NRL: Hasler and Manly bad blood 'part of theatre'

After seeing off the Storm, Bulldogs enforcer James Graham is expecting a tougher test from Manly. Photo / Getty Images

It's unlikely many media outlets will accept his editorial advice and Canterbury enforcer James Graham cares little if they do.

Saturday night will be the eighth time Bulldogs mentor Des Hasler plots the downfall of Manly, the NRL club he played 255 games for and then coached to premierships in 2008 and 2011.

But Graham and his teammates can prepare for another week of headlines about Hasler's divisive split from Manly and associated tales of acrimony.

"It's old news now," Graham said. "We've been through it before a lot. I don't think any of the boys would be bothering with [reading, thinking or talking about] it.

"It's got nothing to do with the players in our dressing room. I wasn't even at the club when it all happened."

Hasler said after knocking out Melbourne in a one-sided elimination final that the interest in his history with the Sea Eagles was "all part of the theatre".

Graham agreed. "It's just sport and part of the reason people love it," he said. "Coaches and managers change. When you think somebody is going to be at a club forever, he goes to another club. It is what it is."

The Sea Eagles' premiership hopes were written off by many pundits after slumping to a 40-24 loss to South Sydney in week one of the finals, but Graham was full of respect for his next opponents. "We know it's going to be tough. They're a really experienced team in finals," he said. "They'll be coming to play and you'd be a fool to think otherwise."