Titans culture to hang tough

TITANS coach Garth Brennan has stressed the importance of a strong culture at the club in the wake of the Suns’ loss of captain Tom Lynch and owner Darryl Kelly vetoing the recruitment of playmaker Corey Norman.

Brennan said he respected Kelly’s decision to reject a bid for Norman, the Parramatta half who graduated from respected Gold Coast nursery Keebra Park.

Maintaining a strong culture was paramount if the club was to continue to move forward.

“It’s so important that you make the right decision on who you bring into your club,” Brennan said.

“We’ve seen clubs in the past probably pull the wrong rein and recruit the wrong person and the effect it can have on the club.

“It’s important for our sponsors, our fans, our members that we continue to head in the right direction.”

Culture is a buzz word in Coast football circles at the moment after Tom Lynch’s decision to seek to leave the Suns as a restricted free agent and being stripped of the captaincy.

The Titans, meanwhile, have adopted a “no d---heads” policy in their recruitment after incidents including the cocaine scandal that embroiled the club in 2015.

And the addition of Norman to the roster was vetoed after his history of off-field incidents while at the Eels.

“It’s always going to be club first,” Brennan said of any decision that would affect the image of the Titans. “Darryl Kelly is a really well-respected man and very astute in what he does and he’s done a fantastic job leading this club and we support whatever decisions he makes and we continue to move on.”

Brennan is a fan of Norman’s ability and met with him while the Eel was on the Gold Coast during a bye round earlier in the season. But he was unaware of the reason for the spike in the rumour Norman was set to move north.

Kelly’s view that Norman is unsuitable for the Titans though, kills any chance the Eel had of moving – and Brennan is fully supportive.

“He’s a talented player, ... but I’ve said from day one, it’s always club first and if that’s a decision the recruitment committee have made, then we move on,” he said.