The search for a new Head Coach of the Gold Coast Titans has been exhaustive – and exhausting.
The process that the Club has been through over the past few weeks has been extremely thorough, and it had to be for a decision that is so important to the future of the Titans.
We are fortunate to have good people here at the Titans, people whose only interest is in doing what is best for the Club.
And I am very happy that the Titans owners have put their confidence in those people to make the right choice about who will coach the Titans next year.
The next coach of the Titans will be the best person to implement the standards that we will use to build the Club into a premiership force by taking our playing group to new levels of preparation and performance.
The improvement needed in preparation and performance were evident in the first half against the Broncos on Saturday night.
The Titans were beaten up by the Broncos in the first 40 minutes. Their size and power made the Gold Coast look like schoolboys by comparison.
It was a massive disappointment. But to the players’ credit, they didn’t throw in the towel. They came out in the second half and stuck with the Broncos.
They showed a bit of character, and finished the second half 6-all with Brisbane.
Operating under a fair level of fatigue, the Titans actually let a couple of chances go begging in the second half. But I was impressed with the grit and attitude they showed to keep fighting, when the halftime score indicated a blowout was coming their way.
That grit and resilience is what the team will build on. Right now, the Titans have fallen out of the habits of winning.
The Titans started well, but that early intercept try and the sin-binning of Michael Gordon drained their confidence, and they fell into doubt and bad habits.
They have been down for so long, it is almost like they have forgotten how to win.
But we will rebuild them. The pockets of effort, the great attitude, the grit and resilience, the will to keep battling for their pride in the Club – that is what we will build a winning team on.
To do that, the Titans will appoint a coach with the knowledge, the football intelligence and tactical skills to take those ingredients and build a winning football team for you to be proud of.
Those of us entrusted by the Club’s owners to choose the coach and build a winning culture can see the pieces falling into place.
The players are on notice that a new era is coming. They can either lift to meet the standards required, or make way for someone who will.
