Garth Brennan and Titans part ways, Holbrook to take over in 2020

[TheFrog]

Justin Holbrook could turn the club around, especially if he brings with him from St Helens their halves Johnny Lomax and Theo Fages.

Super League is not NRL. Queensland Origin is not NRL, and Queensland Cup is not NRL. The bloke they just sacked had won the NSW Cup twice and the Interstate championship once, and been a successful assistant coach in the NRL. He'd probably do OK in England or in the Queensland Cup, but it didn't help much as a head coach in the NRL. This club needs a proven record of on-field success in the NRL, nothing else will do. It doesn't need any more figureheads or feelgood appointments, and it doesn't need to massage Walters' fragile ego after his Bronco rejections (all of which I've heard on-air in recent days). That would narrow it down to Toovey or Griffin.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

Super League is not NRL. Queensland Origin is not NRL, and Queensland Cup is not NRL. The bloke they just sacked had won the NSW Cup twice and the Interstate championship once, and been a successful assistant coach in the NRL. He'd probably do OK in England or in the Queensland Cup, but it didn't help much as a head coach in the NRL. This club needs a proven record of on-field success in the NRL, nothing else will do. It doesn't need any more figureheads or feelgood appointments, and it doesn't need to massage Walters' fragile ego after his Bronco rejections (all of which I've heard on-air in recent days). That would narrow it down to Toovey or Griffin.

Kevin Walters has been successful with a very talented roster in Queensland State of Origin, all of whose players had competent club coaches to prepare them. But when Walters was coach of a club, Catalans Dragons in France 2009-10, he was a disaster. The club dropped from a good position on the table to the bottom of the table under his guidance, and so Walters was sacked. Walters was succeeded at Catalans by Trent Robinson, who pulled the club out of its Walters doldrums and turned the team into top notch competitors. Kevin Walters cannot coach to save his life.

Griifin is damaged goods. The only rational options are Geoff Toovey and Justin Holbrook. Toovey had a good run at Manly. Holbrook was assistant coach under Super Coach Trent Robinson at the Sydney Roosters before he began his very successful run at St. Helens.

 

[TheFrog]

Griifin is damaged goods.

Damaged goods with a 58% win record in the NRL coming from the cellar. This will be a test of Meninga, whether he has the club's future success as the priority, whether he really is just a figurehead. Being an immortal does not automatically confer wisdom or skill in management. I feel he's had a lot handed to him on a platter since his playing days ended.

 

[ram raid]

so why wouldn't they build a stadium on the beach?

Same reason the NY Giants and Jets both play in New Jersey instead of Manhattan; real estate prices. But yes it would be good to have stadiums in better locations. If I was Führer I'd Build Bankwests in the heart of every NRL city/suburb. Demolishing public hospitals if necessary.

 

[OldPanther]

Toovey says he'll apply.

 

[mongoose]

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

Where the f**k is Toovey? He appears on Fox League every now and then as a commentator but he is otherwise unseen. Does he really not want to coach again? I have not heard any talk about clubs in need of a coach eyeing him off as an option anywhere since a couple of months after he left Manly.

 

[gerg]

Where the f**k is Toovey? He appears on Fox League every now and then as a commentator but he is otherwise unseen. Does he really not want to coach again? I have not heard any talk about clubs in need of a coach eyeing him off as an option anywhere since a couple of months after he left Manly.

He is on NRL teams Tuesday every single week, with Brett Kimorley. It's a decent show actually.

 

[Peet]

The GC has Burleigh and Tweed Heads as successful Qld Cup sides and Keebra Park as a League school, but there's a difference between being a successful area at those levels and a successful area at NRL level. To be successful at NRL level you need enough interest and support from the public, and the mistake that the major sporting codes have made is simply look at the population of the GC without seeming to bother investigating the demographics. The word "transient" has become almost cliche, but there are too many people who move to the GC from somewhere else and have their existing club loyalties. There aren't enough people who consider themselves "Gold Coasters", who'll go and watch more than the odd game if that. IIRC the NRL gave GC the nod mainly because they figured we needed more Qld teams. We could definitely use more Qld teams, but the GC is not the place. We should be looking at Redcliffe or another existing QRL team instead.

Spot-on. I live in Tweed Heads. I know the demographics & the general attitude. The Titan's early years drew great crowds because it was new & trendy - it was always going to drop off. It is a great place to live, but a 'fair-weather' town with 'fair-weather' fans. Giants, Seagulls, Gladiators, Chargers, Cougars, Blaze, Rollers, Dolphins, Bears, United, Clippers, Blue Tongues, Aces, ..... they all died because of this. Simple as that. Yes league has great roots here, but so does Wagga Wagga. Moving to Brisbane would be the best result. Moving the Suns to Tassie would also make sense, but who-ever goes first will leave the area to the code that is left & neither the NRL or the AFL want to do this.

 

[Diesel]

f**k the AFL, GC is RL territory. Let the Suns bleed the AFL dry.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

Toovey gets too carried away when the referees' decisions go against his team. The club will face fines because of Toovey's emotions. Better to stick with someone more measured like Super League Super Coach Justin Holbrook, who was mentored by the Sydney Roosters Super Coach Trent Robinson.

 

[Mr Angry]

Where the f**k is Toovey? He appears on Fox League every now and then as a commentator but he is otherwise unseen. Does he really not want to coach again? I have not heard any talk about clubs in need of a coach eyeing him off as an option anywhere since a couple of months after he left Manly.

Toovey does not need to coach, he is a successful accountant, is on the Board of the NRMA, does some Fox shows.

If he applies it is for the challenge. Good if not the best reason.

All the others need a job.

 

[ram raid]

I'll do it for 80k and a company car. No Titans insignia on the car though. I have some pride.

 

[Quicksilver]

I'll do it for 80k and a company car. No Titans insignia on the car though. I have some pride.

The company car will be a pink beach buggy or a Barbie camper-van though.

 

[no name]

Toovey does not need to coach, he is a successful accountant, is on the Board of the NRMA, does some Fox shows.

If he applies it is for the challenge. Good if not the best reason.

All the others need a job.

I really hope Toovey gets the gig.

While I’ve never been a fan of Hook in the past, he would probably be my next pick.

Taylor and Barrett can f**k right off, it will be a complete disaster if either of those two get it.

 

[ram raid]

The company car will be a pink beach buggy or a Barbie camper-van though.

I could make that work.

 

[Slackboy72]

f**k the AFL, GC is RL territory. Let the Suns bleed the AFL dry.

GC is noone's territory. Full of victorian retirees and dodgy real estate agents.
Professional sport of all codes should just give the whole area a wide berth.

 

[firechild]

I really hope Toovey gets the gig.

While I’ve never been a fan of Hook in the past, he would probably be my next pick.

Taylor and Barrett can f**k right off, it will be a complete disaster if either of those two get it.

I hope he doesn't. Not because he's not the best option but because it will be a sad day seeing the great man aligned with anyone other than Manly/NSW/Australia.

Titans can have Barrett.

 

[King hit]

Damaged goods with a 58% win record in the NRL coming from the cellar. This will be a test of Meninga, whether he has the club's future success as the priority, whether he really is just a figurehead. Being an immortal does not automatically confer wisdom or skill in management. I feel he's had a lot handed to him on a platter since his playing days ended.

Meninga can't coach to save himself. He was just lucky to fall into a job with immortals at his disposal, the team picked and coached itself. He hasn't changed a thing at the Gold Coast and probably isn't going to.

I heard about his grand plan to revive them back before the season and his plan was basically just about waiting for the Broncos etc to discard players and pick them up.

 

[Reflector]

Spot-on. I live in Tweed Heads. I know the demographics & the general attitude. The Titan's early years drew great crowds because it was new & trendy - it was always going to drop off. It is a great place to live, but a 'fair-weather' town with 'fair-weather' fans. Giants, Seagulls, Gladiators, Chargers, Cougars, Blaze, Rollers, Dolphins, Bears, United, Clippers, Blue Tongues, Aces, ..... they all died because of this. Simple as that. Yes league has great roots here, but so does Wagga Wagga. Moving to Brisbane would be the best result. Moving the Suns to Tassie would also make sense, but who-ever goes first will leave the area to the code that is left & neither the NRL or the AFL want to do this.

I remember back in 2004-05 when the NRL was looking to expand and it was the Gold Coast bid in the running for the 16th spot vs the Central Coast Bears. The CC had a brand with almost 100 years history, a modern stadium ready to go, guaranteed backers, a combined area that had more than 1 million people and direct access to some of the richest potential sponsors in Australia. They were clearly the best bid in every key factor that would actually matter. Yet so many people were blinded by "too many teams in Sydney" and claimed GC should be in because "we need more Qld teams", the end. I tried pointing out that the GC was the wrong place for a professional sports team and that all the other failed ventures across the sports codes were no coincidence. But the NRL yet again showed no foresight and clearly believed an area of 600k people + a Qld postcode= success.

And now here we are, 15 years later. Irony is, the Bears relocating up there and taking the licence could be the one thing that worked for a GC NRL team!