- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Sacked Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook has reacted with shock at Gold Coast’s decision to dump him effective immediately, with former Manly premiership-winning coach Des Hasler to replace him next year.
“I just can’t believe it, I feel awful. Totally gutted,” Holbrook told News Corp.
“I did not see this coming at all, that’s what I am pissed off about.
“I could understand if they said, ‘Look you have three games or whatever time period to do something’, but to be moved on like this, I’m still coming to terms with it.
“If they were a bit more open about the way things were heading, I would have been able to digest this, but it’s hit me out of the blue.”
The Titans issued a statement on Thursday morning to say they had “agreed to part ways” with Holbrook but did not say who would be filling in as caretaker coach for the rest of the season. They announced later in the day that current assistant Jim Lenihan had been appointed for the remainder of 2023.
The Titans informed Holbrook and the playing group of their decision on Thursday morning as the culmination of a review into the football program that began last year. “We think we’ve got large chunks of that program right,” Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell said.
“The piece that we don’t know that we’ve got right at the moment is how the playing group is being brought forward.
“We think we need a winner in place and someone who’s got the IP and has been to grand finals. It’s very unusual to have a coach of Des’ ilk in the market where he’s literally not employed. Sometimes timing is everything.”
Des Hasler walks onto the field during Anzac Round. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Hasler won two premierships with the Sea Eagles in 2008 and ’11 and also had a tumultuous stint with Canterbury and a second run at Manly before he was sacked at the end of last season.
His appointment comes after he pulled out of the race to coach St George Illawarra when the beleaguered joint-venture club was on the lookout for a new coach earlier this season.
“I’m looking forward to joining the Titans and to the 2024 season,” Hasler said.
“The club has a strong playing roster, the region is blessed with emerging talent and the organisation is firmly embedded in the community.
“I’m confident we can deliver success to the region in the coming seasons.”
Titans coach Justin Holbrook. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Immortal centre Mal Meninga, who has held the position of Head of Performance and Culture at the Titans for several years, appeared blindsided by the decision and said he was “a little disappointed” for Holbrook when interviewed on SEN shortly after the announcement.
He indicated he does not “envisage being part of the club moving forward”.
The Titans, who had the bye last weekend, are still very much in finals contention this season, sitting ninth on the ladder with a 6-7 record heading into this Sunday’s derby against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
They beat the Wests Tigers 28-12 in Holbrook’s final game in charge but had suffered three straight defeats to Newcastle, Canterbury and Souths beforehand.
The Titans went 31-51 under Holbrook since he took over from Garth Brennan at the start of 2020 with one first-round exit in his second season the only finals appearance during his tenure.
Hasler’s signing comes as star halfback Hunt agitates for a release from the remainder of his St George Illawarra contract and sets his sights on a move home to Queensland.
The Dragons formally declined Hunt’s request last Sunday but he is set to meet with club powerbrokers now his State of Origin duties are over for the time being.
Hunt looms as potential perfect fit for the Titans, who have a superstar-in-the-making at fullback in Jayden Campbell, a dynamic forward pack and a willing halves co-pilot in AJ Brimson. But Mitchell said the club could not make contact with Hunt until he secured a release from the Dragons.
“We can’t talk to Ben about his current contract nor should we, nor will we,” he said. “He hasn’t had a call from the club … He hasn’t called anyone at my club.”
Holbrook was under contract until the end of next season but the club has swung the axe seemingly out of the blue.
“He’s very sad,” Mitchell said. “(The players) are sad and that makes sense. They’ll miss Justin. I think he’s a friend and he’s got strong relationships there. But we’re about performance.
“We’ve got a playing group who genuinely want to win. I think they’ll want to bring a premiership to the Gold Coast.”
Gold Coast’s decision to bring in Hasler comes out of left field. The former representative halfback is known for being a polarising figure who can demand too much influence at clubs from his previous stops at Manly and Canterbury.
Hasler enjoyed great success in his first stint as Manly coach after rebuilding the club in 2004 from the aftermath of the Northern Eagles joint venture disaster with North Sydney.
The Sea Eagles thrashed Melbourne the win the 2008 Grand Final and accounted for the Warriors three years later before Hasler controversially switched to Canterbury for the next season.
During his time at the Dogs he took them to two Grand Finals in 2012 and ’14 but he was sacked three years later after his roster containing heavily back-ended contracts came back to bite them.
Hasler rejoined Manly in 2019 and they made the finals that year and again in 2021 but in the wake of the Pride jersey debacle late last season which led to them falling out of playoff contention, he was replaced by Anthony Seibold.
with AAP
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.