Des Hasler facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Desmond John Hasler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 February 1961 Gosford, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 79 kg (12 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Halfback, Lock, Hooker, Five-eighth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information
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As of 7 April 2024
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Desmond John Hasler (born 16 February 1961) is a famous Australian rugby league coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Gold Coast Titans team in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Des Hasler mostly played as a halfback. He started his playing career with the Penrith Panthers. He then spent most of his time playing for the Manly Sea Eagles. With Manly, he won two major championships in 1987 and 1996. He also played for a team in England called Hull FC for one season. After that, he returned to Manly before finishing his playing days with the Western Suburbs Magpies. Des also played for representative teams like NSW City, New South Wales in State of Origin games, and for Australia at an international level.
After his playing career, Hasler became a coach. He coached Manly from 2004 to 2011, leading them to win two more championships in 2008 and 2011. He then coached the Canterbury Bulldogs in the NRL. Later, he returned to coach Manly again from 2019 until the end of the 2022 season.
Contents
Early Life and Junior Footy
Des Hasler was born in Gosford, a town in New South Wales, Australia. When he was younger, he played junior rugby league for local clubs like Cambridge Park and Brothers Penrith. He also went to St Dominic's College in Penrith.
Des Hasler's Playing Career
Des Hasler started his professional rugby league career with the Penrith Panthers in 1982. However, he soon moved to the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. He only played 12 games for Penrith before Manly's coach, Bob Fulton, noticed him. Fulton was looking for a strong defensive halfback and offered Hasler a chance to play for Manly in 1984.
Playing for Australia
Des made his first appearance for Australia in 1985 against New Zealand. He was known as a "utility player," meaning he could play many different positions. This made him a valuable player, often chosen to come off the bench in important games. He played 13 State of Origin matches for New South Wales. He also played in 12 test and World Cup matches for Australia between 1985 and 1991.
Des Hasler was chosen for two "Kangaroo Tours" to Great Britain and France in 1986 and 1990. These tours were a big deal for Australian rugby league players. On these tours, he played in various positions, showing how versatile he was.
Winning Championships with Manly
After the 1993 season, Des played for Hull F.C. in England for a short time. He then came back to the Manly club for the 1995 and 1996 seasons. In 1996, Manly had a fantastic year. They won their second straight minor championship and then beat St. George 20–8 in the Grand Final. This win gave Des his second and final championship as a player.
After playing 257 games for Manly over 12 seasons, Des moved to the Western Suburbs Magpies for the 1997 season. He played 21 games for them in different positions before he retired from playing at the end of that season.
Des Hasler's Coaching Career
Coaching the Manly Sea Eagles
In 2004, Des Hasler became the head coach of the Manly Sea Eagles. He quickly led the team to the semi-finals in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In 2007, Manly finished second in the NRL but lost the Grand Final to the Melbourne Storm.
However, in 2008, Des coached Manly to a huge 40–0 victory over the Melbourne Storm in the NRL Grand Final. This was a record-breaking win! In 2008, he was even named the Rugby League International Federation's Coach of the Year.
In 2009, Manly won the World Club Challenge with Des as coach. He led Manly to the finals again in 2009 and 2010. On August 13, 2011, he coached his 200th first-grade game, which Manly won.
In 2011, Manly finished second on the NRL ladder again. They went on to win the 2011 NRL Grand Final, making it Des's second championship as a coach. After this big win, Des decided to coach the Canterbury Bulldogs starting in 2013. He was initially going to coach Manly for one more year, but the Manly board decided to let him go earlier in November 2011.
Coaching the Canterbury Bulldogs
Des Hasler started coaching the Canterbury Bulldogs in November 2011 for the 2012 NRL season. He had immediate success, leading the team to finish at the top of the ladder and win the minor premiership. The Bulldogs made it to the Grand Final but were beaten by the Melbourne Storm 14–4. Des was named the NRL's Coach of the Year at the 2012 Dally M Awards.
In the 2014 NRL season, Des led Canterbury to another Grand Final, but they lost to South Sydney 30–6. In 2016, Canterbury finished seventh, but they were knocked out of the finals by the Penrith Panthers.
On September 19, 2017, the Canterbury Bulldogs announced that Des Hasler would no longer be their coach. Later, Des and the Bulldogs reached an agreement about his contract, allowing both sides to move forward.
Return to Manly Sea Eagles
On October 22, 2018, Des Hasler was announced as the new head coach for Manly again, starting in the 2019 season. Many people thought Manly would struggle that year, but Des surprised everyone. The team spent most of the season in the top 8 and made it to the finals. Manly reached the second week of the finals but lost to South Sydney.
In the 2020 NRL season, Manly finished 13th and did not make the finals. The 2021 NRL season started slowly for Manly, with three losses. However, they then won 16 of their next 21 games, finishing in the top 4 and qualifying for the finals. Manly made it to the preliminary final but were defeated by South Sydney. In the 2022 NRL season, Manly finished 11th. On October 13, 2022, Des Hasler's time as Manly's head coach ended.
Coaching the Gold Coast Titans
On June 22, 2023, it was announced that Des Hasler would become the new head coach of the Gold Coast Titans, starting in 2024. His first season with the Titans in the 2024 NRL season began with six losses. However, he earned his first win in round 8 against the New Zealand Warriors.
In round 16, Des guided the Gold Coast to a massive 66–6 victory over the New Zealand Warriors. This was the club's biggest-ever win and the largest victory by a team that was last on the ladder in the history of Australian top-flight rugby league. In his first season, Des led the Gold Coast to a 14th-place finish.
In July 2025, Des Hasler announced that he would be retiring from coaching at the end of the current season. In round 21 of the 2025 NRL season, Des coached his 500th first-grade game. In that game, the Gold Coast team, who were at the bottom of the ladder, upset New Zealand with a 24-16 win.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
- NSWRL / ARL Premiership: 1987, 1996
- NSWRL / ARL Minor Premiership: 1987, 1995, 1996
As a Coach
- NRL Premiership: 2008, 2011
- NRL Minor Premiership: 2012
Images for kids
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Des Hasler coaching the Gold Coast Titans.
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Des Hasler with his assistant coach Jim Dymock.
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Des Hasler on duty with Manly in 2021.
