Des Hasler begins legal action against Bulldogs over sacking
DES Hasler’s exit from Canterbury has turned ugly with the former coach filing documents in the Supreme Court accusing the club of breaching its contract by sacking him.
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LAWYERS for Des Hasler today lodged a statement of claim in the NSW Supreme Court, insisting the Bulldogs breached their contract with the coach by sacking him.
The claim, worth $2.4 million, comes just two months after Hasler was booted from Belmore.
Canterbury publicly spruiked Hasler’s two-year contract extension via a press release back in April but ousted him after the club’s 2017 season came to a dismal end.
Hasler, who was contracted at Belmore to the end of 2017, reached an agreement to stay on as Bulldogs coach to the end of 2019 for an estimated $1.2 million a season.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Bulldogs confirmed they had received the court documents and chairman Ray Dib said the club would defend the matter.
“This week the club received court documents filed by Des Hasler’s lawyers. The club intends to defend the matter. Given that the matter is now before the courts, it is not appropriate for any further comment to be made by the club regarding the dispute,” said Dib in a statement.
The Canterbury board’s decision to about-face and sack Hasler without pay angered the premiership-winning coach, with The Daily Telegraph on September 24 revealing Hasler’s legal team was ready to take matters to court.
That team, led by Sydney lawyer Daniel McGirr, will claim that a binding contract was made in April between both parties for the premiership-winning coach to lead the Bulldogs for the 2018 and 2019 season.
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The claim is for a breach of the two-year contract, which is understood to be worth close to $2.4 million - or $1.2 million per season.
The figure does not include damages, interest and costs.
McGirr indicated in September that legal action was inevitable.
“Our client’s position is clear, in April 2017 Mr Hasler entered into a binding and enforceable contract, being a Heads of Agreement, with the Canterbury Football Club,’’ McGirr said.
“We have obtained advice from a QC who has confirmed that position.
“In light of the recent unprompted statements made by the club we have notified the club of our client’s position and have advised them that we will be instituting proceedings in the Supreme Court to seek damages should this matter not be resolved quickly.
“This would of course be regrettable but our client, it seems, is left with no alternative.’’
Dib was adamant the club had no case to answer, stating emphatically that Hasler had never signed a contract extension so the expiration of the existing agreement back in October was valid.
Canterbury have until December 1 to respond to the statement of claim.
It is still hoped mediation between the two parties may resolve the matter before it ends up in the courts.
Hasler was sacked following a dreadful campaign with Canterbury that resulted in them missing the finals for the first time under his leadership.
It was the first time Hasler had failed to guide his team to the finals since his first season with Manly in 2004.
Hasler had previously guided the club to the 2012 and 2014 grand finals and won premierships with Manly in 2008 and 2011.
Along with Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett, Hasler is one of the few men to have guided a team to multiple premierships in the NRL era.
He and Brian Smith are the only two men of the last 20 years to have coached multiple clubs to grand finals.