Former Leeds Rhinos head coach Brian McDermott looks set to join Gold Coast Titans’ coaching ranks next season.
McDermott has been working down under for the last few years with Newcastle Knights, but according to the Daily Telegraph he is set to become one of Josh Hannay’s first appointments since taking over as head coach of the Titans.
Hannay, a former Celtic Crusaders player, will take the main role on for next season following the departure of Des Hasler and McDermott, looks set to be joining him in Queensland as an assistant.
The move is just one part of a coaching shake up at the foot of the NRL, with wooden spooners Newcastle looking for a new coach, too.
Former St Helens man Justin Holbrook, who has had a spell in charge of the Titans is one of the favourites for the Knights job. Holbrook has been working at Sydney Roosters as an assistant but he is keen to take up a top job once more and is in the running for the Knights job.
Serious About Rugby League has launched a brand new podcast which can be watched in full on our YouTube channel here.
Ex-Hull KR and Wigan Warriors player Blake Green is also in the running to take over at the Knights. Green has been working alongside McDermott at Newcastle but is now pushing for the head coach job at the McDonald Jones Stadium.
There were reports that McDermott had some support for Knights job at one point, but McDermott has never publicly spoken about the role and it now seems he is destined to make the move to the Gold Coast. The 55-year-old takes plenty of experience with him to the Cbus Super Stadium too, having worked on the staff at Huddersfield Giants and Leeds before taking charge at Harlequins in 2006.
He joined Leeds Rhinos at the end of 2010 and went on to win four Super League Grand Finals and a World Club Challenge in the role.
He departed Headingley in 2018 and joined up with Toronto Wolfpack and he took the expansion team up to Super League before their collapse. McDermott then spent time at Oldham and Featherstone Rovers before moving to Newcastle in November 2022.
