DES Hasler and Canterbury could face off in court after the veteran coach was sacked by the NRL club.

Hasler paid the price for missing the finals for the first time in his past 14 seasons as an NRL coach and was told he would not be at the club next year.

The news comes just under six months after the Bulldogs announced the veteran coach had signed a two-year extension to keep him at the club until the end of 2019.

But on Tuesday, the club’s chairman Ray Dib claimed in a statement that deal was never legally binding.

Round 20

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“The heads of agreement reached with Des Hasler for an extension of his contract were non-binding and a decision has been made not to renew his contract for next year,” he said

According to The Daily Telegraph, Hasler is said to have waited the whole season for a finalised $2 million contract that never arrived from the club.

In turn, it meant the Bulldogs believed they could simply make the decision not to retain Hasler into next season, potentially without the hefty payout that would have accompanied his sacking.

The axing comes ahead of next February’s crunch board elections at the NRL club, where conjecture over the decision to re-sign Hasler was set to be a key factor.

Meanwhile, Aaron Woods has called for the club to quickly appoint a new as Todd Payten emerges as a candidate.

Payten is among a field of early possibilities for the Bulldogs’ top job.

Former Bulldogs players Dean Pay and Jim Dymock, as well as sacked Souths coach Michael Maguire, have also been tossed up.

Currently working under Paul Green at North Queensland, the former Wests Tigers prop Payten has also been mooted as a candidate for the Gold Coast job.

Coach Des Hasler under pressure. Source: News Corp Australia

He has a close link with incoming forward Woods having worked with the former Tigers captain as both a teammate and an assistant coach.

Woods spoke glowingly of him earlier this season when he was considered a candidate to replace Jason Taylor at the Tigers.

Bulldogs chairman Ray Dib said on Tuesday the club would begin the search for a new coach immediately.

Woods, who arrives at the club in November, did not give his preference for the appointment on Wednesday morning but backed Dib to resolve the matter.

“Hopefully they move on quickly and don’t stall for so long,” Woods told Sky Sports Radio.

“I’ve got all the faith in the world in the club. Ray will handle it well. They’re a strong board. They’re a club that don’t like to let things hang over their heads.

“I’m just looking for a fresh start and really getting to know all the players and just can’t wait to buy into the new culture obviously the new coach is going to start.

“Whoever they go for, I’m sure all the boys will give 110 per cent for and work our backsides off to move Canterbury to the top eight.”