Leaked email shows sacked Manly Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler WAS NOT aware of the rainbow jersey

After taking the fall for Manly’s pride jersey debacle, a leaked email shows sacked coach Des Hasler was unaware of the rainbow design and its round 20 rollout – which could be the key evidence in his million-dollar lawsuit against the club.

In an email from club general manager John Bonasera, Hasler is positioned to have only known the jersey was for ‘everyone in league’.

Sent on the 26th of July, two days before Manly’s clash with the Roosters, Bonasera apologises for ‘putting us in the position’ and accepts that ‘potential ramifications’ of not making proper correspondence with the coach.

The private email, which was originally reported by the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, will now be used as evidence in the event of an unsuitable payout to the 61-year-old Manly icon, who coached 303 games at the club.

Manly general manager John Bonasera admits he was in the wrong regarding the pride jersey saga, apologising to coach Hasler in a leaked email

Hasler will argue that the pride jersey saga ultimately led to the demise of Manly’s final round performances, which ruled them out of the finals race and upset a contract extension to 2024.

Currently he has agreed to a $450,000 payout but is expected to claim his lost earnings from a failed 2024 extension.

In opposition to Hasler’s case, the Sea Eagles board plan to provide reasoning that he was hard to work with and spoke poorly of the board and members within it.

During the fiasco, Hasler wore two caps, one as club coach and the other as stand in CEO. 

Hasler during a press conference addressing the Rainbow jersey fiasco, during a season where they finished outside the top eight

Unfortunately the lack of communications between the board and Hasler led to him coping the backlash of the ‘Manly seven’, where he addressed the media and quoted Mahatma Gandhi in a passionate speech.

It is believed Hasler is seeking a $1million payout, in sight of his deal with the board that stated negotiations for a contract extension would go ahead given they finished in the top six.

Former Broncos coach Anthony Seibold is tipped to shift into the head role, where he has recently succeeded as the England Rugby team’s assistant.

There are reports a mass staff exodus will spark from Hasler’s sacking, with many of his long-term support team to face the knife.

The Manly Sea Eagles pride jersey, which caused mayhem for the club and arguably led to their bottom eight finish

The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis told SEN radio new coach Seibold will bring in his own staff.

‘His support staff, his long-term head of performance Donny Singe I’d say is in a fair bit of trouble,’ Carayannis said.

‘Michael Monaghan, a former captain and member of Des Hasler’s coaching staff is unlikely to be there as well.

So there’s going to be a mass changing of the guard at Manly.’