Gold Coast’s “overpaid and underperforming” players will challenge new coach Justin Holbrook’s man-management skills, ex-Titans star Mat Rogers believes.
The Titans confirmed on Wednesday that St Helens coach Holbrook will in November take charge of the NRL club on a two-year deal as the successor to the sacked Garth Brennan.
Rogers, a foundation Titans player who played 77 matches for them from 2007 to 2011, says finding a new coach is far from the only issue that has to be resolved for the struggling franchise.
“There are far bigger issues at the Titans than just replacing a coach and thinking all the issues are just going to go away,” the dual international told AAP.
“Hopefully that is a big part of it but there are players getting paid an awful lot of money that aren’t delivering to that standard that need to.
“Hopefully the coach can get the best out of them but he’s going to have to wear the decisions that administrators have made in the past.
“They’re going to leave him with a team that, at the moment, are overpaid and underperforming.”
Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell has already confirmed Holbrook will be expected to achieve results with largely the same playing squad which has managed just four wins in 2019.
That means getting the best out of big-money signings Tyrone Peachey, Shannon Boyd, Leilani Latu and Bryce Cartwright while also turning around halfback Ash Taylor’s underwhelming form.
“Hopefully he can get the best out of those guys or it’s going to be a tough couple of years. That’s just the reality of it,” Rogers said.
Rogers worked briefly under John Cartwright as a backs coach after his retirement and said he’d consider returning to the club if Holbrook sought him out.
“I’d love to have a chat to him. That’s going to be up to the administrators there really,” he said.
“In the past I’ve not really been their favourite, probably because I’ve criticised a few decisions that were made in the past; egos got bruised maybe.
“Hopefully we can all be adults and understand, at the end of the day, we’re all after the same thing and that’s success for the Gold Coast Titans.”
