GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 31: Titans Head Coach Justin Holbrook poses during the Gold Coast Titans press conference at The Titans High Performance Centre on October 31, 2019 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
We’re going through every NRL club and examining how the shutdown of the competition due to the coronavirus crisis will affect them.
See also: Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders, Canterbury Bulldogs, Cronulla Sharks
Today we look at what the lockdown means for the Gold Coast Titans...
Results are not that important in the grand scheme of things, as coach Justin Hoolbrook has pointed out. With a new coach in charge, it could mean that the Titans play with more freedom and without the burden and pressure of results.
Whatever Hoolbrook, Jim Dymock, Jim Lenihan and Mal Meninga were working on prior to the break could be lost on the players due to them being isolated and with limited match simulation. This is a great unknown and depends how well the club has been managing their players.
The Titans are owned by the Frizzelle family, who has been no strangers to tough times in the car industry. The Titans though could be well placed in this financial crisis as they have a small number of staff compared to other NRL clubs.
Many players are itching to find a new deal with the Titans with most of them being off contract at season's end. Perhaps the biggest names on the off-contract list are skipper Ryan James, who has battled two ACL injuries in recent years, Nathan Peats and Kevin Proctor.
Other off-contract players include Tyrone Roberts, Anthony Don and Dale Copley.
It's been a big fall from grace ever since their last finals appearance which occurred way back in 2016 where they finished in the eighth spot. Since then they have finished 15th, 14th and 16th. However, the Titans couldn't have asked for a better man to take charge as Justin Hoolbrook is a man of success.
He claimed the Super League title in the UK with St Helens last year and boasts a winning percentage of 80 per cent. Given that this is his first season in charge he won't face as much scrutiny as other coaches. He can bide his time to get the squad and style of play that he wants as his number one aim to make the Titans a competitive outfit.
Not surprisingly, there is little faith that the Titans would've done much this season. Another bottom three finish loomed.
Given that they scored a combined total of 12 points over the first two rounds, it figures to be another long season for the Titans. However, if Hoolbrook gets the Titians playing a competitive style, they could turn heads and push for a mid-table spot.