said at the time.

"I thought someone could have reached out.

"Even just a phone call to check in. It's been bloody hard.

"As a game, are we going to just accept it?"

It will be interesting to see the NRL's response to Murphy's comments.

Originally published as 'Like a cancer': Broncos owner's savage Seibold sledge