Gold Coast Titans head coach Des Hasler is reportedly set to retire at the end of the season, which will see the Queensland-based side on the lookout for a replacement in the coming months.
After retiring as a player, Hasler has enjoyed a 20-year coaching career, which has seen him oversee the Manly Sea Eagles, Canterbury Bulldogs, and, most recently, the Gold Coast Titans, over the past two seasons.
While he has achieved many highs as a coach, including two premierships with the Sea Eagles in 2008 and 2011, he has been unable to bring success to the Titans, who currently sit in last place on the NRL ladder.
With the club only registering four wins to date, there have been calls over the past few weeks for Hasler to step down from the head coaching role.
Now, reports have emerged that he is going to retire at the end of the 2025 NRL season.
"There's been a lot going on at the Gold Coast in recent weeks," rugby league journalist Paul Kent said on KENTY BLITZ.
"It's yet to be announced, it will be. I'm not sure when the plan is, but they've agreed that basically after the awful year they've had, Des Hasler is going to retire at the end of the year.
"It's the end of an era for Des. He began coaching at Manly many years ago and it's his 498th game as a head coach this week. Four Grand Finals, two Premierships and just a very influential coach at his peak.
"He's gone up there, and it hasn't been as successful as he'd like.
"There's been conjecture about his future at the club and it emerged five or six weeks ago that there was a clause in his contract that if they didn't make the play-offs this year, the club could sack him.
"He looked like he would fight through it, that clause wasn't presented as a threat...but in all discussions with the club, Des has decided that this will be his last season. He'll be on the way out."
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The rumours of Hasler retiring come as there is reportedly a clause in his contract that if he doesn't make the top eight, the Titans will potentially be able to part ways with him at the end of 2025.
It is understood that the clause that could result in his termination will be without any financial repercussions, meaning they will not need to pay the remainder of his salary for the 2026 season.
"No, they're just whispers, mate. It's just rumour and innuendo," Hasler said in June.
"I don't know if there's speculation that's been reported, but obviously, sitting in last position that we don't want to be in."
