Manly stand down Des

Manly have sensationally stood down coach Des Hasler and served the two-time premiership winning mentor with a breach notice amid allegations he's trying to poach players to Canterbury from 2013.

In a stunning development in the Sea Eagles' coaching saga, Hasler has been ordered to front the club's board for "serious breaches" of his contract.

It comes after a marathon seven hour board meeting at the Manly Warringah Leagues club on Wednesday night.

Hasler, who has signed a four-year deal to coach Canterbury from 2013, was given the green light by the board to stay on and coach the Sea Eagles for their title defence in 2012.

But it would seem his time with Manly is now all but over after the board's latest decision.

"The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles board have met this evening and are of the opinion there have been serious breaches of contract by coach Des Hasler," Manly chairman Scott Penn told reporters.

"The board has invited Des to explain his actions and in the meantime he has been stood down."

When asked if Hasler's breaches were related to him attempting to entice players join him at the Bulldogs, Penn said: "I'll leave that to you."

A number of Sea Eagles stars have clauses in their contract which allows them to leave the club should Hasler move on, with star five-eighth Kieran Foran one player reportedly ready to follow the successful coach out the door.

Already the Sea Eagles have had a mass exodus of off-field talent leave the club since news of Hasler's defection broke, with recruitment manager Noel Cleal, assistant coach Kelly Egan and digital manager Jessica Ivers all now at the Bulldogs.