Manly Sea Eagles an NRL force again thanks to Des Hasler
Despite the coach’s best intentions, there is no concealing Manly’s premiership quality anymore. And the Sea Eagles’ rise is entirely down to Des Hasler’s ability to get the best out of each of his players, writes MATTY JOHNS.
Opinion
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Des Hasler must be furious with his team.
Hasler is a coach who likes to, as he says it, “Fly under the radar,” but his Manly boys just keep playing too well.
Last week at his press conference Des was at pains to explain that, “There’s only three teams who can win this competition.”
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The problem was while most of the journos probably believed him, his team don’t.
As the Sea Eagles landed at Sydney airport last Sunday, after their win in Melbourne, they were officially on the radar.
Manly are no longer viewed as a side punching above their weight, this is a serious football team.
What Dessie has done has been remarkable — each individual in that team has improved, some dramatically.
Last year, Moses Suli’s career appeared as though it was about to end before it ever really got started. Under Hasler, Suli is realising his potential, his transformation has been startling.
On arriving back at Brookvale, Des zeroed in on Suli, giving him the individual love and attention that many young players crave.
Des gave him the motivation to work hard and the information on what he needed to put in to his body to get the most out of it.
That’s the beauty of Des, he’s a player’s coach.
In the business of modern rugby league, some coaches lose their warmth under the pressure of it all.
Their whole sense of coaching lies in game plans, structure, ball work, clever buzz words, players don’t quite understand, and as a result, they grow distant from the young men they coach. The attention to detail is the attention the coach gives to the individual player.
Rugby league is not a game of chess, players are not soulless pawns.
Curtis Sironen, Rueben Garrick, Brad Parker and Manase Fainu are all players who have improved dramatically under Hasler.
But Des also has his key men firing: Daly Cherry-Evans and the brothers Trbojevic.
The evolution of Jake Trbojevic has been absolutely crucial to how this side works.
The loss of Kieran Foran, a number of years ago, had a big effect on Cherry-Evans. He plays his most effective football when he is running and reacting, rather than planning and directing.
The absence of a dominant halves partner forced Daly away from his strengths, and this was a problem, not just for him, but the Manly team.
But Jake’s evolving as a ball player and shot-caller has given Daly the player he needs alongside him.
In the middle third of the field Jake is Manly’s primary ball handler, as he was in Brad Fittler’s NSW Origin campaign.
The older Trbojevic brother is a brilliant decision maker, knowing when to pass and when to take the bruise. This allows DCE to pick and choose his moments based off visual opportunity.
And what’s left to say about Tom Trbojevic?
While Jake brings leadership and direction, Tom brings phenomenal attacking talent and instincts.
Tom is still undefeated in 2019, because every side he plays in grows 10 feet in confidence, simply by him being there.
He put on a masterclass against Parramatta two weeks ago. But what impressed me the most was the nature of the breaks he made. It wasn’t through pure athleticism, it was smarts. Subtle little ruck plays that were pre-organised with his dummy-half and playmakers.
That’s what made Billy Slater a champion — a player who could dominate through pure athletic ability, but on top of that, elevated himself even further by having an appreciation and understanding of the subtleties.
But if the common theme at Manly is improvement, then you must talk about the coach himself.
The year off has served Des well.
You see, when Des coaches he’s all in and more.
I used to live just a few doors down from the Haslers.
The day after Manly’s 40-0 grand final victory over the Storm in 2008, I ran into Des’ wife, Chris, and congratulated her on the big win. I asked if Des was still out celebrating with the team. She rolled her eyes and replied, “No Matt, he’s at the office doing the video.”
That kind of commitment can burn you out and you can see the difference in Des’ coaching after a year away from the bear pit.
Saturday will be another chapter in the great rivalry of Newcastle and Manly.
For the Sea Eagles, it’s important because it can push them into the top four, but for the Knights, it’s a must win, they must arrest this slide which has seen them go from a top four hopeful, to a team on a knife’s edge.