Des Hasler

Desmond John Hasler (born 16 February 1961) is an Australian professional rugby league coach and former player who is the current head coach of the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League.

Hasler began his first-grade career with the Penrith Panthers in 1982, but quickly transferred to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

Hasler's contact with Manly came by chance.

After having played only 12 games for the Penrith club in 1982 and 1983, Bob Fulton, on the lookout for a halfback due to not being satisfied with the play of Phil Blake, offered Hasler a trial at Manly and signed him to play for the Sea Eagles in 1984.

Hasler made his debut for Australia in the third test of the 1985 Trans-Tasman Test series against New Zealand at Carlaw Park in Auckland, coming into the team at the expense of Queensland halfback Mark Murray.

Unfortunately his debut was soured with the Kiwis defeating Australia 18–0.

Hasler's value as a utility player led to his frequent selection on the bench in representative football.

He played 13 State of Origin matches for New South Wales (seven from the bench, three at halfback, two at five-eighth and 1 at lock), scoring two tries during these games.

Hasler also played in twelve test and World Cup matches for Australia between 1985 and 1991, with his utility value seeing him start nine of those games from the bench.

Primarily a, he initially played for the Penrith Panthers, and then spent most of his playing career with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, with whom he won premierships in 1987 and 1996.

Hasler spent a season with Hull F.C. in the UK, returning to Manly, before finishing his playing career with the Western Suburbs Magpies.

He also played for NSW City, New South Wales in State of Origin and Australia at international level.

After failing to win the 1987 World Club Challenge with Manly as a player, he won it with them as coach in 2009.

His biography, The Utility Player, was written by prominent Australian author and Manly Warringah fan Thomas Keneally and was published in 1993.

After the 1993 season, Hasler spent the off-season playing for Hull F.C. in the English Rugby League Premiership.

He later returned to the Manly club for the 1995 and 1996 ARL seasons.

Hasler had a new role for the season playing mostly at hooker.

Although starting the 1996 season as the teams hooker, the signing of 1994 Kangaroo tour hooker Jim Serdaris saw Hasler play most of the season from the bench for the Manly Warringah side.

The team had another great year, winning their second straight minor premiership before going on to defeat St. George 20–8 in the grand final at the Sydney Football Stadium, giving Hasler his second and last premiership win as a player.

After 257 games for the Manly club over 12 seasons, Manly did not offer Hasler a contract beyond 1996.

Feeling he still had something to offer Hasler then signed with the Western Suburbs Magpies for the 1997 season.

He played 21 games for Western Suburbs alternating between halfback, lock, hooker and the bench, before retiring at the end of the season.

Hasler coached Manly between 2004 and 2011, winning a further two premierships in 2008 and 2011.

In 2004, Des Hasler was appointed head coach of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

In the 2005, 2006 and 2007 seasons he led the team to the semi-finals for the first time since the late 1990s.

Hasler gained the experience of Geoff Toovey as assistant coach in the 2007 season.

The team was a contender in the 2007 National Rugby League premiership, and finished second on the NRL ladder, losing the grand final 34–8 to the Melbourne Storm.

He coached Manly to a record-breaking 40–0 2008 NRL Grand Final victory over the Melbourne Storm.

In 2008, Hasler was named the Rugby League International Federation's Coach of the Year at the RLIF Awards.

Manly defeated North Queensland 42–8 at the Sydney Football Stadium for their first finals win since 2008.

Hasler took Manly to the finals again in 2009 and 2010, but lost a final in each year to be eliminated from the finals.

He coached his 200th first-grade game on 13 August 2011 when Manly defeated their traditional rivals Parramatta 26–20 at Parramatta Stadium.

The win was also Hasler's 117th win as a coach.

In 2011, Manly finished second on the NRL ladder.

Manly went on to win the 2011 NRL Grand Final.

He was named coach of the year at the RLIF Awards.

He coached the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League, before returning to Manly as coach from 2019 until he was sensationally sacked at the end of the 2022 season.

Hasler was born in Gosford, New South Wales.

He played his junior footy at Cambridge Park and Brothers Penrith.

He attended St Dominic's College, Penrith.