Des Hasler will reportedly remain as head coach of the Manly Sea Eagles in 2023, while mixed messages have come out of Thursday’s meeting regarding an extension for 2024.
Hasler’s job has come under pressure following Manly’s 11th-place finish and reports have flooded out claiming there’s tension between Hasler and owner Scott Penn as well as the Fulton family.
Hasler and his management met with Manly powerbrokers on Thursday to clear the air regarding next season.
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News Corp’s Dave Riccio reported that not only will Hasler remain at the helm for 2023, which he is already contracted for, but he is set to ink an extension for 2024 too.
However, Paul Kent said on NRL 360 that Manly’s powerbrokers are not under that belief.
He called the situation a “dog’s breakfast” and “rugby league at it’s finest.”
“They’ve come out, one side thinks this is happening and the other side thinks this is happening. There’s no agreement,” Kent said.
“(George) Mimis (Hasler’s management) and Des are claiming there’s a one-year extension now so he coaches next year with an extra year on top and the Manly guys are saying nothing has changed — he’ll be there next year and that’s it.”
Fox League’s James Hooper added that Manly are “clearly a club at war” and “Des has been told there won’t be an extension at this point but ‘yes, we will possibly look at it down the track as long as you meet all the key requirements the management have’.”
News Corp journalist Michael Carayannis believes the “most bizarre thing” about the meeting is the conflicting messages coming out claiming two different things.
“You speak to one camp and they’re under the impression that Des Hasler will be the coach in 2023 and 2024, but you speak to the other camp and they say ‘no, we didn’t get anywhere near an extension for 2024’.”
NRL 360 host Braith Anasta said: “So nothing changes?”
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Carayannis confirmed that nothing changes but there will be “some parameters for Des that he needs to undergo some changes.”
Kent believes Manly’s decision to see out Hasler’s contract is a “rookie error” and CEO Tony Mestrov could be shown the door.
“What they have done is given Des is 12 months to figure out how to win this war,” he said.
“After today I’d be surprised if Tony Mestrov is still in the job this time next year.”
However, Hooper and Carayannis disagreed.
“Scott Penn headhunted Mestrov, they brought him in to fix the mess,” Hooper said.
Carayannis added: “There’s no way Penn allows Des to regain control of the club.”
Hooper also pointed out that Hasler and Penn are “on completely different pages,” but Penn “has the upper hand” and “more power” given he’s the owner.
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Regardless of what went on in Thursday’s meeting, Carayannis believes the aftermath will create even more tension at the club.
“There’s no doubt that the fallout from the meeting has made people more frustrated,” he said.
“The conflicting reports, if they smoked the peace pipe in there, it lasted all of half an hour because now they’re sitting going ‘what have we got ourselves into again?’”
