Manly coach Des Hasler had some terse and bizarre answers to lines of inquiry in Friday evening’s post-match press conference.
Manly coach Des Hasler should have been bounding into his post-match press conference full of enthusiasm, but instead replied to lines of inquiry with some terse and bizarre answers.
Hasler’s outfit had just smashed the Roosters 42-6 when he entered the press room in Mackay for a quick four-minute engagement with the media.
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After just his second question Hasler said he “couldn’t hear” the journalist asking about the performance of Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Trbojevic.
The quirky antics continued when he was asked about Blake Taaffe, the South Sydney fullback who will go up against Trbojevic next week.
“He’s a good player young Blake and we’ll have to be on our guard,” Hasler said. “They’ve got lots of attack and I think their forwards have been playing very underrated, it’ll be a tough game.
Hasler was then asked about the performance of off-contract Dylan Walker who has made a habit of starring at lock when the game opens up after a period.
“Yeah, we’re in negotiations,” Hasler said. “He played well tonight and played his 100th game for the club. Marty Taupau played his 200th. He (Walker) has adapted really well, he’s a real footballer Dylan. He can play a number of positions and has great experience.”
But with the former centre yet to agree to terms with Manly and Jake Trbojevic a long-term starting lock at the club, Hasler was asked if that was the role he envisioned for the 26-year-old moving forward.
He delivered a no-nonsense response by saying: “He’s been playing it for the last six or seven weeks.
“If he’s been playing it for the last six or seven weeks he’ll be playing it moving forward.”
The win over the Roosters was Manly’s first victory over a fellow top-five side and the questions turned to that with Hasler batting them away.
“I think that question is a little bit naive,” he said. “We’re playing the semi-finals, ha, it doesn’t matter whether they’re top five, bottom five or middle five. It was sudden death tonight and we had to win.”
Hasler then tried to make a hasty exit out of the press conference, before one last question from Fox League’s Jake Duke about Manly’s progression from losing to the Roosters in Round 1 to beating them in the semi-finals.
“Round 1 was about six or seven months ago, does it really matter?”
Duke responded by saying: “Well it started slow but the journey has really picked up momentum.”
Hasler restored by saying: “You couldn’t have said it any better, ‘Duke’, thanks,” before standing up and walking out.
Originally published as Even for a Des Hasler press conference, this was one of the most bizarre he’s held
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