NRL: Hasler to pursue Dogs in court

Sacked Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has filed a $2.4m damages claim against the NRL club in the NSW Supreme Court.

Sacked Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has filed a $2.4m damages claim against the NRL club

Des Hasler’s lawyer insists the two-time premiership winning coach has been forced to pursue Canterbury through the legal system because the Bulldogs have shown no interest in settling their dispute in the weeks since his sacking.

Dan McGirr this week launched a damages claim on behalf of Hasler in the NSW Supreme Court, seeking the $2.4 million they believe he is owed as part of an agreement to extend his contract by a further two seasons.

Only months after they announced they had secured Hasler on a new deal, the Bulldogs dismissed him without any compensation, suggesting the previous deal was only a heads of agreement and therefore not binding. Hasler will now test those claims through the courts.

“We’ve been forced into a position due to the silence of the Bulldogs,” McGirr told The Australian. “We were hoping it could have been resolved away from the public spotlight and they have shown no interest. Our client’s future has been impaired by the calculated conduct of the Bulldogs and that in itself is regrettable.”

Revelations of the court action highlight how damaged Hasler’s relationship had become with key club officials during his final days in charge. Despite taking the Dogs to two grand finals, Hasler was sacked after missing the finals for the first time since his inaugural season at Manly in 2004.

The outcome of the legal dispute could have significant ramifications for the club and its board. While the financial hit would be easily overcome given the Bulldogs have the backing of the powerful Canterbury Leagues Club, a large payout would be a public relations disaster for the football board in the lead-up to elections in February.

Chairman Ray Dib and his board were already facing a challenge following a disappointing season, although they had taken significant steps to mitigate the damage and shore up support by appointing former Canterbury forward Dean Pay as Hasler’s replacement.

Dib had also worked his magic to get the club under the salary cap, clearing the way for the NRL to register the contracts of big-name recruits Kieran Foran and Aaron Woods.

The suspicion from the Hasler camp was that the board had also sought to avoid a payout to their former coach as a way to gain support from the football club’s members, many of whom had become disenchanted with the club during the Hasler regime.

That decision now threatens to backfire with the prospect that the Bulldogs may be forced to pay a multimillion-dollar damages claim. Hasler has maintained his silence since his dismissal but he may be called on to give evidence as part of the legal proceedings.

So could Dib and former CEO Raelene Castle, who left the club following the season. Her replacement, Andrew Hill, is due to start at the conclusion of the World Cup and he could yet walk into a club in the middle of a legal dispute with its former coach.

Hasler, who is likely to pursue opportunities elsewhere in coaching, was among those mooted as a replacement for Laurie Daley at the helm of the Blues but it would be a major shock if that position didn’t fall to Brad Fittler when the NSW Rugby League board meets on Friday.