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Des Hasler's coaching roller-coaster ride

Des Hasler's NRL coaching career has included two premierships and more than 450 games, but dramas such as the past month at Manly have been constant themes.

DES HASLER.
DES HASLER. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

TWISTS AND TURNS OF DES HASLER'S WILD COACHING CAREER

August 2003 - Landed his first head-coaching gig as he was officially given Manly's top job for 2004 to take over from Peter Sharpe. The former Manly playmaker had been a trainer and Sea Eagles reserve grade coach through the Northern Eagles years.

2004 - Manly finished 13th in Hasler's first season in charge but his rebuild began as the club won four of their last six games and signed representative forwards Ben Kennedy and Brent Kite for 2005.

2005 - Returned the Sea Eagles to their first finals series in seven years, after they won nine of their first 12 games. They eventually faded and finished eighth, before being knocked out in the first week by Parramatta.

2008 - Claimed his first premiership as Manly racked up a record 40-0 victory over Melbourne in the grand final. It came a year after Hasler had taken the Sea Eagles to their first decider in 11 years, which they lost to the Storm.

2011 - Won a second title with the 24-10 grand final victory over the Warriors but announced a week later he had signed with Canterbury for 2013. Manly first agreed to keep him for 2012 but he was sacked a month later when the club's board claims he induced other staff members to join him at Belmore. Hasler denied the claims and threatened legal action for unlawful dismissal after his 28-year association with the club ended.

2012 - Took Canterbury to the NRL grand final in his first year in charge, off the back of Ben Barba's Dally M medal and a new-look ball-playing approach. They were beaten by the Storm in the decider.

2014 - Reached his fifth grand final in eight years as Canterbury came from seventh on the ladder to make the decider but lost to South Sydney. The Bulldogs re-signed him until the end of 2017.

2017 - Missed the finals as a coach for the first time in 13 years, with serious questions asked about the Bulldogs' attack, his roster management and back-ended contracts. Canterbury announced a two-year contract extension in April, but later "part company" with him at season's end claiming that was only a "heads of agreement" and "not binding". Hasler launched legal action and the two parties later agreed to an out-of-court settlement.

October 2018 - Re-entered the coaching fold from the blue when he was strongly linked to the Manly job to replace an unhappy Trent Barrett.

2021- Took Manly back to the top four on the back of a brilliant season from Tom Trbojevic and a free-wheeling game that included having five natural halves on the field.

July 2022 - With Manly battling to stay in the top eight, Hasler fronts the media after seven players decide to boycott wearing a rainbow jersey on religious grounds. Hasler aplogises to all communities for the club's handling of the matter.

September 2022 - Pressure intensifies on Hasler as Manly lose their last seven games of the season after the pride-jersey saga. An intense power battle looms at the club.

October 2022 - Hasler is sacked, just a day after agreeing to the club's long-term succession plan of Anthony Seibold taking over in 2024.

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