LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
Des Hasler's reign as Titans coach has been cut short, but calls are already growing for the veteran mentor to be handed a new role with the NSW Blues. Gold Coast confirmed on Monday that Cronulla and Maroons assistant Josh Hannay would succeed Hasler as Titans coach next season, amid revelations the highly-regarded Walker brothers Ben and Shane were not even interviewed about the role.
Hasler has won NRL two premierships during his coaching career at Manly and recently became just the sixth man to reach 500 games as a first-grade coach. Despite his extensive experience, his time with the Gold Coast has not yielded the desired results, with the club sitting at the bottom of the ladder for a second consecutive year without reaching the finals.
However, former Origin stars Bryan Fletcher and Corey Parker believe that Hasler still has significant contributions to make at the top level of the game. They see a potential Origin role with NSW in his future. Fletcher believes that the 64-year-old would be an excellent addition to Laurie Daley's coaching staff at the Blues next year.
Daley previously employed veteran Storm mentor Craig Bellamy in an advisory role during this year's series loss to the Maroons, and Hasler could fit into a similar position. With his extensive experience of four decades as both a player and coach, Fletcher argues that Hasler would enhance Daley's NSW coaching team.
"Just on Dessie, now I would like to see him help out Laurie Daley as NSW coach... I reckon Des is the man," Fletcher told SEN radio. Maroons and Broncos legend Parker shares the sentiment, believing Hasler still possesses much to offer at the highest level, and sees no reason why he couldn't take up an Origin coaching role with the Blues.
"Absolutely. Why couldn't he? It's a lesser role but we're talking about unique people - sportspeople. Player or coach, they're unique individuals," Parker told SEN. "If you have the drive and passion, then he will continue... Only he can make that call. NSW could be an option moving forward."
Meanwhile, Walker brothers Ben and Shane have expressed their disappointment after missing the opportunity to succeed Hasler at the Titans. They revealed that they were not interviewed before Hannay's appointment. Ben, the father of Roosters star Sam Walker, along with his brother, has often been considered an unconventional but intriguing option for vacant NRL head coaching roles in the past.