Veteran NRL coach Des Hasler set to depart Titans at end of year in sad end to storied career

Veteran coach Des Hasler’s time at the Gold Coast Titans is about to end.

The Titans are anchored to the bottom of the NRL ladder and the pressure on the popular coach exploded on the weekend following the loss to the Cowboys.

The Titans have just four wins so far this season from 15 games, and are no hope of making finals.

According to reports, the club has a “secret clause” to tear up his contract at the end of the season if the Titans don’t make the top eight.

No payout would be required.

Multiple news outlets are reporting that Hasler’s time is up.

Veteran NRL reporter Michael Carayannis said that the two parties understand where things are at.

“It’ll be called a retirement but it’s a mutual understanding,” he said on SEN on Wednesday.

“The Gold Coast Titans can call it whatever they like but Des won’t be the coach next season.

“It’s been an absolute failure.”

It is expected Hasler, 64, has had a storied career in rugby league.

He is a premiership-winning coach and represented New South Wales and Australia in his playing days.

But multiple outlets believe he will retire at the end of the season.

“The mail I am getting out of the Gold Coast is that Des Hasler will make an announcement very soon on his future,” veteran NRL reporter Phil Rothfield said on Tuesday.

“Des has had particularly bitter exits with Canterbury and Manly … I have a feeling that after such a disastrous season that he will retire from rugby league.

“He has been a premiership winning coach. He had a pretty fair roster this year so I’m told he’s now planning retirement and he’s not going to have a s*** fight to get the last year of his money.

“I think it’s the right thing, he’s been a great coach, great character, but it’s been really disappointing and they need a fresh start up there.”

Paul Kent also believes the Hasler decision had been made.

“There’s been a lot going on at the Gold Coast in recent weeks,” he said on his podcast.

“It’s yet to be announced, (but) it will be. 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.”

NRL great Corey Parker said Hasler should leave now.

“Only two people would know he is going to retire – Des and the owners,” Parker said on SEN.

“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 (assistant coach) is a viable option to potentially go on and coach the Titans, then give him an opportunity now.”