Hasler officially stood down

Manly coach Des Hasler could be sacked by the Sea Eagles as soon as Wednesday, reports suggest

Des Hasler could be sacked as early as Wednesday night amid news that superstar five-eighth Kieran Foran is the next Manly Sea Eagles player poised to defect to Canterbury-Bankstown.

 

 

 

The Bulldogs will target Foran for 2013 - the same season current Canterbury five-eighth Kris Keating comes off contract.

 

Hasler and incoming coach Geoff Toovey are thought to have fallen out over Foran's possible move to the Bulldogs.

Board members are also furious that Hasler has banned them from travelling with and staying in the team hotel for next year's World Club Challenge in the UK.

The Bulldogs have already held top-level internal discussions about Foran. With additional money through the NRL broadcasting deal in 2013, Canterbury will spend $1.8 million on him.

It's the latest blow to the premiers, who have already lost several staff members, including scouting director Noel Cleal.

In more bad news for the club yesterday, rising forward Darcy Lussick has been linked to several clubs, including Parramatta Eels, while expert video analyst Will Badel, a key contributor in Manly's premiership win and also used by Ricky Stuart in State of Origin this year, appears ready to leave Manly.

Even if sacked by Manly before the start of next season, it's unlikely Hasler would coach Canterbury in 2012.
Hasler would allow Jim Dymock to coach but shift to Belmore in a consultancy and advisory role before taking over the top job in 2013.

There were also rumours yesterday that Brett Stewart, who also has a get-out clause, could leave Manly but Canterbury has not discussed the former Test fullback.

 

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/manly-coach-des-hasler-could-be-sacked-by-the-sea-eagles-as-soon-as-wednesday-reports-suggest/story-fn2mcuj6-1226189471858

 

Desi-mation: Manly stand down dual premiership-winning coach after move

DES Hasler is gone as Manly coach for next year. Geoff Toovey will instead be in charge and Hasler will begin his tenure at Canterbury - both a year earlier than expected.

That will be the inevitable result from a dramatic day at the Sea Eagles yesterday, which ended with the club's board levelling a ''serious breaches of contract'' charge at Hasler and calling on him to explain his actions at a board meeting.

Manly chairman Scott Penn, in announcing at Manly Leagues Club last night that Hasler had been stood down from his job pending the board appearance, did nothing to dismiss speculation that the breaches included trying to entice Manly players to follow him to the Bulldogs. 

Before the storm ... Des Hasler and his Manly side celebrate their grand final win against the New Zealand Warriors last month. Photo: Wolter Peeters

Asked if the decision to stand Hasler down was based on the belief he was trying to lure Manly players to Canterbury in 2013, Penn said: ''I'll leave that to you.''

The board met for seven hours before finally announcing: ''The Manly Warringah board has met this evening and are of the opinion that there have been serious breaches of contract by coach Des Hasler. The board has invited Des to explain his actions and in the meantime he has been stood down. We will not be making any further comment until Des has had the chance to respond.''

Penn refused to comment further, other than to say the breaches were ''between the club and Des''.

But it is clear that whatever response Hasler eventually chooses to make, it will be impossible for the multiply fractured relationship he has with the board to be repaired to such an extent that he could actually continue as coach there next season.

By accusing Hasler of serious breaches of contract, the board is clearly seeking a means of ending the relationship without having to pay Hasler out for the final year of his deal.

Canterbury were chasing Hasler for 2013 and beyond in the weeks leading up to this year's grand final, and it emerged in the week after Manly beat the Warriors to take the title, that the Bulldogs had got their man.

Hasler had said on grand final night that he would see out his contract with the Sea Eagles next year, and has said nothing different since.

But, as the weeks passed, a number of his football staff - including ace recruitment manager Noel Cleal - reached agreements to join the Bulldogs, and Manly officials became nervous about the fact several Sea Eagles players had get-out clauses in their contracts if Hasler was no longer coach.

One of those staff members who had agreed to join the Bulldogs - development officer Dave Warwick - this week changed his mind and has now decided to stay with Manly.

There was speculation last night that the Sea Eagles had tempted Warwick back with a big offer.

It remains to be seen whether the Bulldogs attempt to hold Warwick to his agreement with them.

On the same day the board was meeting to decide what to do about Hasler, the premiership-winning coach was meeting with his staff to plan for next season with the Sea Eagles.

Key members of the Bulldogs board attended an executive board meeting at the club yesterday.

It was a scheduled meeting, but obviously the growing likelihood that Hasler could become available to the club a year earlier than anticipated would have been discussed.

If that happens, as is now overwhelmingly anticipated, the Bulldogs will have Hasler step straight in as head coach, with Jim Dymock, who was appointed as coach for next year, dropping back to an assistant's role.

Toovey, who had already been appointed the successor to Hasler as Manly coach for 2013 and beyond, was angry yesterday about a report that he and Hasler had fallen out over Canterbury's interest in Sea Eagles star player Kieran Foran.

''It's a ridiculous statement,'' Toovey said.

''They should have rung me or Des and asked about it. The staff came back to work here today, and Des and I had a laugh about it.''

Toovey said Hasler and the staff had met to discuss planning for next season, with further planning scheduled for today and tomorrow. But, now, Hasler obviously won't be there today.

Foran's manager, Paul Sutton, said the player was contracted long-term to Manly. It is known there is a get-out clause in Foran's contract that would allow him to leave Manly if Hasler left, but Sutton refused to discuss the exact nature of the deal.

It is well-known the Bulldogs would love to get Foran for 2013 if possible, but Sutton said there had been no discussion between himself and Foran about the player possibly leaving Manly.

Asked what he thought might happen with Foran if Hasler left Manly now, Sutton replied that Foran ''will be at Manly next year no matter what''.

But in reference to 2013, Sutton said that while there were no plans to move he would have to ''look into the wording'' of Foran's contract.

The Herald spoke to Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg last night, but he declined to comment on the development regarding Hasler, saying it was an issue for Manly.



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/desimation-manly-stand-down-dual-premiershipwinning-coach-after-move-20111109-1n7of.html#ixzz1dEm4Hi7n

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  • darcy would be a decent signing especially with moi moi getting on in age. Also with poore off contract he would not command a massive salary like poore's
  • hmmz I wonder what that would mean for Keating

     

    Darcy would be handy tho, and you would think very cheap too..

    • Dont think that should worry Keating, Darcy Lussick is a front rower. I think Matt Keating should be a bit worried tho especially if we are targeting a 9.
  • Do we really need another prop? Can he play second row?
    • Well by that stage Moi Moi will be 34, Poore will be off contract so it might be the case of yes we need another one if those 2 are to move on. Not sure what the go with Shackleton is either.
  • lol I meant the other Keating.. If Foran is signing with the Doggies at the same time Keatings contract expires, what will  they do? I mean he's a handy utility, and if they don't want him I'm more than happy for him to return home..
    • Oh yeah i forgot about him, i dont think we would really need him back
      • Yeah true we don't need him.. but would be good to have him back as backup, on a small contract of course AND Tinks would be able to use her Kiss Keating sign again!

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