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Hasler must go: Parker's plea to Titans coach
SEN • July 9th, 2025 10:34 am
Corey Parker has doubled down on his calls for Des Hasler to step down from his role as coach of the Gold Coast Titans with immediate effect as noise about his forthcoming retirement gets louder.
Last month, Parker said it was time for the 64-year-old to cut ties with the club amid a dismal run, if whispers of his future proved true.
With the club now firmly anchored to the bottom of the NRL ladder with just four wins and 11 losses to their name, the season is a write-off.
“Only two people would know he is going to retire – Des and the owners,” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.
“If that’s the case, there is no upside to him sticking around for the remaining part of the year.
“Whether he wants to get to 500 games I don’t know but if he wants to retire it needs to happen now. There is no upside (to staying).
“If Jimmy Lenihan is a viable option to potentially go on and coach the Titans, then give him an opportunity now.”
Hasler was brought into the club at the start of the 2024 season, charged with turning their fortunes around and developing the playing group into a competitive force.
In his first season the team finished 14th - they had been ninth under former coach Justin Holbrook.
The gamble has failed.
Parker is not the only NRL identity to have heard the retirement rumours.
Ex-News Corp journalist Paul Kent reported the same story on his podcast.
“There’s been a lot going on at the Gold Coast in recent weeks. It’s yet to be announced, it will be,” Kent said.
“I’m not sure when the plan is, but they’ve agreed that basically after the awful year they’ve had, Des Hasler is going to retire at the end of the year.
“It’s the end of an era for Des. He began coaching at Manly many years ago and it’s his 498th game as a head coach this week. Four Grand Finals, two Premierships and just a very influential coach at his peak.
“He’s gone up there and it hasn’t been as successful as he’d like. There’s been conjecture about his future at the club and it emerged five or six weeks ago that there was a clause in his contract that if they didn’t make the play-offs this year, the club could sack him.”
