Des Hasler

Playing career

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 Panthers 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 he signed to play for the Sea Eagles in 1984.

Hasler made his début 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 début 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. Hasler played 13 State of Origin matches for New South Wales (7 from the bench, 3 at halfback, 2 at five-eighth and 1 at lock), scoring 2 tries during these games. His biography, The Utility Player was written by prominent Australian author and Manly-Warringah fan Thomas Keneally and was published in 1993.

Hasler also played in twelve Test and World Cup matches for Australia between 1985 and 1991, with his utility value seeing him start 9 of those games from the bench. His final test for Australia (from the bench) came in their 40-12 win over New Zealand in the third and deciding test of the 1991 Trans-Tasman Test series at Lang Park in Brisbane.

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 Sea Eagles for the 1995 and 1996 ARL season. 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 Sea Eagles. 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 Sea Eagles over 12 seasons, Manly did not offer Hasler a contract beyond 1996. Feeling he still had something to offer he then signed with the Western Suburbs Magpies for the 1997 season. He played 21 games for the Magpies alternating between halfback, lock, hooker and the bench, before retiring at the end of the season.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

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 Melbourne Storm.

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

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

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

He 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 2nd on the NRL ladder. Manly defeated the Cowboys 42–8 at the SFS for their first finals win since 2008. Manly went on to win the 2011 NRL Grand Final. He was named coach of the year at the RLIF Awards.

A week after leading Manly to the 2011 premiership, Hasler signed to coach the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the 2013 season. He initially agreed to continue to coach Manly for the 2012 season, but on 11 November 2011, Manly's board of directors sacked him, alleging "serious breaches" of his contract with rumors rife of the breaches including enticing staff and players to join him at the Bulldogs from 2013. A number of Manly's coaching and administrative employees had announced they would be joining Hasler at Canterbury.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Hasler joined the Bulldogs on 14 November 2011 as head coach for the 2012 NRL season. He had immediate success as he took the club to finish eight places better than the previous season to the top of the ladder and collected the minor premiership. After impressive Qualifying Final and Preliminary Final wins; 16-10 over former club Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and 32-8 over South Sydney Rabbitohs respectively, the Bulldogs were beaten in the Grand Final by the Melbourne Storm 14–4. At the 2012 Dally M Awards Hasler was named the NRL's coach of the year.

In the 2016 NRL Season Canterbury finished two places lower than the previous season as they finished in 7th place, the same position they managed to reach the Grand Final from two years earlier, but those hopes of a 2014 miracle repeat were crushed in the Qualifying-Elimination final where the Bulldogs after leading 6-4 at half-time but suffered a 28-12 defeat of the hands of the Penrith Panthers at the Sydney Football Stadium after which straight away Canterbury bowed out of the finals series.

On 19 September, it was announced by the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs that Hasler had been released.

As a player

NSWRFL/ARL Minor Premiership (3): 1987, 1995, 1996

NSWRFL/ARL Premiership (2): 1987, 1996

As a Coach

NRL Premiership (2): 2008, 2011

NRL Minor Premiership (1): 2012