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Jeff Hasler will not be an Osprey next season and many are wondering why
Formidable Canadian wing Jeff Hassler has revealed that his time at Ospreys is coming to an end after a successful five year stint at the club and many are wondering why.
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What’s even more perplexing is – as RugbyPass understands it – that he doesn’t have a new club lined up.
The 26-year-old tweeted the news last night: “What a good five years in been Swansea flying high and scoring tries. Cheers all.”
What a good five years in been Swansea flyin high and scoring tries. Cheers all. ✌🤙 pic.twitter.com/PO4DZC6WB0
— Jeff Hassler (@Jeff_Hassler) April 24, 2018
Hassler scored 24 tries in 72 games for the region, and was renowned for his hard carrying-style and speed.
Many Ospreys fans are asking why are the club are letting the proven try scorer and cult hero go. Toulon bound Wales scrumhalf and soon to be former teammate Rhys Webb was one of them.
“Huge loss,” Webb tweeted, before adding: “Someone give this try-scoring beast a contract. Unbelievable player. Get your chequebooks out.”
https://twitter.com/RhysWebb_9/status/988837785049161730
Former Osprey and now Chiefs secondrow Tyler Ardron chimed in “I suppose all good things must come to an end. You’ve been unreal week in, week out for the Ospreys.”
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I suppose all good things must come to an end. You've been unreal week in, week out for the @ospreys @Jeff_Hassler
— Tyler Ardron (@tyardron) April 24, 2018
Ardron, who is having a superb season in Super Rugby alongside All Black Brodie Retallick, is a good example of what a fellow Canadian’s can achieve should they find the right club.
https://twitter.com/OspSociables/status/988839230746001408
Jeff Hassler has left the Ospreys.
And quite amazingly, hasn't got a club to go to.
I can't think of many/ if any teams that wouldn't benefit from Jeff Hassler on their books.
He's a military-grade ball carrier.
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) April 24, 2018
The club yesterday confirmed that Allen Clarke has been appointed Head Coach on a three-year contract, but it seems Hassler is not part of his plans going forward.
Continue reading below…
The former Ireland hooker, who joined the Ospreys last summer as Forwards Coach, has been in interim control of the senior team since January.
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With a Champions Cup play-off coming up in May, Clarke can now begin planning in earnest for next season after being handed the reins on a full-time basis.
As a player, Clarke, a qualified teacher, completed a century of appearances for Northampton Saints before returning to his home province, who he served as both player and coach over a period of 20 years, either side of a five-year spell as Irish Rugby’s High Performance Manager.
Capped eight times by Ireland, he was a key player in Ulster’s 1999 Heineken Cup run, including the 21-6 win over Colomiers at Lansdowne Road in the final, the province’s only European title.
Arguably, Clarke was more influential off the field, having made a successful transition at the start of the century, his first off-field role seeing him establish the Ulster Rugby Academy.
In 2004 he was appointed as Assistant Coach to Mark McCall, helping the province to a first ever Celtic League title, secured ironically on the final day of the 05/06 season thanks to a 19-17 win over the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium
The following season he left Ulster to take up a position as High Performance Manager with the IRFU, overseeing the national age-grade and development programme, feeding into the four Irish provinces and the senior national team.
He returned to his home province in 2012 to oversee an expanded Academy, combining it with the Scrum Coach role, taking the Forwards Coach post at KIngspan Stadium two years later.
Clarke also has experience of coaching on the international scene, taking charge of Ireland ‘A’, U20, and more recently leading Emerging Ireland to success in the 2015 Tbilisi Cup ahead of Georgia, Italy A and Uruguay.
Speaking after accepting the permanent Head Coach role at the Ospreys, Clarke said:
“When I came to the Ospreys, just 10 months ago, I didn’t foresee this situation arising. However, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being Head Coach over the last three months. The support I’ve received from all areas, from the player group, fellow coaches and colleagues behind the scenes and from the Board, together with that of the supporters has been fantastic. As such I feel both humbled and honoured by the appointment.
“There is a strong ambition at the Region which matches my own, that is, to re-establish the Ospreys at the top level, initially in the Guinness PRO14 and then Europe.
“I’m highly motivated by the challenge and look forward to working with the coaching and management team to create an environment that provides individuals with the opportunity to flourish and for us, as a team, to realise our ambitions playing a brand of rugby that enthuses players and supporters alike.”
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments