Thanks but no thanks
Brennan says he’s not interested in a return to Penrith
TITANS coach Garth Brennan has ruled himself out of a return to Penrith, declaring he is ready to fight for longterm success at the Gold Coast.
Brennan has been touted as a possible replacement for sacked Penrith coach Anthony Griffin, given his links to the Panthers.
Brennan spent six years at Penrith in various lower grade and assistant coach positions before being poached by the Titans to replace Neil Henry ahead of this season.
The rookie NRL coach has a two-year deal at the Titans, which expires at the end of the 2019 season.
However, Brennan can earn himself an extension into 2020 if he can guide the Titans to a finals berth next year and prove to Gold Coast powerbrokers he is the right man to lead the club.
“I’ve got a two-year deal at the Gold Coast and I’m loving it up here,” Brennan said when asked if he could return to Penrith.
“I’m really excited about how we’re heading, what we’re doing and how these young kids are developing.
“It’s certainly unfinished business up here for me on the Gold Coast. I’m quite happy on the Gold Coast.
“I’m not going to get caught up in the Penrith stuff. They’ve got their things they’re going through.
“I’m contracted here at the Gold Coast Titans and loving what we’re doing here.
“We’re heading in the right direction with some of these young kids. I’m really excited about how we are progressing.”
Brennan was an assistant to Griffin in 2016 before focusing on Penrith’s reserve grade team which won the NSW Intrust Super Premiership last year.
His decade of lower grade coaching at Newcastle and Penrith provided Brennan with the resume that secured him the Titans role.
Brennan still holds the Panthers in high regard and is close to Penrith football boss Phil Gould.
Ironically, the Titans will host Penrith at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday.
Teams are renowned for producing strong performances after a coach has been sacked but Brennan is refusing to get caught up in the Penrith hype.
“I don’t know if there is any good time to get the Panthers with the way they’ve been playing,” he said.
Young Titans forward Keegan Hipgrave will return from a hamstring injury against the Panthers after he missed the Gold Coast’s loss to Parramatta last weekend.