Gold Coast Titans chairman Dennis Watt addresses club in crisis
Titans chairman Dennis Watt has broken his silence on the state of the club, addressing speculation around the futures of coach Des Hasler and captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, as well as calls for relocation.
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Titans chairman Dennis Watt has hit back at calls for the struggling club to be relocated but concedes the Gold Coast faces a test of credibility to keep skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
Watt has broken his silence on the state of the Titans amid speculation besieged coach Des Hasler could be sacked if Gold Coast loses Sunday’s derby clash against the Broncos at Cbus Super Stadium.
Hasler was brought to the club last year to deliver premiership glory to the Glitter Strip but instead the Titans are mired in another season of discontent that is set to trigger the veteran coach’s sacking.
The Titans are last on percentages and if they lose to the Broncos, Gold Coast bosses will have the contractual power to sever ties with the two-time premiership-winning mentor.
A potentially more vexing headache for the Titans is the future of skipper Fa’asuamaleaui, who has a get-out clause he could activate to be the marquee signing for the Perth Bears in 2027.
TITANIC BATTLE
On the eve of Origin III, Fa’asuamaleaui told this masthead he wants to assess the direction of the Titans and Watt vowed to do everything possible to ensure the inspirational prop remains on the Coast.
“It’s up to us to create the culture and environment where we retain and attract the players that we need to be successful at the highest level,” Watt said.
“There really is that challenge. Clearly we have to work hard on that.
“With the market expanding (with the admission of Perth in 2027 and Papua New Guinea in 2028), the challenge is to lift our game.
“Tino is just relentless in his efforts. Whether it’s on the training paddock, whether it’s talking to media, whether it’s fronting sponsors representing this club, there is no finer representative.
“At his heart, Tino is a competitor, he’s a warrior, and we’d like to keep him here.”
THE CULTURE
Former Broncos skipper Corey Parker, a premiership-winner and Origin and Test player, on Thursday described the Titans as an “absolute rabble” under Hasler.
The Coast have made the finals just twice in 15 years, haven’t won a playoffs game since 2010 and are on track for their third wooden spoon and fourth consecutive bottom-four finish.
That’s a snapshot of endemic mediocrity and a far cry from the Titans’ formative years, when foundation coach John Cartwright steered the club to back-to-back finals campaigns in 2009-10 built on hard work and competitive spirit.
“We need to look at our DNA and get that grit back,” Watt said.
“Like every other club, we aspire to win premierships or at least to be in contention.
“There’s two criteria for winning premierships – you’ve got to be ranked one or two defensively in the competition and, equally, the premiership sides often use the least number of players.
“The reality is we’re not ticking the box on either of those at the moment.
“There’s a magnificent heart in this organisation, but you’ve got to have that connection and stability on the field and that’s as much about turning up for each other.
“We want guys turning up for the jersey.
“It’s certainly an area for improvement and one the guys are all very, very mindful of.”
DES-ASTER
Hasler has a performance clause in his contract that he can be terminated by the Titans if they aren’t a mathematical chance of making the top eight.
That scenario will arrive this Sunday if the Titans, who have won four of 15 games this season, fall against the Broncos.
Watt would not comment on Hasler’s contractual situation due to commercial confidentiality, but said he was hired to inject a premiership-winning work ethic to the club.
“Des had won silverware in the past,” Watt said.
“He’s a premiership coach, he has a phenomenal and fearless work ethic. He has left no stone unturned in trying to bring success to this club.
“That was his track record – winning premierships.
“We’re certainly not where we want to be.
“We’ve got the local derby coming up against a very strong Broncos side on Sunday and we’re expecting our side to show up strongly and be in the fight.
“We’re focused on finishing strong. Everything’s subject to review in our business. There’s daily and weekly reviews. The NRL is a results-driven business, isn’t it … for everybody.”
RELOCATION
There is a view the Gold Coast is a sporting graveyard.
The region is littered with sporting carcasses beyond rugby league and Watt has heard the incessant whispers calling for the Titans to be relocated, if not shut down altogether.
But if anyone understands NRL success, it’s Watt.
He previously served as a board member and director at the Melbourne Storm and the Broncos before joining the Titans as chairman in December 2017.
He rubbished suggestions Australia’s sixth-largest city, home to 640,000 residents, can’t sustain a winning NRL team.
“Of course a Gold Coast team can succeed,” he said.
“There will always be a Titans club, not just because of the owners directly involved, but from the support that we get from Peter V’landys (ARL Commission boss), Andrew Abdo (NRL CEO), and the Commission.
“They are wonderful advocates for a strong competitive team on the Gold Coast.
“It’s certainly an honour to those who’ve come before us and the current people here are determined to make it work.”
Watt points to Kieran Foran, the veteran playmaker who announced his retirement on Friday and will remain at the club in a mentoring capacity in 2026.
“Kieran has set the benchmark in terms of the character and commitment required to compete successfully in the NRL,” Watt said.
“We are so fortunate he is staying with the club to help develop, mentor and support our young men.”
THE FUTURE
Titans saviour Darryl Kelly sold his stake during the week to Brett and Rebecca Frizelle, who are now full owners of the club.
The sale comes four years after Titans CEO Steve Mitchell unveiled the club’s shiny “road map”, a bold mission statement in which the Gold Coast aimed to win two premierships by 2030.
The clock is ticking.
The Titans will almost certainly have a new coach next season, but regardless of Hasler’s potential successor, Watt makes no apologies for Gold Coast chasing title dominance.
“That statement (the Titans road map plan) was made at the time, but if you don’t aim high, you don’t succeed,” Watt said.
“There’s enormous gratitude to Darryl and Joanne Kelly (wife).
“They’ve been a white knight for this club on a couple of occasions. They helped secure the financial future of our club and we want to carry on their legacy.
“It’s got to be the goal of every team in the NRL to be contending for titles.
“There’s a lot of talent here and there’s a lot of promise here. We’ve just got to turn the potential into results.
“The Titans were never set up to be an also-ran.”
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