Tony Williams says he owes Canterbury coach Des Hasler a big performance in Sunday’s NRL final for standing by him when he was struggling last year.
Williams was first signed by two-time premiership-winning coach Hasler for Manly from Parramatta in 2008 and turned him from a bulldozing winger into a damaging and skilful back-rower.
After moving to the Bulldogs in 2011, Hasler persuaded Williams to follow him across to Belmore for the start of the 2013 campaign.
But he was heavily criticised for making little impact in a Bulldogs shirt and was subsequently dropped by both NSW and Australia.
Despite this, Hasler remained unwavering in his support and Williams said he wouldn’t want to play under any other coach.
“He’s an amazing guy and I owe a lot to him,” Williams told AAP.
“I reckon he is the best coach in the game. Regardless. I first went to see him in 2008 and liked him straight away.
“He is a real passionate guy. He has a lot of pride in what he does and he’s everything you want from a coach.
“I remember being quite scared of him that first time, and to be honest he still scares me now.”
Victory over South Sydney would in Sunday’s decider would be the finest achievement of Hasler coaching career.
No team in NRL history has ever won after finishing outside of the top-four, with Chris Anderson’s 1995 Canterbury side the last team to do it from fifth spot.
The Bulldogs finished seventh and had to beat Melbourne at AAMI Park then see off top-four finishers Manly and Penrith to reach the final.
But Williams said Hasler’s in his element come September-time and claimed there’s no man better at preparing a team for finals football.
“He just has the ability to know how to get the best out of players. He knows footy, he really does,” he said.
“He will try his best to help you any way he can. Not just on the field, but off the field too.
“Just look at his first year at the Bulldogs they were unlucky not to win the premiership.
“We had a tough year last year with a few off-field dramas but look what he has done this year in getting us back up there.
“It’s a really hard thing for a coach to turn things around so quickly and get the balance right.
“I get asked all the time by players from other clubs ‘what’s Des like’? and I tell them, he’s a great coach and a great man.”
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