TITANS MUST WIN OVER FANS

A SYDNEY commentator writing this week about the Gold Coast Titans quoted the great rugby league identity Jack Gibson, recalling how the super coach once said success starts in the front office.

It might grate to acknowledge that a NSW league observer would know what they’re talking about, but he was on the money about Gibson, who took his Sydney teams to five premierships.

Success in a rugby league organisation or indeed any sporting, business or community body is only assured when the culture is right.

But there is another important component of a sports organisation – the fans.

Lose the supporters and you might as well shut up shop.

If the front office is performing, the coach and players will also get it right. But fans are a difficult beast and they’re not idiots. They want to see commitment. They can smell insincerity. If they’re spooked, they can take a long time to return to the fold.

There are two types – the diehards who will always be there for their team; and the supporters who outnumber the diehards considerably and are not at the game week after week, until the players are piling plenty of points on the board and are winning with a consistency that puts them in finals contention.

The Gold Coast has a history of fan indifference across multiple sports. Lifestyle is a big factor – the public has easy access to beaches and a vibrant nightlife. That same lifestyle is a big attraction for elite sports identities, but it also can prove to be a negative.

Just as coaches have to be wary of competing outside influences on their players, the front office has to keep an eye on supporters and what might drag them away quickly if the club stumbles.

The turmoil surrounding the Gold Coast’s NRL side these past few weeks has been unsettling in the extreme for coach, players, the front office and sponsors, but they have not been alone in this.

Supporters have also been through the wringer, watching the unfolding soap opera with concern and questioning their own commitment to the club and team.

As the Titans fight to get back on track and rebuild a winning formula that took them to the finals last season, the front office 2018 priority has to be winning back the hearts and minds of Gold Coasters.