The pressure on Des Hasler is reaching bursting point with reports emerging that the veteran coach has lost the Gold Coast dressing room leading into Sunday’s Cbus Super Stadium stoush with the Broncos.
Hasler’s men have secured just four wins so far this season and their 11th loss to the Cowboys before last week’s bye leaves them anchored to the bottom of the NRL ladder, with their coach’s storied career on the ropes.
He has coached 497 NRL games and won a pair of premierships at Manly, but the cold hard facts are he now owns a 12-27 record in one-and-a-half seasons with the Titans.
Gold Coast could tell Hasler that he is relieved of his duties after their next match against Brisbane with the Titans then no chance of making the playoffs, which is a crucial clause in his contract.
If the Titans fail to make the finals, the club can punt him without financial repercussions.
According to a Courier-Mail report, Hasler is at loggerheads with his players, who have grown increasingly confused with late changes to game plans and team lists, with poor communication with the team cited as one of the main reasons why they have had enough with the 64-year-old’s methods.
Reports earlier this week suggested Hasler had brokered a deal with the club to announce his retirement at the end of the season but he may not last that long in the job.
Ciraldo takes aim at ‘ridiculous’ Galvin commentary
Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo has hit out at critics of Lachlan Galvin, labelling the intense spotlight on the teenager as “ridiculous” since his Belmore arrival.
Galvin will return to the bench for Canterbury’s clash with North Queensland on Saturday night, with Matt Burton and Toby Sexton reunited in the halves.
The 19-year-old’s mid-season move from Wests Tigers has been the biggest story of the NRL season, with Canterbury dropping from first to third since his arrival.
The playmaker’s performance in last week’s loss to Brisbane was heavily scrutinised after Galvin started in the halves and Burton went to centre.
Ciraldo conceded on Thursday that Galvin would learn a lot from that match, but insisted the teenage prodigy was not alone in having an off night.
Lachie Galvin. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Regardless, the Bulldogs coach made clear his frustration over the way his star recruit had been scrutinised since his arrival last month.
“Some of the commentary around him is ridiculous. He is a 19-year-old kid who has changed clubs mid year, and looking to improve his football,” Ciraldo said.
“Our job internally is to help him through that process, guide him and protect him. He is doing a great job of turning up and trying to get better every day.
“I don’t know why there is so much attention on him or why it comes to that.
“We had a number of players last week who didn’t play the way they would have like to have played. And unfortunately Lachy was in the headlines for a lot of that.”
Ciraldo said he had instructed Galvin and other players to stay off their phones, and not watch football talk shows that he labelled as “reality TV”.
“We’re educating them to stay away from it as well,” Ciraldo said.
“There were a few errors we would have liked to take back last week, but they are learnings for him as well.
“And while they were pressure passes, a couple should have been caught as well.
“He is learning every day, putting in the hard work, he is the first one here and last to leave. And whenever you are doing that, good things are going to happen.”
Galvin is again expected to come on in the halves for the Bulldogs in Townsville, with No.7 Sexton having shifted to dummy-half in recent weeks in that scenario.
Sexton has already signed with Catalans in the English Super League for next year, while hooker Reed Mahoney will be released to North Queensland at season’s end.
“Every club and every team has players leaving every year,” Ciraldo said.
“A couple of years ago players were leaving here without much of a footballing future ahead of them.
“Two years on we have guys leaving now for better opportunities and financial offers, and that makes us happy.”
(Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Storm star’s future clouded
Fijian prop Tui Kamikamica’s playing future is clouded after a deal to switch to South Sydney has fallen through.
The veteran forward, who has played 127 matches for Melbourne since his debut in 2017, was keen to join the Rabbitohs for next year but discussions have been canned with Souths facing salary cap constraints.
Melbourne have an option on his services for next season but are also looking to shed salary so the towering 31-year-old could be on the move to another NRL club or the Super League.
Canberra have boosted their pack with NewsCorp reporting they have re-signed Zac Hosking on a three-year deal but Pasami Saulo is set to head back to Newcastle.
with AAP
