Brennan in coaching mix ... if he is allowed

PHIL Gould would be reluctant to release Garth Brennan to the Gold Coast – but he knows the little-known coach will not disappoint if finally given his shot in the NRL.

After Matty Johns and Mark Geyer boldly declared Brennan as the ideal candidate to replace Titans coach Neil Henry, Gould found it impossible to fault the former policeman who has won two premierships and sacrificed a third during his short stint at the foot of the mountains.

Brennan was one of the final two candidates for the St Helens job earlier this year, only to lose out to Justin Holbrook, and was last week appointed a New Zealand assistant to David Kidwell.

Once the Titans start their search for Henry’s replacement – possibly as early as Friday after the Parramatta clash – Brennan is entitled to be one of the first contacted.

“We’ve been down this road before. We’d be reluctant to lose him,” Gould said.

“He’s got a contract here for as long as he wants. He’s a great communicator, and he’s been a big part of the development of all these kids.

“He’s great with blokes of all ages – he deals with blokes from 16 to 36 and deals with them well – and he’s very valuable to us.’’

Gould asked Brennan to return as coach of the NSW Cup team this year because of the youth, and it was no fluke the side was pushing for the title.

His policing background meant discipline came naturally to him. The Panthers did not stand in the way of Trent Barrett becoming a first-time head coach of Manly last year.