Oct 22nd, 2018

Oct 22nd, 2018

Manly media manager Wayne Cousins must have realised as soon as he told the media throng, there'll be "no questions about Trent Barrett" at a press conference to announce Des Hasler's second coming that it was a futile command.

The return of nutty professor Hasler, who had a wildly successful first tenure at the Sea Eagles, adds a new layer of intrigue to a club desperately searching for a positive narrative but Barrett is still the elephant in the room.

Steadfastly, it seems Manly will stick to their guns and force Barrett to work out a 12-month notice period that started when he handed in his resignation in July.

How that can possibly play out from a practical point-of-view is another matter entirely.

Manly chairman Scott Penn has brought Des Hasler back to the club. (AAP)

Hasler has reportedly told Manly's owners, the Penn family, that he has no intention of keeping Barrett on his staff.

When he was asked about Barrett, Hasler would only say he "hadn't had any discussion" with management about him. Take that claim with a healthy pinch of salt.

More telling was his response when asked about the assistant coaches he's inherited, John Cartwright and Chad Randall.

Cartwright was keen on the head coaching role and may yet disappear to Canberra to take up an assistant role under Ricky Stuart, however Hasler said he would be willing to work with both assistants if they stick around.

"They're both good fellas. I’ve coached Chad and worked with Chad," Hasler said.

"I played with and against John. Both are good human beings. I’ll get through today and then start to map out a plan."

When the plan does start to come together, it is likely to include at least one or two Hasler favourites.

Wide World of Sports can reveal that the Sea Eagles' Head of Physical Performance for the last three years, Dan Ferris, recently departed to take up a similar role on Garth Brennan's staff at the Gold Coast Titans.

That will open the door for a likely return for Donny Singe, who has faithfully served Hasler as head of strength and conditioning for over a decade.

Singe was on Hasler's staff for the 2008 and 2011 Manly premierships and followed him to the Bulldogs as one of the head coach's first appointments at Belmore.

He quit Canterbury soon after Hasler was sacked in 2017 and would be a logical appointment to fill the role vacated by Ferris.

At long odds, but not to be completely discounted, is a return to Manly for Geoff Toovey, who still has a healthy relationship with Hasler.

Hasler announces return to Manly

Toovey is a fan favourite, with 'Bring Back Tooves' posters hanging in the Brookvale Hotel and several other establishments on the northern beaches.

While he would have preferred another go at the top job, Toovey confirmed to Wide World of Sports that he would be interested in talking to Manly about a return to the club to serve under the master who gave him his apprenticeship as an assistant coach.

His return would help Manly start to turn the PR war which has been a losing battle for the club ever since the unpopular sacking of Toovey in 2015.

It is highly unlikely that there would be room for Toovey unless Cartwright decided he wanted a fresh start elsewhere.

Which brings us back to the elephant in the room. If Manly won't pay Barrett out, what on earth do they plan to have him do at the club for the next nine months?

Stay tuned. This saga still has a chapter or two to be written.