Manly Magic
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FIRST the Bulldogs stole supercoach Des Hasler and his staff from Manly.
And by the end of this year, star duo Keiran Foran and Brett Stewart could follow them across the harbour.
But perhaps the most valuable asset Canterbury will ever take from Manly is attitude.
In his first two months at Belmore, Hasler has been intent on grafting the relentless silvertail mindset into a talented playing squad that under-achieved in 2011.
He's also brought cutting edge technology, allowing trainers to monitor the individual training patterns in real time.
But according to skipper Michael Ennis, it's the mental overhaul that counts most.
Warming up for next week's return to pre-season training with a hit of tennis opposite US giant John Isner at Olympic Park yesterday, Ennis expects his side to emerge from the final stretch of pre-season training with a touch of Manly swagger.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related Coverage
Ennis rates Hasler up with Bennett FoxSports, 1 hour ago
Des making inroads at Dogs: Ennis FoxSports, 20 Dec 2011
Joey joins the Dogs The Daily Telegraph, 4 Dec 2011
Ennis to lead Bulldogs FoxSports, 2 Dec 2011
Ennis named new top Dog The Daily Telegraph, 2 Dec 2011
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
"It's pretty evident in the way Manly have played over the past few years, what style Des coaches and what he expects," Ennis said.
"They are different playing groups, but Des has really been concentrating on the basics and fundamentals at training.
"That's been Manly's strength and a key to their success recently: they play a fair and tough game and are very disciplined. They play physical and they grind.
"That comes from Des being meticulous about preparation and everything we do at training.
"We've been inconsistent in a lot of areas. We needed to understand who we are as a team and what we stand for.
"Des wants us to play a style and brand of football, regardless of who the opposition is."
Ennis has not played since last year's Origin decider in early July, which he finished with a neck complaint that required surgery.
He also had a minor knee operation during the off-season and is on track for next month's trials - although it's unlikely Hasler will over-burden the NSW Origin rake with practice matches ahead of another arduous season. Off-contract winger Steve Turner is also managing his troublesome right knee well, and is primed for a big season to earn an extension from Hasler.
Turner compared Hasler's workaholic ethos to that of Craig Bellamy, his former coach in Melbourne.
"Both are similar, it's their intense focus on preparation - not just for games but also training," Turner said.
"They both look back at training sessions and look at where we can improve. And they both spend a lot of time in their offices, working hard.
"Des is big about us being accountable, setting goals and executing them.
"It's an attitude thing and when Des came here he really wanted to test us out to see how mentally tough we are and whether we were up for it."
And by the end of this year, star duo Keiran Foran and Brett Stewart could follow them across the harbour.
But perhaps the most valuable asset Canterbury will ever take from Manly is attitude.
In his first two months at Belmore, Hasler has been intent on grafting the relentless silvertail mindset into a talented playing squad that under-achieved in 2011.
He's also brought cutting edge technology, allowing trainers to monitor the individual training patterns in real time.
But according to skipper Michael Ennis, it's the mental overhaul that counts most.
Warming up for next week's return to pre-season training with a hit of tennis opposite US giant John Isner at Olympic Park yesterday, Ennis expects his side to emerge from the final stretch of pre-season training with a touch of Manly swagger.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related Coverage
Ennis rates Hasler up with Bennett FoxSports, 1 hour ago
Des making inroads at Dogs: Ennis FoxSports, 20 Dec 2011
Joey joins the Dogs The Daily Telegraph, 4 Dec 2011
Ennis to lead Bulldogs FoxSports, 2 Dec 2011
Ennis named new top Dog The Daily Telegraph, 2 Dec 2011
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
"It's pretty evident in the way Manly have played over the past few years, what style Des coaches and what he expects," Ennis said.
"They are different playing groups, but Des has really been concentrating on the basics and fundamentals at training.
"That's been Manly's strength and a key to their success recently: they play a fair and tough game and are very disciplined. They play physical and they grind.
"That comes from Des being meticulous about preparation and everything we do at training.
"We've been inconsistent in a lot of areas. We needed to understand who we are as a team and what we stand for.
"Des wants us to play a style and brand of football, regardless of who the opposition is."
Ennis has not played since last year's Origin decider in early July, which he finished with a neck complaint that required surgery.
He also had a minor knee operation during the off-season and is on track for next month's trials - although it's unlikely Hasler will over-burden the NSW Origin rake with practice matches ahead of another arduous season. Off-contract winger Steve Turner is also managing his troublesome right knee well, and is primed for a big season to earn an extension from Hasler.
Turner compared Hasler's workaholic ethos to that of Craig Bellamy, his former coach in Melbourne.
"Both are similar, it's their intense focus on preparation - not just for games but also training," Turner said.
"They both look back at training sessions and look at where we can improve. And they both spend a lot of time in their offices, working hard.
"Des is big about us being accountable, setting goals and executing them.
"It's an attitude thing and when Des came here he really wanted to test us out to see how mentally tough we are and whether we were up for it."
