Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler is under considerable pressure after four straight losses, but it has been theorised that there will be a player cleanout before Hasler pays for a run of poor form with his job.
Joining the Titans ahead of the 2024 season, the Titans, plagued by injuries, couldn't escape the lower echelons of the NRL ladder.
A familiar story for the side from the glitter strip is playing out as 2025 gets underway, with the Titans winning two of their first three, but then going on to lose four straight where they have conceded 36, 38, 30 and 50 points.
Speaking on this week's episide of The Loose Carry Podcast, Zero Tackle analyst Darren Parkin said the pressure gague would be getting warm for Hasler.
โI think the pressure gague would be on the warmer side for him,โ Parkin said on the show.
โIt's interesting, we have spoken about Payten and the Cowboys in the past, but then they have put 44 points in a row on and blown them off the park.
โThere are losses, and then there are losses where you lose all competitiveness and lose all system.
โIt happened to the Storm last week, but obviously the Titans aren't the Storm.
โI think coaches known when they are under pressure and when they aren't regardless of what is being said.โ
Rugby league coach Lee Addison though theorised that the club had issues within the playing group, with certain players not wanting to put in at the defensive end of the park.
โThey have also had issues at the Titans for years that half the team seemingly didn't want to defend as much as the others. That's a very diplomatic way of putting it, but if you look at players, they all love to attack, they love to have the ball in hand or at our feet, but the defensive side, you have to defend, and it's a case of โoh no I have to defend,'" Addison said.
โI think there are too many players who don't relish defending. It's a chore to them. I think Des was brought in there too, forgive my bluntness with this, toughen them up, and I think quite frankly there are some players who can't follow that doctrine.
โI've also heard rumours that some of the players last season expressed reservations about the new tough style that was brought in, so there was a little bit of a split in the squad, and half of them were no, this is all a bit too intense, and the other half were, this is exactly what we need.
โI think there are big problems at the Titans. I tipped them for the wooden spoon at the start of the year, and I think they are heading that way very quickly.โ
The Titans coach, formerly at the Sea Eagles and Bulldogs, also has very few ready made replacements on the open market after the Titans originally very quietly signed him to replace Justin Holbrook in the middle of 2023 ahead of 2024 getting underway.
Retro Rugba Leeg owner Tom said he believed a player clean out will occur before a coaching one, suggesting that if the playing group buy in, they could see similar results to what Cameron Ciraldo has achieved at the Bulldogs.
โWe were only talking about this last year with Cameron Ciraldo and the Bulldogs, and look at where they are now. When you buy into these things, assuming the systems are good, you reap the reward, but you have to go through the tough yards to get there,โ he said.
โI think you'll see a player clean out before you see a Des clean out.
โThe other issue is who are you going to get instead?
It's not like there is a dearth of great talented coaches sitting there waiting to be picked up with a heap of NRL and premiership experience.โ
