Des 'Sorry' Hasler

Coaching Career

Vital Statistics

Nickname(s)
Sorry
Born
Thursday, 16th February, 1961
Current Age
63 years and 41 days
Place Of Birth
Gosford, New South Wales, Australia

Awards & Accolades

Dally M Lock Of The Year
1991
RLIF Coach Of The Year
2008, 2011
Dally M Coach Of The Year
2012

Biography

Penrith junior was one of the fittest, most whole-hearted players in the history of the Manly club. A clever, hard-working halfback, Hasler's career stalled at Penrith through lack of opportunity and he considered retirement to concentrate on a career as a professional runner. A teacher, he was working on the North Shore when he decided to trial with Manly in 1984 (one of the boys in his class happened to be the son of Bob Fulton). His league career quickly took off and, in 1985, he made his Test debut against NZ in Australia's shock Third Test loss. It was his utility value that gained him a place on the 1986 and 1990 Kangaroo tours, playing half, five-eighth, centre and lock. A member of Manly's grand final team that beat Canberra in 1987, Hasler took over from Greg Alexander as the number one halfback in the final two Tests on the Australian tour of NZ in 1989. Hasler played against NZ in 1991 (again as a reserve) and his 12 Test appearances against all nations reflects his immense value at national level. In 1993 he left Manly to play for Hull in England but returned to Australia midway through the following season and was promptly re-signed by the Sea Eagles. He was first used as a hooker after his return and played in two grand final appearances with the club in 1995-96. He was not offered a new contract after Manly’s win over St George in the 1996 grand final and feeling that he still had something to offer, played one final season with Wests. After his retirement, Hasler again linked with the Manly club as a development officer before taking on the role of First Division coach in 2001. In 2004 he succeeded Peter Sharp as first grade coach and took the club back into the finals in consecutive seasons (2005-06). Interestingly Hasler's 1993 biography, The Utility Player, was written by Booker Prize-winning author Thomas Keneally.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Coaching Career Statistics

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Competitions

Competition   Games W L D Win %  
NRL 461 258 202 1 55.97% List
NRL Finals 30 16 14 0 53.33% List
World Club Challenge 1 1 0 0 100.00% List
NRL Pre-Season 2 0 2 0 0.00% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season Games W L D Win %  
Manly NRL 2004 24 9 15 0 37.50% List
Manly NRL 2005 25 12 13 0 48.00% List
Manly NRL 2006 26 14 12 0 53.85% List
Manly NRL 2007 27 20 7 0 74.07% List
Manly NRL 2008 27 20 7 0 74.07% List
Manly NRL 2009 25 14 11 0 56.00% List
Manly NRL 2010 25 12 13 0 48.00% List
Manly NRL 2011 27 21 6 0 77.78% List
Canterbury NRL 2012 27 20 7 0 74.07% List
Canterbury NRL 2013 25 13 12 0 52.00% List
Canterbury NRL 2014 28 16 12 0 57.14% List
Canterbury NRL 2015 26 15 11 0 57.69% List
Canterbury NRL 2016 25 14 11 0 56.00% List
Canterbury NRL 2017 24 10 14 0 41.67% List
Manly NRL 2019 26 15 11 0 57.69% List
Manly NRL 2020 20 7 13 0 35.00% List
Manly NRL 2021 27 17 10 0 62.96% List
Manly NRL 2022 24 9 15 0 37.50% List
Gold Coast NRL 2024 3 0 2 1 0.00% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years Games W L D Win %  
Manly 2004-11, 2019-22 303 170 133 0 56.11% List
Canterbury 2012-17 155 88 67 0 56.77% List
Gold Coast 2024 3 0 2 1 0.00% List
Overall2004-2024 461 258 202 1 55.97% List

Your Say

  • Grant Ottey
    06/09/2014

    Des Hasler one of my all time favourite players great coach and school teacher was my teacher for a couple of years at ST pius X College chats wood sydney N.S.W… i will not forget how we all used to line up after lunch out front of the class room and when we were all a little bit too far forward in the line he would give a tiny push just to position everybody appropriately and it would all just about send us all toppling over, such a laugh one of a kind personality "Hard Knocks" DONT SUGER-COAT this top bloke. Well done on a successful career Des.

  • Mick
    27/05/2023

    Des was doing 50 tackles a game as a schoolboy halftime when at St Doms Penrith in the mid 70's

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Contributions: Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, AJ Lucantonio, Paul Carter, Alan Katzmann, Greg Fiveash, Steven Russo, Max Turner, Bill Bates

Sources: ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1997, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1996, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1998, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1989-90, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1987-88, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1988-89, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1990-91, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1991-92, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1992-93, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1994, Irvin Saxton's Record Keepers' Club, Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1994-95, Match Video