Garth Brennan on chopping block as Gold Coast Titans order operations review
Titans coach Garth Brennan is fighting for his job after the Gold Coast board ordered a full investigation of the club’s operations.
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Titans coach Garth Brennan is fighting for his job after the Gold Coast board on Thursday ordered a full investigation of the club’s operations.
Titans culture-and-performance boss Mal Meninga has been tasked with presiding over a wide-ranging probe in the wake of the Gold Coast’s worst start to a season in their 12-year history.
It follows The Courier-Mail’s exclusive report in which Titans co-owner Darryl Kelly took aim at the football department, ordering coach Brennan and the playing squad to “do their jobs”.
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The board’s instruction comes just 24 hours before the Titans, equal last with a dismal 2-8 record, travel to Sydney for Friday night’s clash against Manly at Lottoland Stadium.
Meninga was hired by the Titans in November to improve the club’s culture and now the Australian Test coach has a mandate to probe every facet of the Gold Coast’s operations following another season of underachievement.
The Titans were tipped to be top-four contenders this season but are currently mired in the bottom four and in danger of finishing with the wooden spoon.
Brennan is now firmly in the firing line.
Appointed just 18 months ago, Brennan was originally contracted until the end of this season, but Titans powerbrokers rubber-stamped a one-year extension over summer, securing him until the end of 2020.
But unless Brennan delivers results in the coming months, he faces the sack - raising the prospect of an embarrassing payout from the very Titans board that agreed to his one-year upgrade.
Since taking charge last year, Brennan has won 10 of 34 games for a 29 per cent success rate. The Titans finished 14th last season.
This season, the Coast had a dismal 0-4 start and simply haven’t recovered, with $1 million halfback Ash Taylor the poster boy for the Titans’ mediocrity with some error-riddled individual displays.
Following a board meeting on Thursday, Meninga will take on a beefed-up role with the Australian coach to have direct control of the football department following the departure of Titans head of football Phil Moss.
“The Gold Coast Titans board of directors has asked the club’s head of performance and culture, Mal Meninga, to oversee a full and comprehensive mid-season review of the Titans’ football operations,” a club statement said.
“As the first assignment of his expanded role, the Board has asked Mr Meninga to work together with the club’s coaches, staff and players to conduct a full and comprehensive review of all football department operations and performance with instructions to report back to the Board with hisfindings and recommendations.”
The Titans statement backed up comments from co-owner Darryl Kelly, who said the Gold Coast’s on-field performances did not reflect the club’s off-field health.
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“The board believes that on-field performances from the Titans over the first 10 rounds of the NRL premiership have not met the club’s standards for success, nor the expectations of our
members, supporters and corporate partners,” the club said.
“Therefore, the board decided that a holistic review of our football operations was required to ensure the team and its supporters are being given the best chance to savour success in the NRL premiership.
“The board gratefully acknowledges the on-going support of the Titans’ major sponsors, corporate partners, members and fans, and reaffirms the club’s commitment to creating a successful rugby
league team for the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers communities to be proud of.”
On Wednesday, Titans co-owner Kelly broke his silence with The Courier-Mail, admitting jobs were on the line at Parkwood - including that of the head coach.
“All I will say is everyone is judged on their results, there’s no doubt about that,” said Kelly, also a Titans director.
“The board has to make judgment on whether people beneath them are doing their jobs properly or not - that’s the truth of the matter.
“We all have our jobs to do, including myself, the board and the senior management.
“With the football department, there are people employed to do their jobs, that’s what we expect and we will make judgments on them at the appropriate time.”
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