Former Manly Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler is reportedly preparing to take the club to court to earn a payout of over $1 million.
The news comes after his controversial sacking last Thursday, which arrived in the wake of constant internal Manly drama.
Hasler, who also played 256 games for the club, is claiming his right to the money he would have earned in 2023 as their head coach.
However, TheThe Daily Telegraph is now reporting that Hasler is seeking even more as he is claiming that the round 20 pride jersey decision, which saw seven Manly players refuse to play a crucial clash against the Roosters, impeded his ability to trigger an automatic extension into 2024.
The extension was set to trigger automatically if the side abided by a set of performance criteria, but when Manly ultimately finished 11th, any such prospect became impossible.
While there's no guarantee Manly ever could have won enough games, it is striking that after the now-infamous pride jersey round, Manly lost every game for the rest of the season, including matchups with the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Gold Coast Titans.
There is every possibility the matter goes to court from here, with the report stating Manly may only consider a payout worth half of what Hasler wants.
Such a battle would be a dire way for a legend and his club to come to blows, but it could be the only course of action if no other solution is found.
Manly is now looking forward on the footballing front, with former Brisbane Broncos custodian Anthony Seibold set to take the reigns in 2023.