SUNS SERVE UP LESSONS FOR THE MISFIRING TITANS

THE Gold Coast Titans could take a lesson out of the city’s other major sporting franchise as they embark on a review of a dismal season. The drums have been beating hard for Titans coach Justin Holbrook but many fans and high profile ex-players including Mat Rogers and Scotty Satler have said not so fast.

What is happening over at the Gold Coast Suns should offer some valuable insight for the Titans as to how to proceed.

The Suns have persisted with coach Stuart Dew through multiple seasons that could only be described as abject failures.

But after season upon season of poor win-loss records, the Suns are finally rising.

Consider this: In 2018, the Suns finished 17th with four wins and a whopping 18 losses.

In 2019, they were worse – they nabbed 18th spot with three wins and 19 losses.

By 2020, things were on the improve, not much, but heading in the right direction. The Suns were 14th with five wins, 11 losses and one draw.

2021 was much the same with a 16th spot on the back of seven wins and 15 losses.

2022 is looking like their most promising season in five years, with them still in the hunt of a finals berth.

So far they have notched seven wins and eight losses.

Dew has now been re-signed by the club through to 2024 and it seems that continuity and faith is starting to pay off.

One of the biggest mistakes sporting clubs can make is losing their nerve.

If the Titans punt Holbrook after one shocking season – let’s not sugarcoat, it has been awful – then that may come to be something they regret.

Holbrook has a proven track record in the English Super League.

If not for a player brain explosion on the stroke of fulltime during last year’s final’s playoff match they would have been marching on to a preliminary finals berth.

Examples abound of sporting teams which have stuck with coaches despite the losses mounting up to then turn it around.

Look at Richmond in the AFL. The Titans’ 2022 season has been blighted by injury, a misfiring marquee signing David Fifita and an immature if promising spine.

The Titans should stick with Holbrook and show some faith – at least for one more NRL season – just as the Suns did with Dew.