Yesterday morning Des Hasler wasn’t sure if he was going to coach the Bulldogs next season, or move to the circling Dragons.
By day’s end, after a bizarre Bulldog board meeting, the under siege Hasler was retained, but Bulldog legend Steve Mortimer quit the board as a result.
How Hasler was ever put in that position by such a well-run club defies description.
He’s been Bulldogs coach for five seasons, and has always reached the finals.
In his first year 2012, the Bulldogs were minor premiers, but beaten in the decider 14-4 by Melbourne with Hasler winning the Dally M coach of the year award.
In 2013, the Bulldogs were beaten 22-6 by the Knights in the qualifying elimination final.
In 2014, Hasler coached the Bulldogs from seventh to reach the grand final, beating the Storm 28-4 in Melbourne, Manly 18-17 in extra time, and the Panthers 18-12 before going down to South Sydney 30-6. It was a stellar season.
In 2015, the Bulldogs bowed out 28-12 in the semis to the Roosters.
And this season, the Bulldogs led 6-4 at the break, but were mown down by the Panthers 28-12 in the qualifying eliminator.
Hardly shabby.
But Hasler has been accused by some board members of not understanding the Bulldogs culture, Mortimer went further saying the coach didn’t possess the club’s DNA, and he’d resign from the board if Hasler wasn’t sacked despite having a year to go on his contract.
Result – Hasler stays, Mortimer’s gone.
But I wonder how long Mortimer will be just one of the boys at Bulldog games?
Both Hasler and Mortimer are passionate, strong-willed competitors, but as Mortimer admits he talks too much – and that’s a fact of life.
But he’s the very essence of what the Bulldogs have been since the halcyon days of Peter ‘Bullfrog’ Moore. Moore was the Bulldog boss for a record 25 years from 1969 to 1995.
He was a superb administrator, always available for interviews or updating what was happening at Belmore – one of the finest sporting officials I’ve had the privilege to know and deal with at any time of the day or night.
In that quarter of a century he won four premierships in an era where the club was rightfully known as the Entertainers, playing brilliant rugby league.
And in the process Bullfrog set up the Bulldog culture of a family club on the field and in the stands – it was literally just that.
There were three Mortimers – Steve now 60, Peter 58, and Chris 57. Then there were three Hughes – Garry 64, Mark 62, and Graeme 60, and two of the club’s Kangaroos – Steve Folkes and Chris Anderson married Bullfrog daughters.
And Belmore was always full of parents with kids wearing the Bulldog jerseys.
Even today, the Bulldogs are fortunate to have a wise and dedicated chairman in Ray Dib.
He was always in Hasler’s court and when push turned to shove at last night’s board meeting it was Dib who won through.
His motto?
The club is bigger than anyone – the club comes first, the team second, and individuals are third.
And by individuals he means the chief exec Raelene Castle, Hasler, the board and himself.
So sanity won through last night with Des Hasler. In time sanity will win through with Steve Mortimer who would be well advised to zip it if the opportunity presents itself.(Click to Tweet)
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