Titans lining up to stay long-term under Holbrook

The players are loving life under Justin Holbrook and Dale Copley and Keegan Hipgrave want to be part of the ride as the Titans look to lock up their coach long term.

Hipgrave and Copley, regulars in the starting side, are off contract at the end of the year and want to continue being part of a Holbrook-led renaissance at the Gold Coast.

NRL.com revealed on Monday that Titans powerbrokers are moving to wrap up Holbrook beyond the end of his two-year deal.

Copley knows a good mentor when he sees one after previously being coached by Wayne Bennett and Trent Robinson.

He said Holbrook, who was Robinson’s assistant before transforming St Helens into a Super League juggernaut, had traits similar to the Roosters three-time premiership winning coach.

"Given his history he is in a similar mould to Robbo in that he is a highly detailed guy and certainly leaves no stone unturned from a technical point of view," Copley said.

"He gives the players all the information we need to go out and do the job and he won’t accept standards that he’s not prepared to accept.

"He has been hard on the effort areas and even in the two losses against Penrith and Roosters [in round 11 and 12] we fought and scrapped our way to get really close.  

"You can see by the performance on the weekend [in the 30-10 win over the Cowboys] what he has brought and how he wants us to play.

He won’t accept standards that he’s not prepared to accept.

Dale Copley

"Whilst our platform is always going to be really strong through the middle, if teams want to tighten up and bash us the coach has given us a licence to throw the ball a bit and as an outside back that is a joy to play."

The Titans have signed David Fifita, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Herman Ese'ese on multi-year deals and Copley said it made sense for Holbrook to be at the helm to reap the rewards of a strengthened roster.

"I think that would be pretty smart of the club to lock him up. I think he has done a great job here in nine months and had a really positive impact on the group," Copley said.

"If you look at all the clubs that have had success over a long period of time stability is one of the things in common.

"Craig [Bellamy] has been at Melbourne a long time, Robbo has been at the Roosters eight years now and the first 20 years of the Broncos existence Wayne [Bennett] was the only coach.

"I’d certainly like to stay but I’ve been around long enough to know that is not all in my control,” Copley added when asked about his own contract situation.

"The club is moving in a direction that is pretty exciting and we’ve seen that with the calibre of players that have signed for the club next year."

Hipgrave said it would mean a lot for him to stay.

"I would love to go into the finals with the Gold Coast Titans, play some really good footy and be a powerhouse in the NRL," the rugged back-rower said.

"I think with Justin, the quality of players we have got coming to the Titans next year and the quality of players we have already it is going to be really exciting.

"I think the main thing from Justin is just to work hard.

"We were lacking a bit of effort in some areas at the start of the year but our game on the weekend was the product of how hard we are working and that is what Justin wants us to do, and the results will come off the back of that.

"I think Justin, and the other coaching staff of Jim Dymock, Jim Lenihan and Michael Gordon as a team going forward is going to be great for the club. If we can have that consistency over a couple of years we can probably be a powerhouse in the NRL."

Hipgrave said the players were “nowhere near happy” with just one win here and there and wanted to back up the Cowboys victory when they travel to Kogarah to face Cronulla this Saturday.