Gold Coast Titans insist Des Hasler won’t be sacked amid speculation of making a play for Craig Bellamy

The Gold Coast Titans have guaranteed under-pressure coach Des Hasler will not be sacked amid whispers the club is ready to make a play for Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy.

The Gold Coast Titans have guaranteed under-pressure coach Des Hasler will not be sacked amid speculation the club was ready to make a play for Craig Bellamy.

Hasler has been under increasing pressure with the Titans languishing in last spot on the NRL ladder at the halfway mark of the season.

Revelations the two-time premiership-winning coach’s contract was laced with performance clauses that enabled the Titans to sack him if they missed the top eight this year have fuelled speculation Hasler was facing the axe.

Key Titans figures have remained silent on the saga over the past month and failed to defend Hasler publicly.

But the club released a bizarre statement on Thursday night after Hasler was issued a final warning by the NRL for making comments about match officials.

The statement said the club’s owners – Rebecca and Brett Frizelle and Darryl and Joanne Kelly – were backing Hasler to remain as coach until at least the end of 2026.

The Titans insist coach Des Hasler is not facing the sack. Picture: NRL photos

The show of faith followed reports Melbourne super coach Bellamy had fielded interest from a figure aligned to the Titans about potentially taking charge of the club from 2027.

Bellamy’s current Storm contract expires at the same time as Hasler’s and he is planning to relocate to the Gold Coast.

“The Gold Coast Titans acknowledge the NRL’s warning issued to head coach Des Hasler following his commentary on officiating after the club’s Round 13 match against the Melbourne Storm,” the statement said.

“Coaches can be under immense pressure during the season and this can be evident in the post-match environment.

“Speculative media reporting can add to that pressure. Contrary to recent reporting, the Titans ownership group (Frizelle and Kelly families) want to confirm Hasler will remain head coach and is contracted until the end of 2026.”

Des Hasler’s side are wooden spoon favourites.

The statement is a tremendous show of faith for Hasler given the Titans finished 14th last season in his first year at the club and are now wooden spoon favourites.

Hasler has refused to discuss his future at recent press conferences as he fights to avoid Gold Coast finishing in the NRL’s bottom four for the fourth straight season.

His cause wasn’t helped by a controversial officiating decision in last week’s 28-16 loss to the Storm which has resulted in Kasey Badger being dumped from The Bunker.

Hasler has been vindicated after claiming Badger was “wrong” to deny Titans hooker Sam Verrills a try in last week’s loss to Melbourne.

But his post-match press conference comments caught the attention of NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, who issued Hasler with an official warning for repeated comments.

The NRL has vowed to crack down on comments about match officials this year, and while Hasler didn’t question Badger’s integrity he was critical of the decision and her history.

The Storm were judged to have been obstructed when Verrills dived over from dummy-half following a messy play-the-ball.

But the NRL later agreed with Hasler that it was the wrong call.

Kasey Badger has been dumped from Bunker duties this week. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Badger won’t sit in The Bunker at all this week and only has one assignment – touch judge for Friday’s Dolphins-Dragons game at Suncorp.

Hasler called out Badger in his presser.

“I thought it was the wrong decision,” he said.

“An email might have come out from the NRL about players laying in the ruck. That’s fine, that’s good, let them lay in the ruck. But you shouldn’t lose the advantage.

“I don’t think we contacted anyone. (Tino Fa’asuamaleaui) played the ball and is allowed to hold his ground.

“They (Storm players) were laying all over the ground, six-again, penalty, I don’t know.

“He didn’t touch anyone. (Ryan) Papenhuyzen wasn’t obstructed.

“That was word-for-word what the NRL set out. I’ll be interested to see what their explanation was.

“Kasey got it wrong, again.”

The Titans will be searching for a much-needed win in Saturday’s M1 derby against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.

Originally published as Gold Coast Titans insist Des Hasler won’t be sacked amid speculation of making a play for Craig Bellamy