Former premiership-winning captain Jamie Lyon backs Des Hasler to make Manly great again

A RELENTLESS work ethic with intense eye for detail, sure. But an empathetic leader with a great sense of humour? Former Sea Eagles great Jamie Lyon spills on what makes Des Hasler the right man for Manly, again.

Jamie Lyon knows what makes his former boss tick.

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IT’S about as great an endorsement as any former NRL player can give a past coach: “Everyone who has played under him has always loved Des.”

And with that, Manly’s last premiership-winning captain Jamie Lyon declared Des Hasler won’t rest until the wily old coach finds “an edge” to make the Sea Eagles great again.

While admitting he was disappointed to see Trent Barrett go down in the crossfire that divided the club this year, Lyon was adamant Hasler was a smart choice to bring everyone at Manly back together.

Jamie Lyon knows what makes his former boss tick.

“I think it is a good move,” Lyon told The Daily Telegraph from his new home base on the NSW far north coast.

“He has been around the club a long time and he knows the ins and outs.

“He is a good operator and he surrounds himself with good staff. And he is always looking for an edge.

“He is not happy to sit on his hands and just let it happen. He will look outside the box. He will give everyone a say. At the end of the day he will make a decision.

“But he is adaptable.”

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler chats with Jamie Lyon during training at the Sydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen. NRL/

Often portrayed as intense and with a relentless work ethic, Lyon reckons behind closed doors the reason players “loved” Hasler was in no small part because of his sense of humour and ability to read their mood.

“Don’t worry, we were confused a lot of the time, too,” Lyon laughed. “But he is a good fella and he is very funny.

“A lot of people don’t know that he has got a wicked sense of humour and he can surprise you too which is good.

“I remember we had a big game coming up at one point, everyone was a little bit on edge.

“Anyway, we were getting ready to do video and he has come in dancing and singing and carrying on and right then everyone started laughing their heads off.

“Everyone who has played under him has always loved Des. And I have no doubt he still would have that nous about him.”

Manly is a different club now. (Mark Evans/Getty Images)

After finishing second last on the ladder this year, the pressure will be on Hasler immediately.

While a big part of Barrett’s demise related to his concerns about lack of resources, chairman Scott Penn has already declared he wants to see Manly challenging for a top four spot every season.

Under Hasler, Manly made the finals for seven straight seasons between 2005 and 2011 and Lyon played five of those years, winning titles in 2008 and 2011 as captain.

Lyon reckons he can see similarities in the squad now to when he first arrived in 2007.

Can Hasler build another premiership-winning roster? (Matt King/Getty Images)

“By the time I got there we had a good crew,” Lyon recalled. “We had the Stewart boys (Glenn and Brett), Stevie Matai and Anthony Watmough. It was the nucleus of a good team.

“And there were a few old heads. Beaver (Steve Menzies) was there, Matty Orford and Steve Bell.

“Des probably wasn’t as polished when I first got there as he was towards the end but we just improved every year. I reckon he will do well again.

“I really liked Baz as a coach too. It is just unfortunate that they didn’t play too well this year.

“But the year before they played really well and weren’t too far out of the big games (when finishing sixth). I hope Baz kicks on and gets another job.

“But it is good that Des is back in.”

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Originally published as Former premiership-winning captain Jamie Lyon backs Des Hasler to make Manly great again