Canterbury have landed themselves one helluva a coach in Des Hasler - but also bought the most complex character in rugby league.
It worked at Manly because Hasler was Manly.
He played for the club, lives in the area and had the ear of anyone with any sort of influence.
Problems?
He'd just march straight into the CEO's office and plonk himself down, pounding his point of view for so long and so passionately that the boss invariably caved in and gave him what he wanted.
On the rare occasions he couldn't fix things himself, Hasler had his trusty right-hand man Peter Peters in the office across the carpark at Sea Eagles HQ.
Zorba was the Panadol for any Hasler-induced headache.
Outside of the club, Dessie could call on godfather Ken Arthurson or immortal Bob Fulton to put things right or offer words of advice.
He could lean on them in times of need.
Who will he turn to at Canterbury when things need fixing?
He has no history at Belmore and no known allies.
The Bulldogs like to promote from within, much like Manly, but have broken the trend in choosing an outsider to coach them.
It's as much a risk for them as it is Hasler.
Already there are those willing to bet against Dessie seeing out his four years.
That's nothing against his coaching ability - he is clearly one of the leaders in his field - but the fit just doesn't look right.
Canterbury will soon find out it's impossible to assess what makes Hasler tick because few get close enough to really understand the man.
This much we do know.
He is obsessive. He's a control freak and a workaholic.
He is quick to anger yet loves a joke as much as the next man.
An intensely private man but one who goes out of his way to create headlines and controversy.
A person who looks after No.1 first and foremost yet can be most loyal person when someone's chips are down - just ask Brett Stewart.
And he can coach.
Manly were a basket case when he took over in 2004, barely able to afford balls and tackling bags as they emerged from the ruins of the Northern Eagles.
Yet within three years Hasler got them to a grand final.
A year later he brought the club its first premiership in 12 years - a record 40-0 win over a Melbourne side later found to be rorting the salary cap.
Finals appearances followed in 2009 and 2010 and by 2011 the Sea Eagles were on another lap of honour.
Hasler will start his new life as a Bulldog on Monday morning, taking the long drive from his beachside house at Collaroy on Sydney's northern peninsula through to the inner west suburb of Belmore.
As the kilometres click over by the dozen, he will surely reflect on how it came to this.
How did something so good go so sour so quickly?