WAITING GAME

Chairman says no to CEO role so Titans happy to play ...

TITANS executive chairman Dennis Watt has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant Titans CEO position as the club declares it will look far and wide to find Graham Annesley’s replacement.

Watt (pictured) arrived at the Titans at the end of 2017, bringing a wealth of management experience to the club.

His skills would have made him a potential successor to Annesley who has accepted an offer from the NRL to be its new head of elite football programs.

Watt is a former longserving director and chairman of the Brisbane Broncos and executive with News Corporation Australia.

But Gold Coast Titans co-owner Rebecca Frizelle revealed Watt had declared he had no interest in taking the role.

“Dennis has already said he would much rather steer the club while we look for a new CEO,” Frizelle said.

“We are certainly not in a hurry to find someone. We are heading into the end of the season and Christmas will come before we know it.

“We have a lot of management experience in there now.

“Dennis has around 30 years of rugby league experience, and he and Graham have been working so closely together anyway that we are pretty happy with where it is at.

“We are comfortable in knowing the club is in good hands and we would rather take our time to find the absolute ideal candidate.”

Frizelle said the club would consider applicants from various backgrounds, both in and outside of rugby league.

“I’m sure that we will get numerous approaches from all different backgrounds and areas of expertise,” she said.

Frizelle said Annesley had been a loyal servant of the Gold Coast Titans.

“I’m so grateful for the time I have had with Graham,” Frizelle said.

“I have worked with him closely now for nearly five years. There would be times where we would talk five or six times a day, particularly through our difficult times.

“When you are in situations like that, it’s the people you work with that make all the difference and Graham has been a rock.

“He has always been such a sound adviser, so honest, has integrity in spades and is just a delight to work with.

“He has a tremendous sense of humour that when all you feel like crying, all you can do is laugh. I’ll certainly miss that.

“He will always be a friend of the club and will always be welcomed back.

“On behalf of (co-owner Darryl) Kelly and the board, we thank Graham for his commitment to the club and the position he has put us in as we move on to the next chapter.”