In one of the best kept secrets in the history of rugby league, the Titans pulled off a massive coup to land proven winner Des Hasler. But just how did they keep it all under wraps?
I know the date because it was also the day News Corp broke news that former Manly coach Des Hasler had informed his management not to pursue the vacant St George Illawarra head coaching role.
Only now, do we know why.
It was on that Thursday – 14-days ago – that Titans CEO Steve Mitchell and chair Dennis Watt made contact with Hasler’s respected manager George Mimis.
The Titans leaders told Mimis they were flying to Sydney to meet him.
Mimis will later tell Hasler it was one of the most professional phone calls, which was layered with strategy, belief and respect for the two-time premiership winner, that he had fielded.
MAL, GORDIE DIDN’T KNOW
The entire Titans boardroom were across the approach to Hasler.
Yet nobody flinched.
Not even Jemma Elder, a passionate Titans director, resisted by confiding in her husband, Fox Sports commentator Gorden Tallis, about the stealth-like pitch to Hasler.
Big Gordie only began to learn of the potential for change last weekend.
Also without a hint was Titans senior advisor Mel Meninga, who only found out when the press did.
Meninga has stated he feels ostracised by the club for being left in the dark and is considering his on-going role with the club.
“I didn’t know till today, obviously a little disappointing being a senior advisor there,” Meninga told SEN.
“I don’t know how I feel about it.
“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.”
After meeting with Mimis, Mitchell and Watt organised a follow-up meeting with Hasler for the first time last weekend.
Hasler never flew to the Gold Coast. The Titans knew what they wanted and so they came directly to him.
It took the Titans management two weeks without anyone outside the four walls of the board knowing to do what the noisy Dragons took four months to achieve.
WHY HASLER?
The appointment of Hasler adds instant credibility to a club that has missed the finals on 12 occasions in the past 17-seasons.
He is the first coach in the Titans history that has been appointed with a proven model of premiership success.
It shows the club is serious about finally usurping big brother, the Brisbane Broncos, of whom they face this Sunday.
The Titans are tired of being the also-rans. They want to win premierships. Sacked coach Justin Holbrook wasn’t doing a bad job.
He just didn’t have what the board believed was premiership know-how.
They want more accountability after losses.
Under Hasler, they’ll get it.
BEN HUNT
The appointment of Hasler puts the Titans in the box seat to pinch Hunt, if he’s successful in obtaining a release from the Dragons.
Hunt has made it clear his priority is to return home for family reasons to Queensland.
A former champion playmaker himself, Hasler has a rich history of working with halves, including Jamie Lyon, Matt Orford, Daly Cherry-Evans, Kieran Foran and Trent Hodkinson.
Current Titans halves Tanah Boyd and Kieran Foran still have 2024 on-contract.
With 2024 likely to be Foran’s final season, would the Dragons entertain swapping Hunt for Boyd?
Hasler has proven he’s not afraid to make a tough roster call. Moving on one of the Titans current halves before the expiration of their contract to lure Hunt could be next.
Originally published as NRL 2023: How Gold Coast Titans kept Des Hasler coaching coup under wraps