Des Hasler said he could rattle off a long list of excuses but he won’t go there after Manly’s sixth straight loss only adds fuel to the fire of speculation surrounding his tenure.
Canberra surged into the top eight to strengthen their finals chances romped to a 48-6 rout on Saturday afternoon at GIO Stadium to jump ahead of Brisbane on for and against heading into next week’s final round.
Manly are 11th after plummeting out of playoff contention after seven of their players boycotted a home game against the Roosters – they have not won a match since.
Hasler has one season left on his contract – he could have had a 2024 clause activated if Manly had made the finals – and despite missing several key players to injury, including Tom and Jake Trbojevic and winger Jason Saab, the effort put in at Canberra by the team was slightly above NSW Cup level.
“We’re just not up to it at the moment – parts of the game that build pressure, staying in the game, being patient. From one aspect it’s a good learning curve but it’s a situation that it’s not good being in,” Hasler said.
“It’s not enjoyable, we don’t want to be here long.
“We’ve got players playing out of position, we can have a list of excuses this long but we’re not going to go there.”
If the Raiders win next Sunday against the last-placed Tigers at Leichhardt, they are all but certain to qualify for the post-season unless Brisbane rack up a huge win over the Dragons at Kogarah on Saturday night.
Canberra now enjoy a 43-point differential lead over the Broncos, who have copped successive thumpings at the hands of Melbourne and Parramatta.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
“It was probably our best performance for the longest period,” said Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. “Every individual contributed to that performance, it was a high standard.
“To win at this back end of the season, fighting for a spot in the eight, it’s exactly what we need. Everybody weighing in.
“There was a lot of disruption adn that’s not an excuse. I said it before every season, I don’t want any good luck but I just don’t want any bad luck. It’s very evident how crucial it is when you’re missing one of the fine hookers in the game for a season in Josh Hodgson and then Jamal [Fogarty], our No.1 seven is out for 12 weeks I think it was, it’s massive.
“We had a whole pre-season with those boys and then there was no cohesion coming into game one. A lot of football teams wouldn’t be where they are today if it happened to them. They were very resilient towards the adversity. They’re a tough bunch.”
If you ever wonder why wingers score so many tries, it’s because they’re defended by wingers.
Canberra veteran Jordan Rapana opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he sprinted onto a cut-out pass from Jack Wighton while his opposing winger Christian Tuipulotu came in on the wrong player, stumbled, tumbled and did nothing as his opponent flew past.
Wighton backed up a break from Hudson Young to send Xavier Savage over in the 14th minute and at 10-0 down, alarm bells were ringing in the Sea Eagles’ nest.
Young bagged a four-pointer of his own, the back-rower’s 10th for the year, when he collected a bomb that batted back by Seb Kris and when Tom Starling finished off some clever lead-up work from Rapana and Kris, it was 22-0.
Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty collected a ricochet from another Wighton kick, it was 28-0 in as many minutes and it should have been 34-0 at the break but for a fumble by Starling with the line wide open after a Fogarty break.
Young rectified that situation when he barged through a flimsy three-man tackle from dummy half before Manly finally registered a try via Ethan Bullemor in the 62nd minute.
“I think if he keeps playing like this, it’s going to be hard to hold him out,” said Stuart when asked about Young’s World Cup chances. “I know Mal [Meninga] is a fan of his but he’s been consistent all season and I am biased but absolutely he should be picked in that squad. He’s just a footy nut. He loves it every day, I’d love nothing more than to see his name read out at the end of the season.”
Canberra kept piling on the points to boost their differential with tries to Albert Hopoate, Kris and Corey Harawira-Naera as the Sea Eagles looked like they gave up.
Yet again, it looked like Manly had no pride in their jersey.
Bernie
Roar Rookie
This would be the contributor otherwise known as Black Sheep wouldn’t it? wondering when you would reappear......
WBGL
Guest
Des has a big job ahead of him next year. He needs at least one if not two forwards that are 'hard nosed' and 'hard working', and he needs a centre and a winger, otherwise, it will be a repeat of this year. Manly, for some reason, don't have the development teams coming through with quality players. I don't know why they let Davey go, he's been one of the most consistent and hard working forwards, up there with Jake. They should have some money with Tapau and Walker leaving (why you'd let Walker go given his experience and impact off the bench is perplexing). 2023 I fear will be another tough year for Des.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I'd be interested to hear how many of the pitchfork mob who came down on Brett Stewart before the trial ever did the right thing and sent him a written apology?
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Penngate
Birdy
Roar Rookie
If I were a manly supporter I'd be demanding the NRL take the license off Penn. How could anyone justify blaming the 7.
Tez
Roar Rookie
I'm not sure there is a lot that Des Hasler can do to right the ship right now ..... tis a bit late season wise to tell the players to take a week off and get their heads right. BBQgate in 2021 and Pridegate in 2022 .... both divided the teams and have delivered similar results.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
You rest your brain lemming!
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Yes they are all Pacific Islanders.
John Neeson
Guest
Sack the 7 immediately. Suffer through a tough couple of years rebuilding the Manly culture then come back stronger. The whole Manly community suffers with the 7 in the club. Maybe sell them off to Wayne.
Where are the Clowns
Guest
Jabbed to the eyeballs I see. I rest my case your honour.
Womblat
Guest
If you are referring to PM Sogavare he's from the Solomon Islands, and there are no players from there in the NRL. But it's only one step further to get to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. Today 45% of NRL players are of Pasifika heritage, so maybe you make a fair point.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
And don’t forget the idiots like Paul Kent who practically had Brett Stewart behind bars in ‘09. Two years later he scored in a winning Grand Final side, straight after which Dessie going to the Dogs was the end too. It’s always the same old crap from the same old crap merchants
NSWelshman
Roar Rookie
Yawn zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Ohh you’re still rambling zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Sensational media reporting on the jersey gate debacle could not of helped the manly playing squad either. The blame as I understand it lays at the feet of the owner Scott Penn.He did not care to let the coaching staff let alone the players know about the jersey switch and then like a coward hang Hassler out to dry and face the media alone. Not to mention all forms of media stepping in with their view of religious hypocrisy and verging on racial attacks on the players concerned. Not to mention providing more ammunition for PM Sogiero to turn on Australia and the west and jump further into bed with the CCP.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
As I said at the end of last season , any team can improve their defence in the off season and the Cows and Sharks have proven that this season. Manly did have some improvement this season and looked on track for the 8 if not the 4. The wheels fell off for various reasons and the Fainu guilty verdict didn't help either. It was a big blow to the club.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
It's funny how the biggest whiners were doing exactly the same thing back in the mid 2000 and declaring all sorts of doom and gloom unless we got rid of this player or that coach or owner. The same clowns were happy to back slap the same people they were bagging the hell out of when they beat the Storm 40 to zippo a few years later in the big one.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
How do you, a brainless twerp, assume to know what anyone else thinks?… stick to what you know peanut, chanting your spoon fed mantras and getting off on your conspiracy theories on YouTube
Where are the Clowns
Guest
Sorry , but you can't deflect your mainstream brainwashing onto the awake members of society. You will jump on which ever bandwagon you are instructed to without questioning its real objectives, and that's why you are a sheep. You'd be jabbed to the eyeballs I bet , ya did it without questioning the validity of the request, and now information is starting to flow freely about the dubious and dangerous nature of the jab roll out, yet you will never admit it was a poor decision on your behalf , you will always deflect , because you have been trained to do so. You'd also be lapping up the climate change narrative, and all the other sensationalism promoted by the MSM . That is a sheep , not someone that recognises that the majority of information being delivered by the media is a false narrative being by delivered stealth to benefit corporations and government to promote an agenda. Baaaaa Baaaaaaa
TEC
Guest
A deeply unhappy team.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Des has had an awful year but most of that has been outside of his control. He’s a tough bugger Des, he’ll be back