Manly’s stunning decision to axe coach Des Hasler in the aftermath of their late-season collapse is just the latest twist in an ugly and long-running saga that is tearing the club apart – and it could cost them their biggest stars.
The two-time premiership-winning coach at the Sea Eagles (2008 and 2011) was dumped on Thursday morning as a nightmare season, which unravelled following the Pride Jersey saga, came to a dismal end.
DES SACKED: Hasler out, Seibold set to come in as Manly axes legend in bitter split
But the future of star brothers Tom and Jake Trbojevic has been thrown into doubt in recent weeks, with their manager Paul Sutton telling News Corp in recent days the drama has “taken a toll” on the duo, who fear the club is “imploding”.
“They feel that the club that they love is imploding in front of their eyes,” Sutton said.
“They are really down in the dumps with the place.
“If it continues, it is wearing and once the place becomes unsavoury, what do you do? If it becomes untenable …”
Both Trbojevic brothers are signed at the club until the end of 2026, but were fierce supporters of Hasler – as was star captain Daly Cherry-Evans.
They even reportedly asked Manly to insert a clause in their most recent contract negotiations to allow them to leave the club were Hasler to depart.
Manly fortunately rejected that request, but it remains to be seen whether the frustrated Trbojevic pair now seek to force their way out.
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Hasler’s exit could sour further their opinion of the club, and has the potential to exacerbate a playing group schism that started when seven players refused to wear a one-off jersey supporting inclusion of the marginalised LGBTQIA community.
“It’s been one of the most tumultuous periods in Manly’s history,” The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield said on Fox Sports News.
“It’s a really, really tough position for the club right now. Hasler going, he’s very popular with the players. Tom and Jake Turbo, Daly Cherry-Evans and other players there were Hasler supporters.”
But Rothfield believes those superstars who were in Hasler’s corner have little choice but to ‘go along with it’.
“The bottom line is the club’s made a decision, the people who pay those footballers, that they want to go in a new direction and they want to reclaim power at the club. These boys are on big-money contracts and they’ll just have to go along with it.”
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However, the next Manly coach – rumoured to be Anthony Seibold – will inherit a team divided.
“There’s still a split in the ranks, as far as I’m concerned, over the Pride Jersey – the fact that seven players who boycotted that game against the Roosters are still to address their position publicly. Not one of them has said a word since. Internally, with all these meetings they’ve had with the players who did play in that game, I don’t think they’re totally satisfied with the response they’ve had from those players.”
Rothfield added: “Anthony Seibold has a big job to do. I think he’s capable of doing it. I can see Manly all pulling in the right direction when their players get back from the World Cup in the new year.”
“Anthony Seibold did very well at Souths, he was Dally M coach of the year. He went to Brisbane and he didn’t handle it well up there, he wasn’t with his family. He lives on the northern beaches. I think he’ll learn from the experience with Eddie Jones and the England team in rugby union.
“I think he’ll do a good job. He’s not going to just walk in there and expect everything to be okay.”
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