If you desire a skilled sporting workforce to die a gradual demise of mediocrity in Australia, begin one on the Gold Coast.
Stuart Dew was sacked by the Gold Coast Suns on Tuesday, efficient instantly, as the most recent sufferer of the ‘death zone’ of Australian sport.
Dew was in his sixth season as coach, however after heavy losses to Collingwood and Port Adelaide (the AFL’s finest two groups), the Suns had seen sufficient and the Suns bid adieu to Dew.
The coach had been contracted till the top of the 2024 season, however with triple premiership coach Damien Hardwick obtainable as a gun for rent after quitting Richmond mid-season, the Suns have been left with little alternative.
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It was a troublesome name on Dew, who has needed to endure seasons with accidents to ruckman Jarrod Witts, key ahead Ben King and All Australian midfielder Touk Miller.
But critics will say Gold Coast botched its listing administration and Dew has given too many video games to fringe gamers as an alternative of giving extremely rated kids a correct go within the senior workforce.
Alas, coaches stay and die by the win-loss column and 36 wins from six seasons in cost ain’t a terrific ratio by anybody’s requirements.
They may as properly have blasted the Queen basic Another One Bites the Dust throughout Surfers Paradise as news of Dew’s sacking was made official.
His demise is one other harsh reminder of the shortage of success by the Suns and the Gold Coast Titans since they entered the AFL and NRL as enlargement groups.
The Suns have by no means made finals, even when Gary Ablett Jnr was on the peak of his powers successful a Brownlow Medal in 2013. Since coming into the AFL in 2011, their finest end on the ladder is twelfth out of 18 groups.
Let’s flip our consideration to the Titans. Since coming into the NRL in 2007, they’ve made the finals 5 instances from 16 seasons — together with prime 4 finishes in 2009 and 2010.
But let’s be actual, the Titans have by no means been a real probability to win the premiership.
They have a powerful roster in the intervening time, headlined by forwards David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
But are staring down the barrel of one other wasted season, the Titans shocked the NRL with a clandestine sacking of coach Justin Holbrook, changing him with Des Hasler, who received two premierships as Manly coach and led the Bulldogs to 2 grand finals.
It was a brutal however mandatory transfer by the Titans, who’re determined to rise from the mediocrity of the NRL midtable.
And with Ben Hunt wanting out of the Dragons, all indicators pointed to the halfback shifting north to affix Kieran Foran within the halves on the Gold Coast.
With Des in cost and Hunt mentioned to be eager on signing, on paper it was all beginning to come collectively for the Titans.
That was earlier than the Dragons performed hardball to carry Hunt to his contract, at the very least for the remainder of this season.
But poor outdated Des may very well be left with out Fifita and Fa’asuamaleaui after studies the 2 forwards had their contracts tied to former coach Holbrook.
The bombshell has opened the door for Ricky Stuart’s Canberra Raiders to throw the financial institution at Fifita, whereas Fa’asuamaleaui’s future is up within the air.
So come subsequent 12 months, Hasler may very well be with out his two star forwards questioning what he signed up for and hoping for AJ Brimson to carry out some type of miracle.
All this leads us again to the nightmare that’s soccer groups on the Gold Coast.
They’ll provide you with hope within the type of an 80-minute sport from Fifita and a few early season wins by the Suns — however when push involves shove they’ll end twelfth on the ladder and destroy any loyal fan’s soul.
Interestingly, each the Suns and Titans have sacked ‘nice guy’ coaches in Dew and Holbrook, changing them with premiership masterminds in Hasler, and sure Hardwick.
Will Hasler and Hardwick be capable to defeat the Gold Coast demise zone? It may take a number of years, however I’m predicting it can churn them out and spit them out the opposite facet.
Does Clive Palmers’ Gold Coast United ring a bell? Don’t blame you if it doesn’t.
The soccer workforce had average success in its three seasons within the A-League from 2009-2012 earlier than the FFA revoked Palmers’ licence.
The struggles of the Suns and Titans additionally recommend enlargement sides hardly ever work in Australian sport, particularly on the Gold Coast.
Expansion leads to having an uneven variety of groups, that means the season is disjointed by weekly byes, as we’re seeing within the NRL.
It’s why the race is on for an 18th NRL workforce to affix the Dolphins, and a twentieth AFL workforce is inevitable as soon as Tasmania enters the AFL in a number of years.
The GWS Giants have had one of the best on-field success, however their crowd numbers don’t make for fairly studying.
You may make the argument that the NRL received’t be a correctly full competitors till the New Zealand Warriors win a premiership.
Good luck Gold Coast followers. Here’s hoping your sporting goals don’t crash and burn once more.
Source: www.news.com.au
