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CANTERBURY coach Des Hasler sat down with The Daily Telegraph in a northern beaches park on Sunday afternoon and spoke about this week’s massive NRL grand final against favourites South Sydney.
Hasler, who continues to develop into a genuine super coach after qualifying for his fifth grand final in the past eight years, revealed his final words before the Bulldogs run out at ANZ Stadium, where the game will be won, his own individual achievements, what will motivate his team and why Canterbury will be underdogs.
Hasler: It’s what you do mate, you do what you do.
Ritchie: You might be humble Des but you have to concede it’s an amazing achievement.
Hasler: So much goes on, the people that you’re interacting with, the staff that you work with, the players you interact with, a grand final is a hard place to get to. A lot of hard work goes into it.
Ritchie: Others to make five grand finals include Wayne Bennett and Jack Gibson. I know you are awkward talking about yourself but you are in elite company.
Hasler: Not really mate, I think it’s like most things, you don’t want to compare eras. As I said, it’s what you do. It can become a bit of an obsession, particularly when you are involved with other people, you want to do your best for those people.
Ritchie: You are going into the match wounded though aren’t you Des?
Hasler: There are a few players carrying bumps and bruises. They all are at this time of year.
Ritchie: Will Mick Ennis (broken bones in foot) play?
Hasler: Highly unlikely.
Ritchie: Any chance?
Hasler: Unlikely.
Ritchie: Any replacements in mind?
Hasler: Maybe.
Ritchie: Canterbury were written off over the back end of the competition. What did you think of that?
Hasler: It’s been an interesting year on the football calendar. So much happens. I can’t even remember the start of the season. The Origin series seems like years ago. It’s a matter of holding it together. I thought the players were good in the early part. We got that seven (wins) out of seven which was really good for us. Then Origin came around and a lot of unexpected things happened. Seeing both halves (Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds) selected was a great thing for them personally. Origin tends to put a dampener on things and you tend to back off again. Then towards the end of the season we came good again. It’s about riding it (the season) like that. You have to have a little bit of luck go your way here and there. But that doesn’t take away from the hard work the players have done, they have worked really, really hard. They have really stuck to it when they have been written off. And that’s a credit to them.
Ritchie: Des, you say you are underdogs every week but this time you actually are.
Hasler: They were pretty red-hot the other night, the Rabbitohs. They were superb and they played consistently for the full 80 minutes. I think you will see two important forward packs (on Sunday night). That’s where the game will be won and lost. And the way the Souths backs have come up — (Kirisome) Auva’a and Dylan Walker, they have been impressive as well.
Ritchie: If it is to be won and lost up front, can you hold the Souths pack?
Hasler: It just comes down to the day. We’re going to have to.
Ritchie: They have a monster pack Des.
Hasler: They’re a big, fast side.
Ritchie: You have some big boppers, too.
Hasler: We do. And they are all in good form at the moment, well they need to be.
Ritchie: What will be the final words you say to your team before they run out?
Hasler: That they have to really not miss the whole start because before you know it, the game is over.
Ritchie: Grand finals are always incredibly fast — like State of Origin.
Hasler: Definitely.
Ritchie: History shows the Bulldogs are a great and resilient club. Success is always close by.
Hasler: I guess the club has experienced grand final success over the years and decades. The majority of this side experienced a grand final and a grand final defeat two years ago. That’s good motivation.
Ritchie: How can you beat Souths. What can you target?
Hasler: You just have to stay in the arm-wrestle with them. Stay in the grind. We can’t afford back-to-back-to-back errors that both sides were guilty of in the game on Saturday night (Bulldogs v Penrith). Look, two sides are there on the night — we have a 50 per cent chance of winning and a 50 per cent chance of losing. A lot will come down to how it plays out on the night. Finals are always like that.
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Hasler, who continues to develop into a genuine super coach after qualifying for his fifth grand final in the past eight years, revealed his final words before the Bulldogs run out at ANZ Stadium, where the game will be won, his own individual achievements, what will motivate his team and why Canterbury will be underdogs.
Hasler: It’s what you do mate, you do what you do.
Ritchie: You might be humble Des but you have to concede it’s an amazing achievement.
Hasler: So much goes on, the people that you’re interacting with, the staff that you work with, the players you interact with, a grand final is a hard place to get to. A lot of hard work goes into it.
Ritchie: Others to make five grand finals include Wayne Bennett and Jack Gibson. I know you are awkward talking about yourself but you are in elite company.
Hasler: Not really mate, I think it’s like most things, you don’t want to compare eras. As I said, it’s what you do. It can become a bit of an obsession, particularly when you are involved with other people, you want to do your best for those people.
Ritchie: You are going into the match wounded though aren’t you Des?
Hasler: There are a few players carrying bumps and bruises. They all are at this time of year.
Ritchie: Will Mick Ennis (broken bones in foot) play?
Hasler: Highly unlikely.
Ritchie: Any chance?
Hasler: Unlikely.
Ritchie: Any replacements in mind?
Hasler: Maybe.
Ritchie: Canterbury were written off over the back end of the competition. What did you think of that?
Hasler: It’s been an interesting year on the football calendar. So much happens. I can’t even remember the start of the season. The Origin series seems like years ago. It’s a matter of holding it together. I thought the players were good in the early part. We got that seven (wins) out of seven which was really good for us. Then Origin came around and a lot of unexpected things happened. Seeing both halves (Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds) selected was a great thing for them personally. Origin tends to put a dampener on things and you tend to back off again. Then towards the end of the season we came good again. It’s about riding it (the season) like that. You have to have a little bit of luck go your way here and there. But that doesn’t take away from the hard work the players have done, they have worked really, really hard. They have really stuck to it when they have been written off. And that’s a credit to them.
Ritchie: Des, you say you are underdogs every week but this time you actually are.
Hasler: They were pretty red-hot the other night, the Rabbitohs. They were superb and they played consistently for the full 80 minutes. I think you will see two important forward packs (on Sunday night). That’s where the game will be won and lost. And the way the Souths backs have come up — (Kirisome) Auva’a and Dylan Walker, they have been impressive as well.
Ritchie: If it is to be won and lost up front, can you hold the Souths pack?
Hasler: It just comes down to the day. We’re going to have to.
Ritchie: They have a monster pack Des.
Hasler: They’re a big, fast side.
Ritchie: You have some big boppers, too.
Hasler: We do. And they are all in good form at the moment, well they need to be.
Ritchie: What will be the final words you say to your team before they run out?
Hasler: That they have to really not miss the whole start because before you know it, the game is over.
Ritchie: Grand finals are always incredibly fast — like State of Origin.
Hasler: Definitely.
Ritchie: History shows the Bulldogs are a great and resilient club. Success is always close by.
Hasler: I guess the club has experienced grand final success over the years and decades. The majority of this side experienced a grand final and a grand final defeat two years ago. That’s good motivation.
Ritchie: How can you beat Souths. What can you target?
Hasler: You just have to stay in the arm-wrestle with them. Stay in the grind. We can’t afford back-to-back-to-back errors that both sides were guilty of in the game on Saturday night (Bulldogs v Penrith). Look, two sides are there on the night — we have a 50 per cent chance of winning and a 50 per cent chance of losing. A lot will come down to how it plays out on the night. Finals are always like that.
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