NRL 2021: Q&A with Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler

Not usually one to reveal much, Des Hasler has bucked the trend and dropped a series of hot predictions on Manly rookies.

Des Hasler’s Sea Eagles missed the finals in 2020 – and it stung.

In a season like no other, it was extra disappointing for the club as they battled through injury and form slumps to limp into 13th with just seven wins on the board.

Hasler offered his time for our Coaching Clipboard series to speak about Tom Trbojevic’s injury, what Jason Saab will bring to the club, and bristled at questions about a new recruit.

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The COVID impacted season was a tough one for the Sea Eagles and coach Des Hasler. Picture: AAP

Dean Ritchie: How is Tommy Turbo’s hamstring injury progressing?

Des Hasler: We have covered the country – far and wide – (for medical assistance) which was difficult during COVID. He has worked really hard with (club doctor) Nathan Gibbs and the HP (High Performance) unit. We’re confident where he’s at and how he is progressing. You’re never going to solve soft tissue injuries but we need to manage it everywhere, and that’s managing it more so from a players’ point of view and a HP point of view. The education has been vast on that.

The stats are emphatic, Des. When he doesn’t play, Manly struggles.

Last year we had a back-up player, Brendon Elliot, but then we lost the back-up player to injury. It’s something you have to constantly manage. We have made sure we have covered depth in a lot of areas. We will be without Tom for at least three games through Origin. You’d think he would be a walk-up start. We need contingency plans, which we have.

Will Turbo start next season?

He will.

Kieran Foran is back in Sea Eagles colours. Picture: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

How has new recruit Kieran Foran settled back in?

He has settled in well and is really comfortable at the club. He is happy with the surroundings but this is a different Kieran Foran. That’s all I’m going to say.

Des, what does that mean?

I’m not going to elaborate anymore.

Can you at least tell you where you might play Foran?

No, I’m going into that, Dean. All I will say is that he’s a versatile player who can cover a number of positions but let’s not go into that.

Who would be favourite to start at five-eighth – Foran or Dylan Walker?

I haven’t decided. And you’ve left out Josh Schuster. He is an outstanding talent. He will grow and grow. And he has some mentors here in Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans. He will lean on them.

What will new buy Jason Saab bring to the club?

Jason Saab has joined the club from the Dragons. Picture: Brett Hemmings/Getty Images

He is very promising athletically and a promising winger, which is an area where we probably needed to build some depth. He is a player that I think can play a number of positions, not just wing, which is his main focus, but further down the track, I wouldn’t be surprised if he spans his horizons and playing fullback isn’t beyond him. But primarily we have bought him to play wing.

In the forwards, you’ve lost Joel Thompson and Addin Fonua-Blake. They’ll be difficult to replace.

Both players have so many positive characteristics along with Joel’s experience. We have recruited Andrew Davey (from Parramatta), plus the current experience of Curtis Sironen and Jack Gosiewski. We then have young players like Haumole Olakau’atu and Ben Trbojevic. We’ve got a good coverage of experience and youth.

Do you expect Ben Trbojevic to debut this coming year?

He is in the top 30. Anyone in the top 30 can play NRL.

Rookie forwards Taniela Paseka and Sean Keppie continue to mature and improve.

Paseka and Keppie really grew during last season. They really stepped up because of all of our injuries.

Josh Aloiai has made the move from the Tigers. Picture: Grant Trouville

You endured an horrendous injury toll last season and that, in part, was a reason why you missed the finals.

Missing the finals, it doesn’t sit easy. We were in the hunt until around Rounds 17 or 18 but we just didn’t consolidate. We let games go. It’s quite easy to blame injuries and by the end of the season we had 13 NRL players on the sidelines. But you’ve got to be able to cover such areas. Other sides had injuries and made the finals. The difference was the injuries were either season-ending or long-term, like Turbo and Dylan Walker, who were out for 15, 16 weeks. Moses Suli had a season-ending injury but we should be able to facilitate that.

You’ve also nabbed Josh Aloiai from Wests Tigers.

While we’ve lost Thompson and Fonua-Blake, we have been able to pick up Aloiai. I’m not going to elaborate.

What will Aloiai bring?

That’s been overdone. All good? Done.

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Originally published as NRL 2021: Q&A with Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler