There’s no club more in the spotlight right now than the Manly Sea Eagles.
Between the speculation over Des Hasler’s future as coach and rumours of tension among the club’s biggest-name players, things can’t get much worse.
But the reality is, the mess that’s unfolding at the Narrabeen headquarters is far from over.
Many assumed Tom Trbojevic’s shoulder injury in Round 11 would spell the end of Manly’s premiership hopes but they went on to win four of their next six games and break into the top eight.
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Then a fortnight later everything came crashing down when an initiative to don rainbow piping on the jersey to promote inclusiveness derailed the season.
Seven players made the choice to stand down from Round 20’s must-win game to stay in touch with the top eight.
It was one of the biggest stories of the year and the Sea Eagles never recovered.
MANLY SEA EAGLES SEASON REVIEW
2022 Record: W9 L14, 37.5% win rate
Season grade: D
What went right: The rise of Tolou Koula was one of the very few shining lights to come out of this season.
Kieran Foran’s form and injury-free year was a big plus too, but letting the veteran five-eighth join the Titans might come back to bite the club.
We had heard all about Koula, the speedster that would give Jason Saab a good run for his money and the 20-year-old didn’t disappoint.
Koula went from completing his HSC straight into full-time training with the NRL squad ahead of the 2021 season as an 18-year-old before and then was fast-tracked to the Top 30. He started that year in Jersey Flegg, then was promoted to New South Wales Cup before the competition was cancelled.
Koula made his highly-anticipated NRL debut off the bench in Round 1 and by Round 8 had locked down a spot in the centres, — as well as a couple of weeks at fullback — averaging 112 running metres and three tackle busts a game.
He made his debut for Tonga in the mid-season test and no doubt will be in the mix for the upcoming World Cup.
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What went wrong: While Trbojevic’s injury was a huge blow to Manly’s finals hopes, club legend Mark ‘Spudd’ Carroll believes the pride jersey saga was the major “turning point” in their season.
Following the controversy, criticism of Des Hasler’s coaching regime has run riot, leading to many speculating whether he was remain in his post.
Mark Carroll, who played 88 of his 185 career games for the club, said the doubt surrounding Hasler’s future is “disappointing” — and wants the focus shifted back on the attitude of the playing group.
Internal concerns have reportedly been raised over Hasler’s handling of the club’s up-and-coming players, with a list drafted of potential replacements according to News Corp.
The turmoil has also reportedly left the club’s star duo — Tom and Jake Trbojevic — considering walking out on their long-term deals.
“Disappointing for the Manly side, they are picking on Des, but I feel it comes all the way down to the pride jersey debacle,” Carroll told Foxsports.com.au.
“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.”
After the pride jersey debacle which saw seven players stand down from Round 20’s clash with the Roosters, Manly went on to lose their final seven games of the season.
2022 came to a head with a last-gasp defeat by the Bulldogs after a Matt Burton field goal, capping off what has been a disastrous year.
Carroll explained that the club would be stupid to part ways with Hasler and called on the players to “look at themselves in the mirror”.
Across his two-part, 302 game tenure with Manly, Hasler has recorded 170 wins at a strike rate of 56.3 per cent.
Compare that to Wayne Bennett, who is widely considering one of the competition’s greatest ever coaches — Hasler’s win rate is not far off the mark.
Bennett has won 62.5 per cent of all of his games, which ended with a succesful final year at the Rabbitohs with a strike rate of 69 per cent, a stark contract to Manly’s end to the 22 campaign.
“Bloody oath (they would be silly to sack Des). It is about the individual players, they know who they are and they didn’t aim up when they were needed,” Carroll said.
“At the end of the day, he is not the one out there missing tackles, dropping balls, it is the attitude of the player.
“The player’s job is to look after their own role, individually, don’t worry about what Johnny down the road is doing, individually, what is your own job.
“There are quite a few who can’t look themselves in the mirror and say they did that this year, especially at the back-end of the year.”
Carroll also believes axing Hasler would only have a negative impact on the team — like that of the Tigers who were only able to win one game after Michael Maguire’s departure.
“It (the pride jersey saga) was the turning point in the competition, they were close to the top four then they went out the back door, they have lost every game since then,” Carroll said.
“They were saying there was no fraction in the side, well it is hard when your side loses five in a row.
“I am sick of these people blaming the coaches, they did it at the Wests Tigers and have a look at what they did.
“Of course they haven’t (won a game since), they are on a sh**load of money, just do your job, it is as simple as that.”
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What they need: Resolution.
The Sea Eagles are crying out for resolution both in the sheds and higher up.
The pride jersey debacle divided the playing group and Hasler’s reported tension with the Fulton family both need to be settled.
When all their cogs are in motion and their best players are fit, Manly are a force to be reckoned with. But without Tom Trbojevic and an in-form Daly Cherry-Evans, they look rudderless in attack and even worse in defence.
Manly’s ownership under Scott Penn, and the recent appointment of Tony Mestrov could see a number of changes take place before the 2023 season.
There have been calls for Cherry-Evans to be stripped of the captaincy, with The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield explaining he isn’t a player who can “rally the side”.
“If there’s one fault with DCE it’s that he can be a little bit aloof as a character and when a club is in crisis or has been torn apart with an issue like the pride jersey he’s not really someone players find easy to turn to and rally the side,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.
“I think he lacks the inspiration that someone like Jake Turbo (Trbojevic) can bring to the side and that’s why it’s a really big discussion point at Manly right now, so is DCE’s contract.”
COMING: Kelma Tuilagi (Tigers)
GOING: Kieran Foran (Titans), Dylan Walker (Warriors), Martin Taupau (TBC)
UNSIGNED: Andrew Davey, Morgan Boyle, Kurt De Luis, Zac Fulton
