Wests Tigers boss' warning to Des Hasler over impending legal action
OPINION
Manly would be happy for the entire string of rainbow jersey emails to be made public as their stoush with coach Des Hasler reaches the point of no return.
Hasler has coached his 303rd and last game for the Sea Eagles – that much is assured.
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It's just a matter of when – not if – he goes as the club positions former Souths and Brisbane boss Anthony Seibold to take over in 2023.
Manly's feud with Hasler is no longer about the coaching job – it's all now down to cents and dollars.
The veteran coach will walk if the final year of his $850,000 deal is paid out along with compensation for the 2024 season.
Hasler was guaranteed a contract extension if Manly had made the top six but the 61-year-old is arguing the club's decision to wear a pride jersey for the round 20 clash against the Roosters caused so much controversy it derailed the season and cost him any hope of reaching his KPIs.
The Sea Eagles lost their last five games to finish 11th.
Hasler claims to have been blindsided by the rainbow jersey decision, with leaked emails showing an exchange between football manager John Bonasera and commercial chief Luke Tucker in which the former signs off on the arrangement.
The insinuation is the coach knew nothing about the decision.
Those who know Hasler, a control freak of the highest order, find it incredulous he only found out about the rainbow jersey at the last minute.
Emails could hold key to Des Hasler's Manly future
It's believed there are further emails – yet to come to light – that reveal Hasler's football department were aware of the jersey plans.
The club will argue Hasler, as head of the football club department, had access to those emails whether he read them or not.
There were also promotional shots taken in the week prior to the rainbow game, featuring stars Daly Cherry-Evans, Reuben Garrick and Kieran Foran wearing the jerseys, further illustrating plans were well advanced.
The Sea Eagles are convinced they have a water-tight case and will go to court if necessary, but would prefer to part company with Hasler without the need for legal action.
Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis, head of litigation firm Brydens Lawyers, warns Hasler would come under heavy scrutiny in court over what he knew about the rainbow jersey.
"It would be a factual dispute as to whether he (Hasler) was told by those in the football department or not," Hagipantelis told Radio SEN.
"If he was aware of it and was complicit or condoned the arrangements, then it would be something they (the club) would be able to rely upon to suggest he was participating voluntarily in the exercise and shouldn't be raising complaint now."
As to whether Hasler could successfully argue the jersey fiasco cost Manly a top six berth, Hagipantelis replied: "Des would have to establish to the satisfaction of the court that it was the pride jersey drama that was responsible for the failing of the Manly club.
"It's a factual issue and Des would bear the onus of proof. Not easy."
None of this is.
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