Sep 20th, 2017

Sep 20th, 2017

Phil Gould has rejected suggestions that Des Hasler was sacked by Canterbury because he didn’t understand the Bulldogs culture and failed to deliver the club a premiership.

Hasler was cut by the Bulldogs on Tuesday night after a season of speculation about his future with the Bulldogs dropping out of finals contention for the first time in six years.

Hasler recently signed a two-year contract extension to remain at Belmore but there were critics, including former Canterbury legends Steve Mortimer and Terry Lamb, who questioned if the former Manly coach and player really understood the club's culture.

It is believed that the club could go for an ex-player as their next coach, with Jim Dymock and Dean Pay on a list that also includes Todd Payten and Michael Maguire, but Gould said he didn't know if that was the right approach on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast for Wide World of Sports.

"I think that's where they're headed, which would probably be part of the reason why they've let Des go because there were rumblings from within the club about the Bulldogs culture, and the history of the Bulldogs, and whether or not Des had fit into that," Gould said.

"I don't buy into that because Des was so successful. His record over the last six years is as good as any coach in the game."

Gould also dismissed suggestions Hasler was given his marching orders over his failure to deliver the club a title, with the Bulldogs managing to grand finals (2012 and 2014) and five consecutive finals appearances during his six-year reign at the club.

He said he thought it had more to do with other issues including the club getting themselves into salary cap trouble, with captain James Graham having to be released to accommodate the arrivals of Aaron Woods and Kieran Foran.

"I don't see a premiership as the be all and end all in the success of a coach. I really don't, I never have.

"Canterbury, they like to win premierships, that's what they're there for, they invest a lot of money in it and it's how they judge their club. They're a premiership-winning club and they've got a history of it.

"But I think there are other matters, I don't think it's just that they haven't won a premiership.

"I think it was the performance of the team and things had grown stale, they got themselves in a salary cap dilemma around back-ended deals, the CEO has moved on, the coach has moved on, you can read into that what you like.

"I think there is a whole new rebuilding, refreshing program going through the club at the moment."

There is plenty of interest in Hasler's next move, with the vacant NSW State of Origin job an option, but Gould said he couldn't see that happening as there are Bulldogs representatives on the NSWRL board and Hasler is contemplating legal action against the club.

He also questioned if the Gold Coast, who is also in the market for a coach after parting company with Neil Henry, could afford Hasler and that he might simply play a waiting game given the volatile nature of the business in the NRL.

"Des Hasler's a great coach, he's got an outstanding record, but sometimes coaches just have a use-by date with their club," Gould said.

"From the outside looking in you can always find 1000 different reasons why they shouldn't do it which means their reason internally must be very strong.

"They're not dopes, they think of all those reasons to.

"You've got to trust the people in the club that they're doing the right thing in the best long term interests of the club.

"It's part of coaching life these days that it's a limited lifespan."

"It doesn't mean that Des Hasler is finished as a coach by any stretch. He's just finished at Canterbury. They feel he's run his race and they need a change.

"The candidates they've listed out there, I don't think there's anyone better than Des Hasler on the market or available to them.

"It's not a better coach they're looking for, it's a different coach."