NRL: Bulldogs deny misbehaviour over Hasler appointment

Manly coach Des Hasler was sacked by the Sea Eagles over his alleged role in the poaching of backroom staff by Canterbury. Photo / Getty Images

Canterbury chief executive Todd Greenberg on Saturday rejected claims that the Bulldogs acted inappropriately in luring coach Des Hasler from NRL premiers Manly.

Hasler, who was sacked by the Sea Eagles on Friday over his alleged role in the poaching of backroom staff by Canterbury, is expected to be formally announced as the Bulldogs head coach for 2012 this week.

His defection, and his alleged role in helping the Bulldogs' land recruitment officer Noel Cleal and assistant coach Kelly Egan, earned the ire of Manly chairman Scott Penn.

But Greenberg slammed any suggestion of wrongdoing on his behalf.

"I think that's baseless," he told Sydney radio's the Sin Bin on Saturday morning.

"We make no apology for the way we've handled ourselves.

"My role is to represent my club, the Bulldogs, to do the best thing I can for us to make sure we're successful on and off the field.

"We act professionally at every moment. We'll always act with integrity, but in doing that it's a competitive business.

"It's a business that is a results-driven business and it relies on the best people. And on this occasion, we've done exactly that."

Penn was particularly riled by rumours that Hasler and the Bulldogs are courting star Sea Eagles - both on and off the field.

"Certainly when you have significant numbers of your football staff approached there's questions over the integrity of that," Penn said on Friday.

But Greenberg stood firm.

"I think it's pretty simple, like any good governance across any business whether it's a staff member or a player, you simply can't be looking to induce someone to break a contract," he explained.

"But you can certainly be talking to a player or a staff member about the expiry of that term."

- AAP