NRL 2023: Justin Holbrook reveals inside story of how Gold Coast Titans ‘sacked’ him
Just hours after being dumped by the Titans, a “gutted” Justin Holbrook has revealed how the morning unfolded. READ THE INSIDE STORY HERE
A “gutted” Justin Holbrook says he didn’t see his sacking coming at the Titans and has spoken of his bitter disappointment at the Gold Coast’s clandestine move to appoint Des Hasler behind his back.
The stunning knifing of Holbrook came as the NRL Immortal who appointed him, Titans senior advisor Mal Meninga, sensationally blasted the club over a termination that has plunged the Gold Coast into crisis.
Breaking his silence on his swift dismissal, Holbrook said he is in a state of shock over having his Titans contract torn up ahead of Gold Coast’s derby clash against the Broncos on Sunday.
“I just can’t believe it, I feel awful. Totally gutted,” Holbrook said.
“I did not see this coming at all, that’s what I am pissed off about.
“I could understand if they said, ‘Look you have three games or whatever time period to do something’, but to be moved on like this, I’m still coming to terms with it.
“If they were a bit more open about the way things were heading, I would have been able to digest this, but it’s hit me out of the blue.”
The sacking was so sudden Holbrook and his management had no idea change was afoot at Parkwood until the Titans coach was summoned to a 9am meeting on Thursday morning with club CEO Steve Mitchell.
Mitchell delivered the bullet instantly - ending Holbrook’s 82-game reign at the Titans club he joined in 2020 after leading St Helens to a Super League premiership.
The Titans (6-7) are currently equal eighth with Parramatta and firmly in the finals race, but that wasn’t enough to save Holbrook after his fateful meeting with Mitchell.
“I had no inkling at all,” he said.
“Steve just called me in this morning and said, ‘Have you got a minute’.
“I went in for a meeting and he said, ‘We are going to terminate you as of right now’.
“I said, ‘Shivers, on what ... performance?’ I said, ‘Mate, I thought you would have given me a chance of getting the guys to the finals with our best players back’.
“Anyway, it was a waste of time talking. It wasn’t a negotiation. They had made up their mind.”
Asked if he felt king hit by the Titans, who have signed Hasler to a three-year deal, Holbrook said: “I don’t know if I was king hit. But I think it’s unfair with the opportunity we had at the back end of the year to make the finals.
“Would they have punted me if we were sitting second?
“Des Hasler hasn’t been coaching so there didn’t have to be any great urgency with him.
“I was looking forward to coaching against the Broncos on Sunday and why can’t I be given an opportunity with my best team to see how we go against Brisbane?
“Give me a chance.
“I have been sacked after a win.
“We are coming off a bye after a Titans win, so why would they tell me now?
“The only reason I can think is that we had beaten the Tigers and they felt well, we have to leave this a bit longer.
“If we were beaten by 50 by the Tigers, fair enough, but to not have the chance to finish off the season with my best players, it’s a bit mystifying.
“It’s all a bit raw at the moment.”
Kangaroos coach Meninga wasn’t consulted on the decision, driven largely by Mitchell and Titans co-owner Darryl Kelly, and has threatened to walk away from the Titans over the treatment of Holbrook.
“I didn’t know till today, obviously a little disappointing being a senior advisor there,” Meninga told SEN radio.
“I have no idea, I feel ostracised a little bit.
“The club made a decision based on some of the measurements they employed over the off-season which is around their defence - the board saw there’s no improvements around that area of the game and made a decision out of duty of care to the club.
“Justin’s a great person and a great coach - I’m a little disappointed for him, because it can damage reputations, decisions like this, and I hope it doesn’t damage Justin’s reputation.
“I’ve got a bit of thinking to do about what I do in the future — I don’t envisage being part of the club moving forward.”
Titans CEO Steve Mitchell said Meninga was frozen out of the bombshell moves due to the sensitivity of negotiations but insisted he had a future at the club.
“It’s a highly sensitive matter, we’ve got obligations and confidence around that,” he said.
“We have to run the process very tightly and you can’t share that.
“With all due respect to Mal, we had to have a conversation with Justin. We wanted the highest level of respect for him through this process.
“He is a good man and good coach. We want to get him into a position where he can move forward and transition well.
“I think Mal’s got a future here, definitely, In what capacity, and how that looks, it’s hard.
“Mal is wonderful to work with. He is infectious, an Immortal, and brings so much to the organisation.
“I’ll chat with Mal over the coming week on that.”
Holbrook, who has won 31 of 82 games as coach for a 37.8 per cent success rate, genuinely believed the Titans were on the rise as a club after their bottom-four finish the previous season which put him under the pump.
“We’re hardly off the pace. We’re right in the mix to play finals,” he said.
“I haven’t had my best players on deck this year and we’re still in the mix for the finals.
“That’s what pisses me off. It’s not like we are dead and buried. If we don’t blow that game against the Dolphins (when they blew a 26-0 lead in round 8), we’re right up pushing for second spot.
“Last year was tough and we rectified that. We brought Kieran Foran and Sam Verrills to the club and if you want to judge as a club, look at the players who have made the Origin team this year. We’ve had four or five players picked in the Queensland squad.
“I was genuinely excited because finally I have got my best players back in Foran, Verrills and (AJ) Brimson, I thought we can compete with anyone and to not get the chance to make the finals, it’s bitterly disappointing.
“I convinced some blokes to stay here despite what happened last year.
“We re-signed David Fifita, he could have walked out and so could Jayden Campbell, but we kept them. If we lost them, I’d be thinking I’m in trouble here, but we’ve kept them because everyone knew the direction we were going in.
“I didn’t get a chance to see the players but to be honest it’s probably best that way, I wasn’t in the mood to speak to anyone.”
Holbrook said he hopes to continue his career in the NRL.
“I know it’s a performance business,” he said.
“I’m more disappointed that I don’t have a job coaching. I love the job, I love the players here and the football staff, the Titans are a great club.
“I love coaching, I want to stay in the NRL but I don’t know where I go from here.
“It’s all happened so quickly.”
HOW THE STORY BROKE
Manly great Des Hasler will revive his NRL coaching career on the Gold Coast after the Titans suddenly severed ties with Justin Holbrook.
The Titans made the stunning decision to “part ways” with Holbrook on Thursday, with two-time NRL premiership-winning coach Hasler to join the club from 2024.
Holbrook was fighting to save his job following a bottom four finish last year and patchy start to the 2023 season, which sees the Titans currently sitting ninth on the ladder, somewhat thanks to having already had three byes.
But Titans powerbrokers decided to wield the axe immediately following clandestine talks to bring five-time grand final coach Hasler to the Gold Coast.
BREAKING @telegraph_sport@BuzzRothfield@BulldogRitchie@DaveRic1@FatimaKdouh_@brentread_7@MCarayannis#deshasler#goldcoastitanspic.twitter.com/qD4fGXhquv
— Scott Bailey (@BooBaileyTele) June 22, 2023
Ultimately, Holbrook’s 37.8 per cent winning record (31 wins, 51 losses) from 82 games over three-and-a-half seasons since 2020 was not enough to impress the Titans – who have bold plans to win two NRL premierships by 2030.
“We are grateful to Justin for his contribution to the club over the past four seasons,” Titans CEO Steve Mitchell said.
“We are here to bring success to the Gold Coast and in order to do so we feel that this is the change necessary to deliver on our promise which is to win premierships.”
Holbrook secured the Titans job after guiding St Helens to the 2019 Super League premiership.
He inherited a team that collected the 2019 wooden spoon under Garth Brennan and has gone about assembling a talent-stacked squad.
The Titans had four players – Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, David Fifita, Moeaki Fotuaika and AJ Brimson (18th man) – in Queensland’s Origin team for game two on Wednesday night.
But they have struggled for on-field consistency and are among the worst defensive teams in the NRL this year.
The Titans resisted pressure to sack Holbrook last year, opting to give him more time, but were left unimpressed by the team’s progress this season.
Holbrook’s winning record is only marginally better than previous Titans coaches Neil Henry (37.3 per cent) and Brennan (30 per cent), who were also sacked.
That prompted club figures to enter talks with Hasler – who was sacked by Manly last year.
Hasler, 62, will join the Titans as head coach for the 2024 season and beyond, having coached 458 NRL games across Manly and Canterbury, reaching five grand finals and winning two premierships.
“I’m looking forward to joining the Titans and to the 2024 season,” Hasler said.
“The club has a strong playing roster, the region is blessed with emerging talent and the organisation is firmly embedded in the community.
“I’m confident we can deliver success to the region in the coming seasons.”
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