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DES HASLER CONFIRMED AS MANLY COACH
October 22, 2018
It’s official. Des Hasler has been confirmed as Manly coach for the next three seasons, leaving questions over the future involvement of Trent Barrett at the club. Hasler, a premiership winning coach with the Sea Eagles in 2008 and 2011, left the club in acrimonious circumstances at the end of the 2011 season to join Canterbury, and took the Bulldogs to the Grand Final in 2012 and 2014.
Already, the DNA of Manly is returning to the club, with the Sea Eagles announcing former player and cult hero Noel Cleal returning as recruitment manager. Hasler and Cleal played together in Manly’s 1987 Grand Final win over Canberra, and have had a long association together since their retirements from the field.
Hasler walks into a club facing sanctions over salary cap breaches. In his seven years away from the Sea Eagles, Hasler has battled salary cap issues at Canterbury, and inherits a roster built by Trent Barrett that has underperformed.
Hasler reunited with halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Trent Hodkinson, who both came into first grade under Hasler’s stewardship. Hodkinson spent time under Hasler at Canterbury, and was a star player for New South Wales as they broke Queensland’s dominance in the State of Origin series in 2014.
Des Hasler has a knack of getting the best out of his players, and found success building a siege mentality at Brookvale. The experience of the five time Grand Final coach should bring a steady influence on the next stage of the careers of players such as Dylan Walker and Martin Tapau.