'Fractures all over the place' at Manly before pride jersey saga broke club apart
Rugby league great Brad Fittler has suggested the problems at Manly were apparent well before the release of the now-infamous pride jersey, saying the club had "fractures all over the place".
Despite having a year to run on his deal, head coach Des Hasler was given his marching orders on Thursday after a disappointing end to the season saw the Sea Eagles finish in 11th position.
Manly's season was derailed by the pride jersey controversy, when seven players refused to wear the jersey in round 20, with the team ending the year with seven straight losses. But Fittler believes the problems began before the jersey saga.
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"I don't think it's a surprise to anyone," Fittler told Nine's Today of Hasler's departure.
"I think if anything, they're out of disarray, and they seem to have direction at the moment.
Manly coach Des Hasler said the club made a "significant mistake" over the handling of its pride jersey. Getty
"It goes all the way back to the rainbow jersey. What it's shown is that the club had fractures all over the place, from the players, to the coaching staff, to administration.
"You can see how a footy jersey pretty much destroyed their season and now cost the coach his job."
There's concerns surrounding the futures of Tom and Jake Trbojevic following Hasler's sacking, but Fittler suggested that it was unlikely the pair would leave the club.
"It would take an awful lot for Tom and Jake to leave Manly," he said.
"At the moment I know there's some threats out there and there's concerns, and they're so passionate, not only about playing for Manly, but the area itself.
Fittler says it was unlikely that Manly natives Jake and Tom Trbojevic will leave the club Getty
"What it does say is Manly needs to sit down and get itself organised and communicate better and start working from the ground up in the area. You do that and the Trbojevics will be there forever."
Anthony Seibold is expected to be appointed as Hasler's replacement, and Fittler said he could be a good fit despite his torrid tenure at the Broncos.
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"He knows better than most how quick it can turn," he said.
"He had a very young group there at Brisbane and it just went sour very quickly. But when you go off what he's done since then ... it feels like he's going to come in pretty well-rounded.
"He understands the position that Manly is in at the moment, and the fact is Tom Trbojevic comes back. If Tom plays a full season, there's a good chance they'll win more games."
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