Meninga’s brief: Build our culture
CULTURE. It’s the key word at the heart of the Gold Coast Titans’ stunning recruitment to make Mal Meninga the face of the NRL club for the next three years.
The rugby league great will more or less start immediately in his role as head of performance and culture. It’s a position that even Meninga admits is hard to explain but will involve an office at the club’s Parkwood headquarters and duties in community, commercial and sponsorship fields, as well as aiding the likes of coach Garth Brennan.
Head of performance is an everyday job title in an NRL club; last season it was held by fitness guru Hayden Knowles at the Titans.
The “culture” part is a little less common and more intriguing.
The Titans have, for the most part, got their act together off the paddock in recent years. No longer are they the walking headline for the all wrong reasons as they once were.
Gold Coast have not won a finals match since 2010 and made just one playoff series in that time, in 2016. By comparison, they have finished in the bottom four on five occasions, including stumbling to 14th place last season.
Aside from the ill-fated Jarryd Hayne signing, they have struggled to attract big names – or at least get them to stay.
Daly Cherry-Evans infamously
reneged on his deal with the club and for a long while, it looked like State of Origin player Tyrone Peachey would follow suit.
Regular wins are needed to breed belief in the community and confidence among players.
“He is a winner,” Titans chairman Dennis Watt said of Meninga. “We are a bottom-ofthe-table club right now but we’re all determined here, everyone at this club, to compete regularly for finals and contend for the major prize.”
Meninga was approached by Titans head honchos in September and will move north from Canberra with his wife Amanda and their three children in the new year. He will continue to hold roles with Fox League and as Australia coach.
The 58-year-old said his first priority was to listen and gain
understanding before mapping out a plan of attack.
Hard work lies ahead but he is certain he can help the Titans develop a culture that can drive them to become an NRL powerhouse.
“Culture is all about caring for people and the way that people do things,” Meninga said. “We want to do that collectively and together as a club and a team with one direction and one purpose: That’s to be successful.
“It comes back to success on the field. That comes down to player desire, accountability and what they are willing to do week in, week out to be successful. I’m really confident in the fact that I can make them become a stronger and more powerful club.”
BULLETIN VIEW, P20