Gold Coast favourite Michael Gordon says the club’s underperforming NRL stars are under no illusion their careers are on the line heading into the 2020 season.

Gordon has stepped straight into an assistant coaching role at the Titans under new head coach Justin Holbrook after calling time on his 14-year first-grade career at the end of last season.

The 36-year-old former fullback believes Holbrook’s simple and honest approach has been well received by the playing group ahead of a crucial season for the club and its roster.

“He keeps it pretty simple but everyone has a role to play, so there’s no grey area,” Gordon said.

“It’s been good to see the boys really buy in to what he’s been bringing.

“He’s obviously had a great record over in the UK the last couple of years … watching the boys, the way they’ve reacted to it, it’s been really good.

“Everyone knew they had to pick up their game … it’s been really good and just seeing the way the players have come in, trying to have a clean slate and knowing that all bets are off and everyone’s job is on the line.”

Gordon will come out of retirement, temporarily, to play for the club at the NRL Nines in Perth next month.

The former NSW State of Origin representative firmly ruled out any suggestion that playing at the Nines indicated he might be rethinking his retirement and pin-pointed some of the Titans’ players he’s keen to see prove their doubters wrong in 2020.

“I’m just really excited to see how players like AJ (Brimson) and Jai Arrow, and actually Ash Taylor’s been training the house down, so there’s a lot of positives that I’ve seen,” he said.

“I just want to see them put it together on the field now.”