Manly’s coaching drama has taken yet another turn with Des Hasler’s future still up in the air after the veteran coach was “forced” into an “insulting” succession plan.
Following a crunch meeting last Thursday it was made clear change was inevitable and if Hasler wanted to remain as head coach, he must outline a vision for the future.
Sea Eagles powerbrokers are planning for life without the veteran coach and reportedly want him to identify two assistants who could take over in years to come.
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Despite the meeting, tension remains between Hasler and owner Scott Penn as well as unrest in the playing group — which could see Hasler walk out.
The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio revealed the process is “underway” for Hasler to identify two assistants and levelled a big warning surrounding the club’s star players.
“No great clarity as far as Des’ future at the club is concerned, however I can tell you, based on the process Manly want to start to see a succession plan,” Riccio said on NRL360.
“This is what Souths did with Bennett and Demetriou, this is what Manly want out of Des, and I understand that process has begun with Des starting to identify a number of key coaches.
“The process is underway for him to identify two assistant coaches to sit with Des for the next two seasons, which is why the 2024 contract remains up in the air, and then eventually take over.
“I have got no faith those Trbojevic boys stay if Des goes.”
NRL360 co-host Paul Kent believes the scrutiny surrounding Hasler’s tenure is unfair considering Manly’s top-four finish in 2021 and the pride jersey saga which derailed this year’s campaign.
While succession plans have been implemented before at other NRL clubs, this move is “insulting” to Hasler who has had a timeline placed on his coaching career.
“Because he has been forced to,” Kent said.
“I think it is insulting to Des that they have put that on him.
“Because it has put an end on his coaching career, who is to say Des didn’t think he had five or six more years at Manly.
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“Let’s look at Craig Bellamy, what if three or five years ago Melbourne were gone.
“I just find it insulting they have come out and said to him bring in a succession plan, and let’s remember, they were in the eight until the jersey fiasco, Tom hasn’t played for most of the year.
“The fact is Des got them to the top four last year, he had numerous things go against him this year and the club’s response to it is, give us a succession plan now, I find it highly insulting.”
“This is why the discussion also heads towards, if the club don’t like the look of the succession plan that Des is offering, he will consider walking himself,” Riccio said.
Planning to hire an assistant as head coach isn’t a new thing in the NRL.
Craig Fitzgibbon completed an apprenticeship under Trent Robinson, while Camerom Ciraldo’s stint under Ivan Cleary saw him land a five-year Bulldogs contract.
While the precedent has been set, The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley sent a big warning to the Sea Eagles, that signing a rookie coach could “blow up in their face”.
“The other thing they have to be really careful too is, we talk about the succession plan at Souths with Bennett and Demetriou, alternatively, look at what happened at the Broncos when they forced Bennett to do what he didn’t want to do and they threw Seibold in,” Crawley said.
“They didn’t have the administration around him, well at Manly we all know Scott Penn runs the club from New York, they have got a guy in, Tony Mestrov, who by all reports has done a great job in greyhound racing, but he is not proven at NRL.
“He has had a warring club, if you throw a rookie coach into the mix there like they did with Trent Barrett it could blow up in their face.
“And ultimately, you have got the Trbojevic brothers there who are supporters of Des, they want to win and they don’t want to waste their careers at a club that’s not going forward.”
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Kent also explained where Manly’s plan differs from succession plans in the past that were driven by the coach — not the club.
“The South Sydney succession plan began when Bennett was coming off basically a fixed term, three years, that’s when they looked at Demetriou, Bennett endorsed him,” Kent said.
“The Melbourne succession plan began with Craig Bellamy signing a contract that he can reconsider every year, so they have clearly got to put something in place, and Bellamy has got to give them time to find that, so he is helping.
“They have all ben coach-driven, except this instance, where the club has put the succession plan on the coach, who still thinks, as far as we know, thinks he is at the peak of his powers.
“Yet he has been basically told, you’ve got two years before we get someone to replace you.”
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