Justin Holbrook has once again become the talk of rugby league, four years after he coached St Helens to their first of four straight Grand Finals, and the former Saints boss is back on everyone’s mind following his dismissal earlier this year and now the potential opportunity for him to head to either Warrington Wolves or a new NRL club.
Holbrook certainly made his mark during his spell in England with his final year seeing Saints lift the Grand Final, something they’ve gone on to do a further three times in a row since that 2019 victory.
He effectively reset the Super League era, with Leeds Rhinos ‘Golden Generation’ on their way out, he ensured that the next dynasty would be based in St Helens which is why he’s such a highly regarded coach.
Leaving Saints he returned down under to take up an opportunity with Gold Coast Titans with whom he worked until earlier this season, being relieved of is duties with a record of six wins and seven losses.
It’s now been revealed by the Titans’ owner Rebecca Frizelle what was the reasoning behind the sacking and immediate hiring of Des Hasler.
Frizelle spoke on Fox League’s ‘Face-to-Face’ expressing an expectation of “four premierships” within ten years.
“I think it was an honest discussion with Justin. We spoke while we were away and since we’ve been back and I have utmost respect for Justin as does the club,” Frizelle said.
“He is a very decent man, he is a good coach but we set ourselves a set of benchmarks that we needed to be achieving by a certain period of time and I think that’s about this hard edge we’re talking about as a club, and that’s truly what it was.
“I have no doubt Justin will bring success in what he goes on to do but for us, we needed to make change in our own organisation.”
Frizelle makes the decision sound like it was a thorough process and done in the best of nature, not something Holbrook claimed at the time as he revealed he was “pissed off”.
“I just can’t believe it, I feel awful. Totally gutted,” Holbrook told the Daily Telegraph.
“I did not see this coming at all, that’s what I am pissed off about.
“I could understand if they said, ‘Look you have three games or whatever time period to do something’, but to be moved on like this, I’m still coming to terms with it.
“If they were a bit more open about the way things were heading, I would have been able to digest this, but it’s hit me out of the blue.”
Despite the differing accounts Frizelle explained that Hasler was the man for the job based on prior experience, before talking through the nature of Holbrook’s dismissal.
“We needed someone that had a proven track record as an NRL premiership winning coach and the fact that Des has appeared in five grand finals said to us that he was the person that would help get us there sooner rather than later.
“It’s never easy… We were decisive in our decision, we also have an obligation to our club and our board is very aware of that.
“We have an obligation to all of our stakeholders to make a decision in the best interest of the club and we believe we did that.
“He’s got the track record, he’s appeared in the big dance five times and we want to be there and we will be there.”
Holbrook currently heads up the market for the Warrington Wolves job following Daryl Powell’s Sunday night sacking meaning we could possibly see him in Super League again soon.
