Titans great Rogers embraces Hasler, feels for Holbrook

Joel Gould | June 22, 2023

Former Gold Coast star Mat Rogers is excited dual premiership-winning coach Des Hasler will take charge of the Titans from 2024 but he also feels for Justin Holbrook.

Rogers admitted he was “shocked” by Thursday’s announcement of coach Holbrook’s sacking and Hasler’s impending arrival at the NRL club, which came without warning.

The Titans have never had a premiership-winning head coach. Hasler won the 2008 and 2011 titles at Manly and reached three other grand finals in 2007 (Manly) and 2012 and 2014 (Canterbury).

Dual international Rogers was an integral member of the Titans side that played finals football in 2009 and 2010. He grew up on the Gold Coast, lives there and is invested in the fabric of the club and rugby league in his role on SEN Radio.

“I am excited for the club to have a coach of the calibre and track record of Des but I feel for Justin and his family after he embraced the Gold Coast and put time and effort into turning the club around,” Rogers told AAP.

“I think Justin Holbrook is a good coach.

“The Titans obviously feel as though he has got the club to a point and need someone to get them to the next step, and that Des Hasler is the man to do it.

“Des is a fantastic coach. You don’t get teams to win and make grand finals unless you are across your work. 

“It is really exciting for the Titans on one hand and really shocking news to me on the other.”

Holbrook took the Titans to within two points of finals in 2019 and reached the semis in 2020 before the side finished 13th last year. 

The Titans are currently just outside the eight on 18 points in a season where they have given up far too many half-time leads but also been without key spine members AJ Brimson, Kieran Foran and Sam Verrills for extended periods.

Holbrook has a win record of 37.8 per cent in 82 games, whereas Hasler sits on 56.33 per cent through 458 games.

“At the end of the day coaches are judged on their wins and losses,” Rogers said

“I felt like Justin had just started to get the Titans moving in the right direction. They have probably under-performed a little but he hasn’t had it easy with injuries and with a young team it is not always easy to keep young guys playing at a high level consistently.”

Rogers said the Titans had “stars across the park” and weren’t far off challenging for a premiership.

“Ben Hunt wants to come back to Queensland and the club has the ammunition in the chamber to fire at him,” he said.

“He could be the piece in the puzzle they are missing but he isn’t young.”

Rogers said youthful Titans spine members Brimson, Jayden Campbell, Verrills and Tanah Boyd were high calibre.