NRL 2021: Titans owners back coach Justin Holbrook to deliver long-term success at Gold Coast
Coach Justin Holbrook has given Titans’ owners confidence the resurgent franchise is heading in the right direction as the club prepares for its first finals appearance in five years.
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The Gold Coast Titans have boldly declared Justin Holbrook will become an NRL premiership-winning coach as the club’s owners forecast a bright future for the resurgent franchise.
Holbrook will lead the Titans into their first NRL finals appearance since 2016 when they face the Sydney Roosters in Townsville on Saturday night.
The elimination clash has been four years in the making since the Frizelle-Kelly consortium took ownership of the Gold Coast licence following a turbulent 10 years in the NRL.
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The Titans were on the brink of collapse in 2015 when a drugs scandal and financial issues forced the NRL to take ownership of the club, costing white knight saviours Darryl and Joanne Kelly more than $5 million after they initially stepped in to save it in 2012.
With the help of Gold Coast car dealership moguls Brett and Rebecca Frizelle, the Kellys dipped into their pockets again to buy the Titans from the NRL in late 2017.
The owners’ first big move was appointing Garth Brennan as coach to replace the sacked Neil Henry, a decision which failed as Brennan was axed in 2019 on the way to collecting the wooden spoon.
But the Mal Meninga-inspired selection of Super League title-winning coach Holbrook saw the Titans finish ninth last year before they were able to sneak into the top eight this season, albeit with a 10-14 record.
With a stable front office, financial certainty and an improving player roster, Darryl Kelly believes the Titans have the coach that could lead them to the promised land in years to come.
“It’s difficult to find the next premiership-winning coach and every club that hasn’t got one is trying to do that,” he said.
“You have to take a punt sometimes. We did that with the previous coach and it didn’t work out. With Justin we’ve found a highly intelligent and very reasonable individual who can think his way through it and will eventually evolve into a premiership-winning coach.
“He did show faith in us. He was Mal’s choice. Mal (head of performance and culture) was the one who pushed his case.
“He did take a gamble on coming to a club that was running 14th at the time. There’s no doubt about that. But there were a lot of people that recognised the potential of this club and hopefully we’re starting to fulfil it.”
It is difficult to ascertain the exact financial contribution the Kellys and Frizelles have made to keep the Titans afloat on the Gold Coast.
Kelly has pledged more than $35 million in the form of financing a leagues club development that will generate revenue for the Titans and help them further expand.
After years of on and off-field struggles, Kelly said the club’s drought-breaking finals appearance, courtesy of a record 44-0 thrashing of the Warriors, provided “vindication” for what they were trying to achieve.
“If we’d stumbled across the line and won by 12 points I wouldn’t be as convinced we deserve to be there,” he said.
“We set out this year to make the top eight and we’ve done a lot of work in the background that will come to the fore in the next few years.
“We’ve got good people and we’ve committed to them. We are confident they will deliver for us in the long-term.
“We didn’t have any control when the other organisation was there (in 2012) then the NRL came in (2015) and we were dictated to a lot by the NRL as to what we could and couldn’t do.
“We did a very detailed submission on what we were going to do and how we would do it in 2017. I was always more confident because it was our plan.
“This year we committed to the women’s competition. Three years ago we committed a lot more money to our junior development programs. Those things will continue.
“We’re not standing still at all. There is still a lot to be done and we’ll keep doing it.”
The Frizelles have held a 15-year association with the Titans, starting as foundation sponsors before Rebecca became the club’s first chairperson in 2014.
After years of controversies, the Titans have found stable ground in recent times and Rebecca senses the Gold Coast public’s attitude to the club is shifting after losing faith during the turbulent times.
“What I saw on Sunday leaving the stadium was our supporters truly happy,” she said.
“Often enough they have been on the wrong end of the commentary but they were walking out celebrating.
“I think it gives the city a sense of pride and we have been maligned for many years up here that we couldn’t sustain a sporting team.
“Well we can and we will — and we will sustain a successful one. It will get more and more successful. We are young but we are growing and building a strong foundation.
“It is so important — it gives young people something to aspire to. You can see what it does for young kids. That is incredibly important.
“It is really early days, we have a long way to go and we know it, but it is a wonderful result for the hard work that happens off the field as well.
“We have had so many near misses this year. If anyone argues we shouldn’t be there, look at our results.”
The Kellys and Frizelles flew to Townsville on Friday together and will be in the stands at Queensland Country Bank Stadium for the biggest moment since they took control of the Titans. Win or lose, they believe it is only the start of things to come.
TITAN COPS BRUTAL ‘STICK UP MY A***’ SLEDGE
— Travis Meyn and Chris Honnery
Beau Fermor is the cut-price forward keeping $1.1 million man David Fifita out of a starting jersey and on track to become the Gold Coast Titans’ new cult hero.
Fermor will make his 23rd NRL appearance when he starts in the back row in Saturday’s elimination final against the Roosters in Townsville.
On a fraction of Fifita’s hefty salary, Fermor has been one of the finds of the season for the Titans and has finished the year with a bang.
With a unique running style and innate ability to create something out of nothing, Fermor is quickly becoming a favourite among Titans fans.
The Titans are on the hunt for a new cult hero following the retirement of winger Anthony Don this year and Fermor could be the man.
Fermor, 23, cops plenty for the way he shuffles across the ground but says he won’t be changing anything.
“I don’t know, I just try to run as hard as I can,” he said.
“I’ve copped a bit of flak for my running over the years. The coaches like to get into me, they say if I get into space I look like I’m running with a stick up my bum.
“But if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It seems to be working for me so I’ll keep going.”
The Titans took a punt on Fermor, signing him on a three-year deal from Newcastle in January last year while he was recovering from a knee reconstruction.
He spent the first half of the 2020 season in the rehabilitation group before making his NRL debut in Round 8 and playing eight matches last year.
Fermor became a professional 18th man of sorts early this season but he is now starting ahead of try-scoring sensation Fifita – the Titans’ highest-paid player.
Now signed until the end of 2024, Fermor said he wanted to repay the faith shown in him by the Titans.
“I was 21, never played a first grade game and fresh off an ACL injury when the Titans signed me,” he said.
“I really liked my time in Newcastle. It’s a beautiful spot to live and I’ve got some really good mates there. Being a Dalby boy, the Gold Coast was a lot closer to home and there was the security of a longer deal.
“Looking back on it now, I’m glad I made the move. Last year was stopped by Covid so who knows what footy I would have got to play as I didn’t get back from my knee injury until right in the middle of Covid.
“I might not have played any footy last year and not had a contract.
“For the Titans to show faith in me to bring me here was massive for my confidence, especially at that age after a big injury which is pretty scary.
“I re-signed with the club this year until 2024 and that was a big reason why I wanted to stay. I don’t want to play for anyone else. I want to stay here as long as possible and repay the faith the club has shown in me.”
Fermor dominated the junior grades for the Knights and represented the Queensland under-20s in 2018 alongside Titans teammates and Origin stars Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and AJ Brimson.
He has set his sights on wearing the famous Maroons jersey in the Origin arena one day and said he was enjoying his footy heading into a debut NRL finals series.
“It’s been a dream of mine to play Origin since I can remember,” Fermor said.
“I’ve always wanted to play Origin. Hopefully I can keep playing well for the Titans and if the opportunity to play Origin presents itself it will be a dream come true.
“I’m loving where I’m playing at the moment. Left edge is my preferred position. All I can do is keep playing well and doing my job for the team.
“David is doing a really good job. He’s scored the most tries (17) in Titans history in one season. He’s copped a lot but when you look at stuff like that we’ve got to appreciate how good a player he is.
“I’m just going out there, playing footy and loving my time at the moment. I just want to keep playing. I’ve played 20-odd games now so it’s about building my confidence in first grade and being able to do things I’ve done in Cup and lower grade in first grade now.”
BUSTED FIFITA DARES ROOSTERS TO TRY AND BREAK HIM
Gold Coast Titans star David Fifita wants his starting spot back and is ready for returning Roosters hit-men Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Victor Radley to try and rattle his busted rib cage.
Fifita will receive a painkilling injection in a rib cartilage injury he has been nursing for a month to play in Saturday’s elimination final against the Roosters in Townsville.
The Gold Coast’s $1.1 million recruit has already broken the Titans’ season try-scoring record (17) and shapes as a pivotal player in the club’s first finals appearance in five years.
And he is set to have a target on his head after News Corp revealed Fifita had been nursing a painful rib injury.
Fifita, 21, said he suffered the injury against the Cowboys in Round 21 and deteriorated when he backed up the following week against South Sydney.
Fifita has been spotted grimacing on the field recently but said he wasn’t afraid of Sydney’s enforcers targeting him at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
“It’s all good, I don’t mind, they can do whatever,” he said.
“It’s rib cartilage. I hurt it way back in the Cowboys game then played against Souths and it got worse.
“You know rib cartilages are pretty painful. It’s just the movement. The staff do a good job monitoring me during the week and getting needled up on game day.
“It’s getting better. I just needle it up and it will be sweet.”
Fifita has had an intriguing first year at the Titans after quitting the Brisbane Broncos to sign a $3.5 million three-year deal.
He started the season with a bang, scoring nine tries in the opening seven rounds to prove he is one of the most damaging players in the game.
But Fifita’s form has been inconsistent as opposition defences worked out ways to limit his impact and he has started six of the past seven games on the bench.
Fifita said he had been enjoying his supersub role but admitted he wanted to be in the starting 13.
“It’s good, it’s something new for myself,” he said.
“Justin (Holbrook, coach) keeps it really simple for me. It’s been up and down (season) but Justin makes my game plan really simple.
“He trains me hard and then I come off the bench. I’m enjoying my new role and I know what to do.
“It (bench) is what it is. I want to start but it’s what’s best for the team and we’re getting the wins. Beau Fermor, Kevvie (Proctor) and the edges are doing a good job.
“I’m just happy to be playing finals again. Just to be in this position with the Titans, who haven’t made finals for a while, is really good.”
Fifita broke the Titans’ try-scoring record (16) held by David Mead (2011) and James Roberts (2015) with a double in the Gold Coast’s club record 44-nil thrashing of the Warriors on Sunday.
He has been criticised for his efforts at times but Holbrook said Fifita’s strengths should be applauded.
“Dave gets talked about a lot,” Holbrook said.
“That’s his best option for us (playing off the bench). He hasn’t been 100 per cent himself.
“He’s scored the most tries for a forward in the comp by a mile, he made the most tackle busts so we have to start enjoying a good player in our competition, rather than what he can’t do.
“He’s not meant to play 80 minutes. If he’s stronger and faster than everyone else, you can’t expect him to be fitter than everyone else.
“He’s got plenty of strengths to his game and that’s the way we have to use him.”
The Roosters escaped with a thrilling one-point win against the Titans when they met in Round 14, with a Sam Walker field goal the difference.
Roosters captain James Tedesco said the Tri Colours had to limit Fifita’s impact if they were to progress to week two of the finals.
“David is huge for the Titans,” he said.
“When he’s in the mood and he’s playing some really good footy by scoring tries and breaking tackles, they get a lot of confidence out of that and a lot of momentum.
“It’s a big responsibility for us to keep him quiet because he plays a big role in getting the Titans momentum with his play-the-ball and strong running. It’s a big job to keep him quiet and making sure we limit his opportunities.”
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