As a privately owned club the Gold Coast Titans have a few advantages. One of those advantages is the fact that the owner of the club can give everyone below them one clear focus, one pathways forward, and they can step in and make immediate changes if things start to go pear shaped.
When the Titans brought in Mal Meninga to do a review of the football department the writing was on the wall. Meaning is a Rugby League legend, he has been the most successful State Of Origin coach of all time. He know what it takes to win. No coach has ever survived a review of the football department by an outsider, so it was no shock when Garth Brennan was shown the door by the Titans after a terrible first half of the 2019 season and with a terrible record overall at the club.
What followed Brennans sacking though, well, that’s all on the Titans.
The coaching search was played out in the media and the club decided against proven, experienced coaches to bring on board Justin Holbrook from St Helens. To bring a first time NRL coach into a Titans club that needs changes is a really bad idea.
The Titans should have been looking at someone with experience, who didn’t feel the need to prove themselves as a coach, and someone that could demand the long term deal that is needed to turn the Titans around.
The Titans need someone that can connect with the local junior Rugby League base in South East Queensland. They should be one of the best clubs in the game in terms of turning out talent, and that just isn’t the case right now.
They will need time to turn over their current player base a little. to move some players on, and bring new talent through their juniors.
Will Holbrook have the time to do all of that as a first time NRL coach looking to establish a long NRL career? Will he be able to have the patience to take losses for a number of years while the Titans get back on their feet?
One thing is for certain, Holbrook can not afford to have Mal Meninga looking over his shoulder. He needs to be the sole voice overseeing the football side of the Titans. It needs to be Holbrooks club from top to bottom. He can’t do that with Meninga there.
