In his last interview rugby league Immortal Bob Fulton praised Manly for getting coach Des Hasler back

Rugby league Immortal Bob Fulton passed away comforted by the knowledge the club he loved so much was heading in the right direction thanks to a former player-turned-coach found in a school playground and a rising star likened to a young Wally Lewis. In what is believed to be his last recorded interview just weeks before his death, Fulton told NCA NewsWire the Sea Eagles were on the right track with Des Hasler as coach and boom rookie Josh Schuster leading the next generation of players. He also touched on his early days as a player and his move to Eastern Suburbs that rocked the rugby league world at the time. THE EARLY DAYS Fulton was on the radar of several clubs after tearing it up as a kid playing against men in Wollongong in the mid-60s. It was the lure of living on the northern beaches – and the vision Sea Eagles boss Ken Arthurson painted of the future – that convinced the then 17-year-old to sign with Manly ahead of the 1966 season. “I’d been to St George and Wests (for talks) but I had an affinity for Manly because we had relatives here,” Fulton explained “I moved up and that was the end of it. I just loved the place. “I stayed with relatives for the first year and, as a kid, I was just happy to be there. “They were a very caring and family-orientated club and whatever he (Arthurson) told me came to fruition. They were putting a team together that could be seriously competitive and we were, particularly moving into the ’70s. “We were in grand finals in ’70, ’72, ’73, ’76 and ’78. We were in five grand finals and won four of them – ’72, ’73, ’76 and ’78. “We were the team of the ’70s. “Whatever success Manly’s had over the years was through Ken’s professionalism and the way he wanted to do things. “It was way ahead of what anyone else was doing.” MOVE TO EASTS Fulton was rarely flustered – on or off the field – but was rattled when he emerged from a meeting with Australia’s richest man, Kerry Packer, in the most unlikely of settings. The pair were in Hawaii – one for business, the other for pleasure – when Packer offered Bozo the deal of a lifetime to switch from Manly to Eastern Suburbs. It was the biggest story in rugby league. “He was over there on a business trip and we were on an end-of-season trip (after winning the 1976 premiership),” Fulton recalled. “As soon as I received the offer from Kerry Packer I spoke to Ken about it and he said ‘we can’t get anywhere near Kerry’s offer’. “Back then players stayed at clubs for their entire careers and I would have liked to have done that, but Ken said ‘you cannot knock this offer back’. “That put my mind at ease. I had a young family and this would set us up financially for the rest of our lives. “But I certainly did (lose sleep over it). It was a club I’d spent 11 years at, captained the club and played for Australia and NSW from the club. “I was a premiership-winning captain. It was a major, major decision but the right one commercially.” MASTER AND APPRENTICE Fulton famously gave Des Hasler his start as a player in 1984 after son Scott, now head of recruitment at Manly, mentioned there was teacher at his school looking for an opportunity. Fulton, who was in his second year as Sea Eagles coach, arranged a trial and signed the shy kid from Penrith immediately after Hasler scored six tries in the pre-season hitout. “Des was teaching down at the Catholic school at Manly (St Mary’s) and approached Scott. I told Scott to tell him to give me a ring,” Fulton said. “Des rang me and I said ‘come over for a trial’. I put him in an opposed game against some pretty good players and he scored six tries. “I said to ‘Arko’ (Ken Arthurson) ‘there’s a bloke you’ve got to come and see’ and told him what he’d did (in the trial) and Arko said ‘yep, we’ll sign him’. “He ended up having 13 years at Manly. We’ve got a really close connection.” Hasler enjoyed a stellar playing career at Brookvale under Fulton before making a successful transition to coaching, returning home to Manly for a second stint two years ago. “There’s a word called symbiosis – (it means) for mutual benefit,” Fulton said. “I think you can apply that word to Des and the club. “They needed one another and bringing Des in was a masterstroke. He’s the right person in the right position to get the club back to being seriously competitive.” THE FUTURE Fulton nominated Schuster, who he first saw as a 14-year-old, as the player to lead the on-field revival. He privately compared the boom rookie to fellow Immortal Lewis, telling those close to him he possessed similar traits to the champion Queenslander. Fulton said: “He is a once-in-a-generation player … just watch the way he moves and the time he has with the ball. “With his size and skill, they can build a side and a club around him at five-eighth.” Schuster sent Scott Fulton a message of condolence prior to kick off against Parramatta last Sunday, vowing to do Bob proud with a big game. The 20-year-old produced a five-star performance as Manly marked the sombre occasion with a resounding 28-6 victory over their oldest enemy. THE LEGACY Asked if he’d place the Sea Eagles among the elite clubs in Australian sport, Fulton replied: “I would. If you’re talking about tenure, Manly has been one of the top three or four teams for any number of years. “We’ve had a few hiccups in the run through, but from when Ken decided what he was going to do back in the ’60s, it’s borne fruit all the way through. “There are a lot of great things that can be said about Manly and it basically all goes back to Ken Arthurson. “He laid a foundation that the club still works off to this day.” Fulton is the only person to win premierships as a player (’72-73), captain (’76) and coach (’87 and 96) at Manly.