Gold Coast players’ attitudes need a Titanic shift

Performance is attitudinal and some of the performances over the past two or three years from Titans players as a collective have not been acceptable.

Titans players must take ownership of the club’s performances. Picture: AAP

It is time for Titans players to take ownership of the club’s performances, and time for the senior players to drive new cultural standards for the Gold Coast.

It is ironic that Gold Coast’s clash on Sunday is against Melbourne, for it is the Storm’s wonderful culture of success and ultra-consistent performances under Craig Bellamy that should be their template.

It is never pleasant to read of any coach’s sacking and while Garth Brennan was always going to face some heat after 12 wins from 40 games, Gold Coast’s playing group need to ask themselves some tough questions.

Am I doing enough to set the right standards to enhance our culture? Is my preparation for an NRL game good enough?

In the past two years, the Titans have sacked two coaches, Brennan and Neil Henry.

On both occasions, player disenchantment has been the undercurrent that ultimately sealed their fate and that must ring alarm bells for Titans management.

Garth Brennan’s Titans career is over. Picture: AAP

A coach’s job is to find the formula to get their players to play for them but once you cross that line on the weekend, they don’t run on the field making tackles and charging into the defensive line.

Performance is attitudinal and some of the performances over the past two or three years from Titans players as a collective have not been acceptable.

I remember my time at the Broncos under Wayne Bennett and we had a group of senior players who took ownership of Brisbane’s performances when we crossed the line as a team.

Wayne presided over the program, structure and methodology of Brisbane’s quest for success — but it was the playing group that had to buy in and take responsibility.

In that context, the Titans need to develop more leaders who won’t accept bad habits and will work in tandem with the new coach to establish the club’s playing identity and culture. Jai Arrow has been inspirational for the Titans over the past two seasons, and Ryan James not far behind him, but they need teammates such as Jarrod Wallace, Ash Taylor, and Kevin Proctor to step up and lead with their actions.

Titans players must take ownership of the club’s performances. Picture: AAP

One of the issues with the Titans is self-belief. When the chips are down, as a squad they haven’t been able to hang in there and show some resilience — a trait that good leadership builds.

The appointment of Mal Meninga as culture chief has been crucial in giving the club some self-belief and the gravitas to make the Titans a successful brand.

But with Meninga having no interest in becoming head coach, the pressure is on Gold Coast bosses to make the right call on Brennan’s successor.

The Titans require a mentor who can build a culture of high standards while developing leadership qualities in his playing group.

A number of candidates have been mentioned, so the Titans board are faced with a decision that could make or break the club.

They are at a crossroads.

Mal Meninga’s appointment has been crucial. Picture: AAP

The demise of Brennan has reignited talk about the Titans’ future as a club, but, as a code, we simply can’t allow the Gold Coast to fail.

There has been talk about the Titans moving games to Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium but that concept would be fraught with danger.

It would seriously erode the Titans brand.

The Titans need to own the Gold Coast and back themselves to stay where they are.

There is no better formula in sport than winning and the Gold Coast can be a fickle sporting market with so many other lifestyle options.

But if the Titans give the people a reason to get behind them, they will.

Originally published as Gold Coast players’ attitudes need a Titanic shift