Titans should play in Brisbane: Gould

Aug 23, 2017 - 4:48 AM Forget moving the coach, Gold Coast should pack up and move to Brisbane.

That's the opinion of rugby league guru Phil Gould, who also believes Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga would be the perfect man to lead the rebuild of the struggling NRL club.

The two-time premiership-winning coach suggested Meninga should be handed the reins of a football program and guide a rookie NRL mentor such as Kevin Walters or Adrian Lam.

"Adrian's like Kevin Walters, he's always coveted an NRL coaching role. He's had a few lower grade roles," Gould said on his Six Tackles With Gus podcast.

"If Mal's there, it doesn't matter who then coaches the side, because they'll have a coaching team and Mal will oversee the team, as he did with the Queensland team for many years."

Gould said the Titans needed a head of football with football experience and profile.

"Mal Meninga would be a perfect figure-head for that club, both corporately, community-wise, junior development-wise, and lending assistance and profile to the coaching program," he said.

"He would also be a wonderful marketing tool and an asset for recruitment of young and even established players, knowing you're going to play for the club where the Australian coach is."

However while much of the focus has been on who takes over following the sacking of Neil Henry this week, Gould went one step further and said the club should move north to Brisbane.

It is widely believed the next NRL expansion club should share the city with the Broncos.

"I think the logical solution for the Gold Coast Titans is to move to Suncorp Stadium and play week about with the Broncos and act as a the second Brisbane team," Gould said.

"I think that would probably be in the best short-term and long-term interests of the game.

"But if they want to remain on the Gold Coast, then they need to do a lot more work than they've done, particularly development-wise, engaging with the local community, and producing players from that region to play with that club, rather than being purely a recruitment club."

Gould also played down the Jarryd Hayne factor for any new coach.

"I don't think anyone should be worrying about going to coach the Gold Coast Titans and be thinking, 'How am I going to deal with Jarryd Hayne'," Gould said.

"You deal with him like everybody else. If Jarryd doesn't like that - there's the door, don't let it hit you on the arse on the way out."

Source: AAP