According to some, Des Hasler delivered “one of the greatest rugby league speeches ever given” when he addressed the media following Manly’s decision to release a rainbow-themed jersey to promote inclusivity.
Author Thomas Keneally, who penned Hasler’s biography, delivered that praise for the Manly coach, who was forced to front the media when their jersey announcement blew up in their face, in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.
That same speech is now the moment when Hasler lost the support from his administration.
As The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield told Fox Sports News on Thursday morning, just moments after the Manly board opted to terminate his contract following their slide down the NRL standings to 11th, the pride jersey announcement was the catalyst for his undoing.
“If you’re going to break it down, the Pride jersey would be 75 per cent of the fact,” Rothfield said.
The man who wrote the speech for Hasler, Dirk Melton, said Hasler was a “players’ coach” and was “probably not a CEO or chairman’s coach”.
“The players know he has got their back and cares for them uniquely,” Melton told the Herald in July.
Hasler apologised on behalf of the club for the great “intent” but the “poor execution”, as he expressed his disappointment in the “little consultation or collaboration with key stakeholders, both inside and outside the club.”
“Why did Des have to do the speech? I am sure the hierarchy at the top of the ladder should have been doing that, not the coach.
“I thought he spoke fantastically, from the heart, which he does with everything … and there are fractions in the team.
“Well if the players don’t want to play — a contract means nothing nowadays — they can get out. But to blame Des … no way in the world.”
Despite the obvious off-field distractions, chairman Scott Penn delivered a brutal blow to Hasler on the eve of his sacking by declaring the club had a “premiership-winning” team.
”We have a premiership-winning team,” Penn told 9News.
“What we need is a football department that can get us back there as quickly as possible.”
His comments came four years after he spoke bullishly about the direction of the club following Hasler’s return in late 2018.
Across his two-part, 302 game tenure with Manly, Hasler recorded 170 wins - a 56.3 win per cent.
His axing comes after a wave of negative headlines over the past three months, including recent reports two of the club’s best — Tom and Jake Trbojevic — were concerned about the direction of the club.
“They have expressed concern to me about the instability at the club. It has got them worried,” manager Paul Sutton told Nine News.
“They have not spoken to me about leaving the club but they are concerned about staying there.”
The concerning comments will have increased pressure on Manly’s officials to act on Hasler, fearful of losing fans during their membership push ahead of 2023.
Former assistant coach Anthony Seibold, who coached South Sydney and Brisbane and is currently Eddie Jones’ assistant with England, has been strongly linked with taking over from Hasler.
Here is a timeline of Hasler’s association with Manly.
1984 - After two largely fruitless years at Penrith, where he played just 12 matches for the Panthers, Hasler was asked to trial for the Sea Eagles after Phil Blake fell out of favour.
1985 - Almost overnight Hasler came a hit with the Sea Eagles. He was picked for New South Wales and later made his debut for the Kangaroos in the third Test against New Zealand in Auckland.
1987 - Hasler won his first premiership with the club, starting at halfback in a side littered with stars including Paul Vautin, Cliff Lyons and Michael O’Connor.
1996 - Playing behind captain Geoff Toovey, Hasler came off the bench in their 20-8 win in the NRL grand final over St. George.
2004 - Hasler returned to the club after being appointed head coach. In his first season, the Sea Eagles won just nine of 24 matches.
2005 - Manly return to the finals for the first time since the late 1990s, with Hasler leading the side to 12 wins as they scrapped into the top eight.
2007 - After finishing fifth a year earlier, the Sea Eagles were beaten in the NRL final by the Storm, who were later stripped of the premiership.
2008 - Hasler’s moment comes, as he leads the Sea Eagles to their first premiership since
2011 - The Sea Eagles win their eighth premiership and second under Hasler, with the former halfback being a part of their past four titles.But Hasler put pen to paper to join rivals, the Bulldogs, in 2013 but was sacked a year early.
2017 - After finishing second twice, Hasler’s time with the Bulldogs ended on a sour note.
2018 - Hasler returns “home”, with Manly announcing his return on a three-year deal.
2019 - After the Sea Eagles finished second last, Hasler helped the club back into the finals in his first year back at the club where they crashed out in the semi-finals.
2020 - The Sea Eagles struggled in 2020, finishing 13th.
2021 - The struggles of the initial Covid year were long gone, as Hasler’s manly recorded a top four finish before they were well-beaten in the preliminary final by South Sydney.
2022 - Manly lost their last seven matches of the season to finish 11th on the standings, with six of the defects occurring after seven players pulled out ahead of their match against the Roosters following the announcement of their pride jersey.
