Close call on Titans role

QUEENSLAND rugby league icon Chris Close believes Gold Coast must give their incoming coach autonomy if they are to have an upturn in fortunes, saying only a “Wayne Bennett or Craig Bellamy” could make a difference in the current state of play.

The Titans are expected to announce their choice to replace Neil Henry in the com- ing weeks but Close believes change must come from the top. Henry was axed after a tumultuous period highlighted by the fallout between Henry and marquee man Jarryd Hayne, through which the club was criticised for their handling of the matter.

“The changes that they need don’t lay with the coach or the players right at the moment,” Close said.

“The changes they need lay with who is making the decisions. If they don’t make those choices, if they don’t get that right, it won’t matter who they get – nothing will change.

“There’s no accountability. Whether you agree with Neil Henry getting the sack or Jarryd Hayne staying, neither of them were really held accountable and neither of them could hold each other accountable because they are being governed by somebody else.

“They (the Titans) could probably get Wayne Bennett to fix it, maybe Craig Bellamy could fix it. After that I can’t think of anyone who could go in there and fix it without having control of what they need to do.”

Close said Gold Coast must take a leaf out of the book of their successful neighbours at Brisbane for the way forward.

“You do what they do in places where Wayne Bennett works – they give him autonomy,” he said.

“They give him the ability to bring the players into account. He had the opportunity to put one of his players (Ben Hunt) who is going to play with another club next year and get paid millions back into the arena (Queensland Cup) that he was at the level he was playing at. They didn’t allow that to happen here.”

Close added he thinks more accountability needs to be placed on players such as Hayne.

“My personal opinion is that Jarryd Hayne isn’t earning $92,000 a month,” he said.

“I watch him play – I don’t say that he is a bad bloke or he’s not a nice kid or whatever – I just say if I was going to be paying him I would be asking him for a little bit more than what he has given.”

Meanwhile, departing Titan Eddy Pettybourne and Tweed Heads second-rower Sam Carson have been named in the United States squad for the upcoming World Cup.