We'll bury the hoodoo - Des Hasler

[gong_eagle]

We'll bury the hoodoo - Des Hasler

By Ray Chesterton | January 21, 2009
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24940450-5006066,00.html



FOR a man facing enough devils to remake The Exorcist, Des Hasler looks and sounds relaxed. He's watching the cricket while rejecting any suggestion of Manly falling victim to an increasingly lethal rugby league hoodoo - winning back-to-back premierships. Brisbane, in 1992-93, was the last club to win a double in an amalgamated competition.
No Sydney-based team has done it since Canterbury in 1984-85.
Now Manly, 40-0 winners over Melbourne in last year's Grand Final, are trying to defend what is increasingly becoming the indefensible.
Hasler doesn't see it that way.
"We'll be competitive again, I can promise you that," he said. "We have positioned ourselves to win another premiership."
Bolstering Manly's thoughts on 2009 is confidence in their recruiting, highlighted by the signing of giant Parramatta winger Tony Williams.
Manly's recruitment also pulled in Newcastle's five-eighth or lock Chris Bailey, Penrith's Shane Rodney as well as Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran from the Sea Eagles' Toyota Cup squad.
But it will be Manly's experienced players who will again have to lead the way. And stay healthy.
Compared with other clubs, Manly largely escaped serious injury last year and were almost ignored by representative selectors. Another bonus.
"We are going to experience what other (premiership-winning) teams in the past have," Hasler said.
"Our players will come more under the eye of the representative selectors.
"And we'll have injuries. It's all about how clubs cope with those things."
Hasler, a deep thinker about the game, is an irrepressible critic of the salary cap, saying it promotes mediocrity and destroys attempts to maintain a competitive team.
He advocates a restructuring of the competition and would not be opposed to cutting the number of teams to 12 and increasing the salary cap.
"Some aspects are not working," he said. "Winning Grand Finals has become a matter of timing.
"You get a window of opportunity. That's all.
"In recent years the Dragons had their window. Melbourne had theirs. They're now in a rebuilding phase."

 

[Dazraider]

Rebuilding phase Melbourne, I don't think so they still have an awesome side with slater,inglis,cronksmith and hoffman and as for the other players they go pretty dam good.

12 teams would suck as there would be less games, the margins would pay crap or go back to 1-10,11-20,21+ and who would you kick out.
I'd kick out souths again and maybe newcomers the Titans and I guess the Melbourne and the roosters. souths and roosters could join the sharks. as they actually got a proper home ground.

 

[Loudstrat]

Go Leeds.

 

[Nemesis]

Rebuilding phase Melbourne, I don't think so they still have an awesome side with slater,inglis,cronksmith and hoffman and as for the other players they go pretty dam good.

12 teams would suck as there would be less games, the margins would pay crap or go back to 1-10,11-20,21+ and who would you kick out.
I'd kick out souths again and maybe newcomers the Titans and I guess the Melbourne and the roosters. souths and roosters could join the sharks. as they actually got a proper home ground.

You're an imbecile...f**k off :crazy:

 

[wittyfan]

So much now for being "under the radar".

 

[SouthsSupportUnlimited]

I dont think its indefendable though i think Hasler has just put a whole lot of pressure on his playing squad.

 

[Holla if ya hear me]

Yawn...each yr some coach/player of winning team trots this out and each yr they have to swollow their words..there is one thing certain...manly wont go back to back

 

[Godz Illa]

Yawn...each yr some coach/player of winning team trots this out and each yr they have to swollow their words..there is one thing certain...manly wont go back to back

lol That's not certain at all, they'd be a leading contender, well in front of Newcastle. btw: yawn.

 

[Dazraider]

You're an imbecile...f**k off :crazy:

what about? is it Melbourne that i dont think they are in a rebuilding phase?

 

[nz eagle]

Well the only actual quote of any significance is

"We'll be competitive again, I can promise you that," he said. "We have positioned ourselves to win another premiership."

he is only saying that we should be able to be competitive again - hes not saying we are going to win it all for sure.

 

[SouthsSupportUnlimited]

What you say is true NZ_Eagle, though, there still is an expectation besed on the fact that they have put themself in that posistion. Souths have put themsleves in a great posisition to do well this year, but now there is pressure there to perform, how will they perform???

 

[Nemesis]

what about? is it Melbourne that i dont think they are in a rebuilding phase?

I'd kick out souths again and maybe newcomers the Titans and I guess the Melbourne and the roosters. souths and roosters could join the sharks. as they actually got a proper home ground.

So you'd kick out Souths, Titans, Melbourne and the Roosters or merge Souths, Roosters and the Sharks...

That's a recipe for the death of Rugby League, moron... Are you an AFL plant, just a total farkwit or perhaps both?

Although everyone is entitled to their own opinion in this forum, in your case wanker, they should make an exception as all your posts have a recurring idiotic theme.

 

[sooperdooper]

wont do it... will be up there though

 

[Maroon and White]

I dont think its indefendable though i think Hasler has just put a whole lot of pressure on his playing squad.

Pressure? There was always gonna be pressure this year...no flying under the radar, so Dessie is doing the right thing - find other motivations.

One premiership = good team
Back to back = great team, comparable to any era, considering the salary cap.

 

[alexc]

Yeah they will be competitive until they get a whole bunch of injuries or something else happens.

 

[Gmac]

Yeah they will be competitive until they get a whole bunch of injuries or something else happens.

You could say that about any team in the comp!

OK so there is some luck involved but.... isn't it strange that its always the same teams that have huge injury tolls? Is it JUST luck? i think not..

They'll be up there.. Might win it might not, lots of teams in the mix this year. (Bar the usual non contenders.. Soufs etc)

 

[Nemesis]

Might win it might not, lots of teams in the mix this year. (Bar the usual non contenders.. Soufs etc)

You mean the last team to beat you in 2008 and the team that will beat you again in round 6 this year. :lol:

 

[Gmac]

You mean the last team to beat you in 2008 and the team that will beat you again in round 6 this year. :lol:

Yeh cause the rest of season went so well for you guys..:sarcasm: Though suppose not winning the spoon for once must be a proud achievement for you guys :lol:

SO you beat us.. Good for you. Cant win em all.. Too bad for you guys you wern't in the finals to beat us there ;-)

 

[Bicey_18]

lol That's not certain at all, they'd be a leading contender, well in front of Newcastle. btw: yawn.

and the Dragons too im guessing? 38-6 wasnt it?

 

[Nemesis]

Yeh cause the rest of season went so well for you guys..:sarcasm: Though suppose not winning the spoon for once must be a proud achievement for you guys :lol:

SO you beat us.. Good for you. Cant win em all.. Too bad for you guys you wern't in the finals to beat us there ;-)

We'll see how well you "fly under the radar" this year, shall we. :lol: