Des Hasler is so far away from seeing out his coaching contract with the battling Bulldogs.
The once proud club is set to miss the 2017 finals and having the worst attack in the competition – averaging just 13 points per game – would almost completely rule out a late charge to the top eight.
As strange as some of Hasler’s press conferences is the fact they have the fourth-best defence in the competition. Next year cannot come soon enough for the long-suffering fans with the additions of the offloading ability of Aaron Woods, attacking general Kiwi Kieran Foran and Samoan international Nu Brown, who has been signed to play hooker and add creativity to a currently non-existent attack.
Hasler may not get to work with these new recruits, as he has reportedly been given an ultimatum to make the eight or seek employment elsewhere from a fed up Bulldogs board.
The Dogs run home is not the scariest, and it is still possible for the most loyal fans to believe that they can still pull off the unthinkable.
The start with the Knights this weekend then head into a bye – so there are four points surely?
You wouldn’t completely rule Newcastle out, but at Belmore, the Dogs should be registering their second win in eight matches.
However, the real problem awaits Hasler when his team travels to Brisbane after the bye week in Round 20 for a Thursday night clash with the Broncos.
The date will be July 20th and this could well be a date Hasler and Canterbury fans never forget.
The Wayne Bennett-coached Broncos will pose all sorts of problems for the Bulldogs and, like Brisbane have historically done at home late in a season since their inception in 1988, they could pile on maximum misery with a huge score.
This would heap massive pressure on the Bulldogs board and they could be forced to take swift action sooner than first thought.
Hasler would come under severe scrutiny and a scenario of Jim Dymock seeing the season out as caretaker coach is not that far-fetched.
The beauty of the NRL is its unpredictability, but you get the feeling if Hasler was a cat he’d almost certainly have used up eight of his lives.
A former Premiership-winning player and coach with the Manly Sea Eagles, Hasler has just the one life left at the Bulldogs and he is going to have to use it very wisely when he comes up against 17 bucking Broncos in two weeks’ time.
Otherwise, the Bulldogs board could be forced to seek a return from elsewhere in the coaching ranks as season 2017 looks to provide the club money for nothing with Hasler at the helm.
Percycutor
Roar Pro
Moses at 6 with an organising half back is his strength. Can't see him being a long term hooking option due to the defence required. Agree with Lee, I was more pointing to his attacking qualities he was bringing.
The Spectator
Guest
Re rucruitment calls, Perry and Tooves shouldn't have been there in the first place.
The Spectator
Guest
God!
Wild Eagle
Guest
For a teacher Des seems to struggle at times to get going when he speaks, hopefully he is ok. I had a good look at the Eagles recruitment for a three or four year period leading up to Barretts arrival and I don't know who was responsible but for those years they recruited virtually nobody who is now playing 1st grade at any club on a regular basis. Local players like the Turbos weren't recruited they were already there. Not one player in Manlys current roster was recruited more than 3 years ago. Talk of no room under the cap or whatever doesn't cut it because they did recruit some in demand young players but they were all in the end at best fringe 1st graders ........ enter Bozo!
The Spectator
Guest
Also mate, No Crusher, all the turncoats that left Manly with Des to the Dogs over the yrs have been pushed out, he arrived with 6 staff if I remember correctly, Crusher is the obvious big loss of this bunch, Des is smart In Some ways and now Crusher is gone looking dumb in others, I'm concerned about the way Des is speaking lately as well, too many blows to the head I'm thinking, his speech is getting worst and quiet possibly in decline the poor ol bugger!
Rob
Guest
You will also find that most points given up by the dogs was down Brenko Lee's side with Holland outside him which is why they both got dropped. Lee kept rushing out of the line creating the space. The biggest question is why isn't Zac Wolford mentioned when it comes to replacing Lichaa as he is a goal kicker as well. Reports said he was excellent in the off season not to mention he had some big games for Canberra last year. Instead we have to watch Dibs nephew run around trying to pass a ball. In all honesty i didn't mind Graham playing like a half back. He is sometimes better than our havles truthfully. Again they are both ball runners not organisers.
Percycutor
Roar Pro
You would have to go back to the Sydney Bulldogs of 1995 when they won the ARL Premiership with Terry Lamb and Craig Polla-Mounter in the halves !!!
Percycutor
Roar Pro
Some poor recruitment decisions both in and out. Ennis leaving was a huge loss. A lot of the competitive must-win attitude deserted the Dogs when he was released.
Percycutor
Roar Pro
Agreed.
observent nrl fan
Guest
Love my supercoach, and so does my mate who is a big dogs fan. For years hes been complaining about the dogs while I have looked at him in disgust saying mate you made the finals! (my team is the tigers), he points out the lack of direction, how players dont get dropped and the fact every press conference after a game is these words 'we lacked execution, we could of tidied up a few things, (nose whistle,nose whistle umm umm nose whistle). 1.Haslers ego is to big, 2. He plays Licha who offers nothing, and I mean nothing.. may as well off signed someone to just tackle for 80 mins cause thats all he does.. 3.Mbye is not a half. Frawley is, 4.Tony williams, Greg eastwood, lichaa, Holland? no dropping for average performances weekly. 5.same Game plan we all see and this includes journalist, foxsports and 9 commentators. 6. Aiden tolman resigned for 4 years! please!!! why! 7.no players under his watch have grown in talent, all have declined 8.Finucane at storm, tapau at tigers, Perrett at Manly, Lafai at dragons, and the biggest one is ENNIS WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SHARKS GRAND FINAL.. took me a while to realise but my friend is right... I enjoy watching dogs lose but they need a clean out starting from the top..
Percycutor
Roar Pro
Agreed. Watching the Dogs has been painful. Not one player is standing out on a week to week basis. Hasler hasn't even shifted players around enough to try to get different results. A ball playing lock forward would be the first thing a coach would inject in that current side. Not too mention a no.6 (Foran) but more importantly a no.7. Although Des did miss out twice on a big money offer to Luke Brooks.
Percycutor
Roar Pro
All the best would be a huge turn around. In your favour the Dogs run home isn't the toughest it could be. Good Luck
Percycutor
Roar Pro
I have to respectfully disagee StevenG. The Dogs have a solid roster that Hasler has compiled. He hasn't been able to perpetuate a successful winning game plan and it is now evident for all to see. He's in too deep to change. I believe the rot started years ago having his big forwards passing at the line. Playing James Graham as a half back. While that changed a little over recent times it's now led to the confused and muddled state they display on the field. All through the season he has stuck to the same side and has got the same results from very poor non-directional play. Needed an injection months ago of some attacking players, are there none below First Grade available? Statiscally their best attacking back is or was Brenko Lee, he hasn't been able to make the side. I'm a fan of Des but after 17 rounds of zero improvement his time is up at this club.
Percycutor
Roar Pro
I did read his payout (if required as a result of termination) is capped at $500,000 per season.
Wild Eagle
Guest
They've either recruited poorly or they are very poorly coached or a combination of both. Hasler is clearly responsible for the situation they are in. In his first couple of years at Manly he wasn't responsible for missing the finals, it was out of his control. His time at the dogs has seen a steady decline despite having everything basically running in his favor. It could be argued that Hasler is currently the worst coach in the comp.
Thomas C
Guest
A couple loses and it was knives out. A couple wins and everything was golden. In honesty, they've been playing horribly (deeply lacklustre) and the new troops don't make much difference if the strategy is bankrupt. I can't tell if the new troops will represent a change of style, or whether the theory is doubling down. As before I don't think one or two wins changes things. They need to make a decision about the distinction between signs of life versus papering over the cracks.
Rob
Guest
Name the last halves pairing the dogs have had that could actually kick long and smart? There is only so much a coach can teach but yet after how many years grub and mbye still can't kick even if their life depended on it. Hence Hasler makes them run on last play. People forget that Steve Mortimer highly endorsed the retention of Moses Mbye and said it was critical for them to re sign him and they did at 700k a year. The halves don't work well together. Grub has too much energy Mbye doesn't have enough. Coupled with the fact that Lichaa is Ray Dibs nephew as someone pointed out and this outline some of the problem dogs have. Hoppa goes half pace at everything. Brett Morris or even Brad Abbey should be fullback as they always go hard for the ball. There is only so much you can coach and i feel Gus Gould (hate to admit it) was right with his article saying they are over coached now. He has simplified the game plan so much to allow for the lack pf quality kicking and the fact that some of the players didn't work out to be all that.
Johnybulldog
Guest
Mr Foran says Des isn't going anywhere,there always has to be a loser,unfortunately my boys are going bad at the moment but mark my words,we'll come good gents.Go the mighty Doggies!
souvalis
Guest
It's a top 6 roster that's playing like a spoon candidate..Jackson Klemmer Graham Elliot Tolman..rep or rep level...ditto in the backs..Morris boys Mbye and grub both on rep level money Hoppa..playing the same old drab football,not playing to their optimal ability is definitely about the coach..tomorrow could well be the last straw..
steveng
Roar Rookie
The Dogs roster isn't much to write home about, the Dogs have had plenty of injuries and its culminated to what it is today. Can't blame everything on the coach.