Fun to the Max
How coach Brennan is winning over the Titans
NEW Gold Coast coach Garth Brennan has made training fun again.
That is the bold revelation of young forward Max King, who gave the Bulletin an insight into the new dawn at the Titans since the departure of Neil Henry.
King was quick to note his admiration for Henry, the veteran mentor who gave him an extended shot at the NRL in his rookie season this year.
But the 20-year-old’s assessment clearly points to Brennan delivering the less authoritarian-type style that Titans supremos were understood to be chasing to drive the club forward.
“I suppose from an authoritarian coach to a personal relations coach,” King said of the transition.
“Garth seems like an unreal bloke and it will be exciting to work with him.”
Elaborating, King said the early signs in pre-season had been taken very positively by the playing group.
“There has been a different sort of structure within training,” he said. “He (Brennan) is definitely intertwined with the relationships with his players.
“Training is less of a chore. It feels like more game-specific stuff but also I suppose, if we are doing conditioning or whatnot, it is game-specific.
“It also might be games or whatever. It is more enjoyable.”
Henry was a respected figure but fell out of favour late last season for his communication style and approach of treating all players the same way.
Brennan has got off on the right foot with many parties already.
King, meanwhile, is hunting to build on his breakthrough 2017, during which he played 17 NRL games.
The fourth-generation first grader struggled late in that taxing campaign but is now refreshed and ready to fire.
“There was probably a week or two there towards the end, probably like Round 23 or 24, where the body was breaking down a bit,” King said.
“The body was struggling … the off-season was great for it.”