THE BIG JOB
Brennan handed Titans role ... now to sign Ash Taylor
THE Titans will today announce the signing of coach Garth Brennan to a three-year deal that will seal Ash Taylor’s future on the Gold Coast.
Taylor’s retention was not contingent on the Penrith NSW Cup mentor being named as the new Titans coach. But the star half had been reluctant to strike a deal before knowing the identity of the incoming coach.
And the announcement of Brennan (pictured) is expected to lead to Taylor signing a contract that will link him to the Titans until the end of 2021.
Taylor’s management has not agreed to terms with the Titans but talks continue and with a deal of about $1 million a season on the table, the 22year-old is expected to sign before he enters the open market on November 1.
Brennan’s appointment will be made official today after the Titans yesterday informed Brisbane assistant Jason Demetriou he had been unsuccessful for the role.
Brennan is understood to have been locked in a battle with Demetriou for the role after it emerged that former Souths premiership coach Michael Maguire – who would have cost up to twice what Brennan will receive – wanted to know who the club’s new owners were before committing to the Gold Coast job.
Brennan, who won an under-20 title with the Panthers in 2013 before guiding the club to the NSW Cup in 2014 and this year’s Intrust Super Premiership, has been lauded as the man who can lead the Titans forward.
Foundation Titans football manager and former Penrith player Scott Sattler, who knows Brennan through the Panthers, said the incoming coach’s lack of experience at NRL level was not an issue.
“There is a lot of work to do but he comes in with a clean slate, no baggage,” Sattler said.
“And he can come in and make some autonomous decisions from the word go about trying to create an image for the Titans – what they stand for on and off the field.
“I think the Gold Coast Titans have lost their identity over the last while.”
Brennan may not have held an NRL coaching position before but he has plenty of heavyweight supporters, including Matthew Johns and Phil Gould.
“He’s got the right personality, he’s got the right temperament and he knows which emotion to use at any one time,” Sattler said.
What made him successful was his ability to connect with players and help them develop – regardless of how many games they had behind them.
“I’ve spoken to players that have played under Garth Brennan and they’ve said he’s a great guy, he can be very disciplined when he needs to but most of all, they all felt that they were learning something every year,” Sattler said.