NRL 2024: New Titans coach Des Hasler opens up on Wayne Bennett rivalry, Gold Coast’s premiership hopes
They’re two of the NRL’s biggest characters with 54 first-grade campaigns between them. And Des Hasler can’t wait to lock horns with Wayne Bennett in what shapes as his swansong season.
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Des Hasler says Gold Coast’s premiership window is wide open as the incoming Titans coach declared he is primed for an explosive Queensland rivalry with the Broncos and Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins.
In his first interview as Titans coach, Hasler has broken a 12-month silence in the wake of his sacking at Manly, speaking of his rejuvenation ahead of arguably the toughest mission of his career – turning the Gold Coast into an NRL giant.
The 62-year-old also opened up about his top-secret signing with the Titans, taking on Big Brother the Broncos, his passion for coaching and why the Coast have the roster to win a maiden premiership.
Hasler officially takes office on Wednesday week – November 1 – tasked with delivering Gold Coast’s first title since their entry to the big league in 2007.
But if the two-time premiership winner at Manly is feeling the heat, he isn’t showing it.
As the dust settles on the Broncos’ breakthrough grand-final campaign this season, reclaiming the crown as the kings of the NRL in Queensland, Hasler is hellbent on sowing the seeds for a Titans dynasty.
“The task is to get results,” Hasler said.
“I’m quite excited about working with this young group.
“They really want to succeed.”
GOLD COAST RESCUE
For more than a decade, the Titans have been one of the NRL’s great underachievers.
Gold Coast have missed the playoffs 11 times in the past 13 seasons, crashed to the wooden spoon twice (2011 and 2019) and suffered the ignominy of finishing 14th and the lowest ranked Queensland team this year – one spot below Bennett’s new Dolphins franchise.
On October 20, 2021, the club released a ‘Building Titans Roadmap’ with a strategic plan to win two premierships by 2030.
They have since recorded back-to-back bottom four finishes and time is ticking.
Fast forward precisely two years and Hasler is overlooking the golden sands of Burleigh Heads beach, adamant the Titans have the band of young guns to deliver the club’s first NRL trophy.
He says the likes of skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (aged 23), David Fifita (23), AJ Brimson (24), Jayden Campbell (23), Moeaki Fotuaika (23) and Alofiana Khan-Pereira (21) are poised to blossom with the right mentoring.
“The window of opportunity is there. You’ve just got to jump through the f***ing thing,” Hasler says.
“I like the attitude of the players.
“Guys like Tino really, really want it.
“I’m excited about this particular group. They’re in a position now where they’ve got a good mixture of game experience and strength in different positions.
“The ages of players and exposure they’ve had … there’s a whole lot of things that go into it.
“Let’s just say their window is bright.”
DES-NEYLAND
When Hasler was appointed following the shock sacking of Justin Holbrook, one former Manly staffer said: “The Titans won’t know what hit them. Cyclone Des is coming.”
Hasler’s former Manly halfback, Queensland skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, told this masthead last week that the veteran coach will inject a hard edge to the Titans.
There is a view Hasler is a control freak whose relentless drive wears thin with club hierarchy.
Hasler disputes that perception, saying he will work harmoniously with Titans bosses in his quest to lift the standards demanded by the man who headhunted him – Gold Coast CEO Steve Mitchell.
“I’m not going to come in and be a p***k to work with or anything like that,” Hasler assured.
“They (Titans management including co-owners Darryl Kelly and Rebecca Frizelle) are certainly not going to be interfering.
“It’s going to take co-operation. The organisation and administration have been really supportive and open.
“My job is about lifting everyone’s capabilities. It’s not just players. It’s staff and everybody involved.
“You attack it from that way.
“If you don’t get that buy-in (from everyone), you’re f****d.
“To get that consistency, competitiveness and results … that is the way we’ll approach it.
“Because they’re such a young group, who knows where the capabilities will go.”
DEFIANT DES
Hasler won the last of his two premierships 12 years ago, but don’t dare suggest he is a spent force. The mere mention inflames a competitive fire that will rage through the Titans organisation.
“Being a spent force … that’s disrespectful. Don’t use spent force,” Hasler fires.
“I’ve been involved with rugby league for over 40 years.
“Where I’m at now, I coach because I really enjoy it. I don’t have to.
“Some coaches have to do it because they’ve got families or have to pay the bills.
“I simply enjoy coaching. It’s about the challenge and the engagement.
“You look at the great coaches, the most appealing thing about successful coaches is their manageability. Wayne is a great man manager.
“Experience counts for a lot as well.”
SLIDING DOORS
The Titans dropped a bombshell in June by suddenly terminating Holbrook following three-and-a-half years in charge. Hasler was unemployed at the time and an open target after his own demise eight months earlier at Brookvale.
Hasler is currently suing Manly, seeking compensation for the final 12 months of his contract in the NSW Supreme Court.
Civil proceedings began during the week and while Hasler declined to comment on the Manly saga due to the legal dispute, the Sea Eagles legend says his year-long hiatus did not erode his passion for coaching.
“I feel like I’ve never been away from it,“ said Hasler, speaking for the first time since his Manly axing.
“You’re out but never out, you’re watching the footy.
“I didn’t need refreshing, it was just the way it panned out.
“I enjoy coaching. I can’t be any more honest than that.
“I was able to jump back on-board around July this year when they (the Titans) decided to go in a different direction.”
Hasler admits he felt for his one-time NRL coaching rival Holbrook, who claimed he was “gutted” after being blindsided by Titans bosses.
“It’s never an easy conversation,” Hasler said.
“Ripping the band aid off is always going to be hard.
“I think the way they did it and went about it was respectful.“
OPERATION DES
The Titans’ stunning signing of Hasler has been rated one of the code’s great silent coups.
In an industry where leaks are a given, there were no whispers. No tip-offs. The Titans brokered the three-year deal under a cover of darkness and then turned on the lights to shock the NRL.
Even Hasler initially thought Gold Coast’s overtures were one big joke.
“They called me up and I said, ‘Yeah sure, who’s geeing me up now?’” he says with a laugh.
“I’ve had some gee-up merchants in my time.
“The Titans called me out of the blue. I said I’ll think about it, contemplate it and it went from there.
“I looked at the roster and everything.
“They presented really well and were respectful to all parties.”
Hasler’s manager George Mimis lauded the two-man stealth operation engineered by Titans boss Mitchell and chairman Dennis Watt.
“It was the most clinical and brilliantly executed contract signing I’ve been involved in in 30 years in the game,” Mimis said.
“Steve and Dennis knew what they wanted and came and got it. They are classy operators, but the board and ownership knew what they wanted.
“We had a couple of meetings in Sydney.
“I can’t praise them enough for the quality of how they conducted themselves.”
THE BRONCOS
For almost two decades, the Titans have been maligned as the Little Brother to the might of derby rivals the Broncos.
A grand-final appearance aside, Brisbane rubbed salt into the wounds in July by marching into the Titans’ backyard to steal their long-time feeder club, Queensland Cup powerhouse Burleigh Bears.
Brisbane will be among the favourites to win next year’s premiership and Hasler wants to take the Titans-Broncos M1 derby to another level.
“It (rivalries) is all part of rugby league folklore. I think it’s great,” Hasler said of the Broncos challenge.
“It’s all about the competitiveness and things like that.
“The Dolphins … two years ago, no-one was doing that (Hasler puts his hand above his head, replicating the ‘Phins Up’ celebration).
“It’s all part of the rivalry. It’s what the fans engage in.
“Rivalries are second nature. It’d be great to be part of that (with the Broncos).”
WAYNE’S WORLD
Wayne Bennett and Hasler are two of rugby league’s greatest coaching survivors.
Incredibly, they have coached a total of 54 first-grade campaigns. They have qualified for a combined 15 grand finals and won nine premierships.
Bennett will turn 74 next year in his swansong season at the Dolphins and Hasler is now on Wayne’s turf. He can’t wait to lock horns with his 20-year coaching adversary.
“I get on really well with Wayne. I like him. He breaks me up, he’s a character,” Hasler said.
“He has been great for the game of rugby league and there are so many ways you can look at it. He is the reason why so many people watch the game, it’s just important.
“In parallel games, the guy who coached Essendon, Kevin Sheedy, he’s like Wayne. They are in every sport.
“I won’t say Wayne is a freak, but he is just an ornament to the game.”
THE FUTURE
No top-level Gold Coast team in Australian sports history has won a premiership.
The Titans have gone bankrupt twice in 2012 and 2015, but Hasler sees parallels between the tight-knit community on Manly’s northern beaches and the spirit of Gold Coasters.
He also sees a group of men, like Brimson and Campbell, that care about the region, and what it means to play for the Titans jumper.
“It’s not a shit roster,” Hasler said.
“I’m quite excited by it. It’s about how we apply ourselves.
“I’m not going to be quoted saying ‘I’m going to win a premiership’. It’s results-driven and that’s the way I’ve always approached it.
“If we go loss, loss, loss, loss … don’t be worried. It happened in 2021 (at Manly) and we made a preliminary final.
“No-one had the Warriors in the top four this season and they surprised everyone.
“The one thing that’s impressed me here is the local community is very aware of the side.
“They (Gold Coast people) have been pretty patient and it’d be wonderful if we could (win a premiership), but it’s f***ing hard. Grand finals are hard to win.
“It’s going to be good fun being on this journey. The Gold Coast is not too bad a place to be coaching.”
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