Latest news with #DesHasler
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
NRL: Warriors' loss to Titans leaves top four hopes on shaky ground
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad reflects on the Warriors defeat to Gold Coast. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Analysis: The contrasts were stark. Six nights earlier, after they let a much-needed win slip through their fingers in the final minute, Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler hauled his players out of the showers to give them a dressing down that peeled the paint off the locker-room walls. "Every f***ing week, you keep going back to what doesn't work for you," he lamented. "That's why you're f***ing dumb!" On this night though, the Gold Coast victory song echoed through the corridors of the Mt Smart grandstand, after their shocking 24-16 win over NZ Warriors . "I don't think it had anything to do with the dressing down at all," Hasler cautioned. "They're very proud individuals and that's the kind of response we want to get, week in and week out." On the other hand, six nights earlier, the Warriors leapt about in celebration, as second-rower Leka Halasima snapped up a loose ball and rumbled 40 metres to grab a famous victory over Newcastle Knights on the fulltime siren. On this night though, they could only shake their heads, as they slumped to a third-straight defeat against a team ranked last in the NRL on all three occasions. "I think the fans and everyone got a bit more excited than we did last week," coach Andrew Webster insisted. "When we were on the bus, I didn't see anyone celebrating or carrying on - I think everyone realised we weren't at our best." If that narrow escape against Newcastle was a wake-up call, the Warriors had slept through the alarm. Here's how they let a golden opportunity to consolidate an NRL playoff position slip through their fingers. Webster pinpointed the moment when hooker Wayde Egan was left concussed on the ground, as the Titans broke upfield, with halfback Jayden Campbell putting winger Jojo Fifita into the corner. The Warriors led 10-0 at the time and seemed well in control early, but conceded the next 24 points to hand over that advantage. "I didn't feel like we dealt with that change in momentum well," he reflected. "We didn't get back into the arm-wrestle like we normally do," Webster said "We're normally really good at those type of moments and it's something for us to work on this week." The other critical juncture came, when they trailed 18-10 in the 55th minute, but winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was sin-binned for tackling centre Brian Kelly without the ball on the goal-line. Kelly was chasing a kick through by fullback AJ Brimson and Watene-Zelezniak's reflex action could easily have yielded a penalty try. Instead, he left his team shorthanded and the Titans immediately scored anyway, with Fifita taking the ball at speed to cross for his second amid four tacklers. The Warriors performance exposed two glaring areas that needed improvement - the right-edge defence and the kicking game. The right-edge vulnerability was well known and will continue to be exploited by opposition teams. "We do our homework through the week, there's no doubt about that," Titans captain Kieran Foran admitted cagily. "We looked at areas we might be able to expose them." Left winger Phillip Sami also had a try double - his first came when makeshift centre Kurt Capewell came out of his line and slipped, as halfback Jayden Campbell floated a long pass to Sami with acres of space outside Watene-Zelezniak. Foran repeated that pass to Sami in the second half to leave the Warriors winger floundering again. "I've got complete faith in every single one of our boys," Webster said. "It doesn't matter were they are, what position or what edge - I'm completely confident that we'll bounce back to where we want to be." Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is denied a try against Gold Coast. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Watene-Zelezniak may have to defend his position in the team from back-up fullback Taine Tuaupiki, who deputised for him through injury at the start of the season. Tuaupiki was vulnerable under the high ball at times, but has been in good form, whether he's played first-grade or NSW Cup. On Saturday, he scored two tries and kicked eight conversions, as the reserves stretched their unbeaten streak to 14 games with a 68-6 romp against South Sydney. "Taine's an option every week," Webster said. "He's a good player, but I'm certainly not going to pick teams an hour after the game's finished." The options at centre are less bountiful, with Rocco Berry rehabbing a dislocated shoulder and Ali Leiataua suffering an calf injury in reserve grade. Webster would love to return Capewell to the second row, where he starred for Queensland at State of Origin, but right now he seems the best option in the midfield. Nicoll-Klokstad has played centre for the Kiwis, but then Tuaupiki can only spread so far. "Like I said, I'm not going to pick the team straight after the game," rebuffed Webster. After a promising Warriors debut, when he bombed Wests Tigers into submission, halfback Tanah Boyd again dominated the kicking options, but too often, his kicks seemed too deep or the chasers too slow to make them contestable. "I thought our kick chase was a pass mark," Webster said. "We actually score it and it scored OK tonight, but it wasn't dominant like it normally is or when we're good. "I didn't think we surged well on it and backed the kicks up to turn them into great kicks tonight." That might improve, as his teammates get used to Boyd's tendencies or maybe he needs to share the load more with five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita, or Webster could turn to Martin in the No.7 jersey. Winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (278) and fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (214) both carried beyond 200 metres, while Halasima become the Warriors' top tryscorer for the season with his ninth, also breaking six tackles. Leka Halasima scores another try for the Warriors. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Captain James Fisher-Harris ran for 130 metres and made 46 tackles, while front-row partner Jackson Ford racked up 128 and 54 respectively. Martin came off the bench to replace Egan and made 46 tackles, but he and centre Kurt Capewell were also credited with six missed tackles each. Nicoll-Klokstad returned from a knee injury that sidelined him a month and was solid enough on his return, but the Warriors suffered another setback, when Egan failed his head check and couldn't return to the field. That will also rule him out against the Dolphins on Friday, so expect to see understudy Sam Healey in the No.9 jersey for that fixture. The Warriors may also lose front-rower Jackson Ford next week, after he was put on report for his second dangerous tackle offence this season. While the defeat was worrying for the Warriors, it was hard to begrudge Hasler his moment, which allowed him to celebrate 500 coaching games in style. He seemed a man on the edge of extinction last week, but this result should see him survive at least a little longer, despite the rumours of his imminent demise. Former Warrior Foran also marked his final NRL appearance at Mt Smart with victory. He has been a stalwart of Kiwis league since debuting for the national team in 2009, despite a body that was repeatedly let him down over the years. Neither were overly forthcoming at the post-game presser, unprepared to tip their cards before they host the Warriors again in four weeks. This result - and the Rabbitohs' later loss to Cronulla Sharks - lifts Gold Coast off the bottom of the table for now, but they have a surging Penrith Panthers next week. Since 2021, the Titans have now won six of their last seven meetings with the Warriors and inflicted a 60-point defeat on their rivals last time they met at Cbus Stadium. "It doesn't surprise me whenever I see the Titans win a game of football, because they're so talented," Webster said. "It's just frustrating that it seems to be against us - I don't have my finger on it. "I can't deny they've got the wood over us at the moment." They were in a great position to consolidate their top-four spot, with nearest pursuers Brisbane Broncos losing to Parramatta Eels this weekend. Instead, four-time defending champions Penrith have leapfrogged into fifth, just three points behind and now riding a seven-game winning streak. The Warriors are also only six points clear of ninth with six games remaining, so there is a real danger they may miss out on the post-season altogether, if they can't rediscover their mojo. The Warriors face the Dolphins, who are coming off the bye and currently sit on the playoff bubble. Only Melbourne Storm have scored more points than the Dolphins this season and another loss could see the Warriors becalmed within sight of the finish-line. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Des Hasler's wild post-game spray vindicated as Titans grab shock win in coach's milestone match
Not much has gone right for Titans coach Des Hasler in 2025, but his decision to spray his troops not once but twice after an embarrassing defeat to the Tigers last week has paid off. Hasler was left seething after last week's loss, and his frustration boiled over in a fiery locker room moment that was captured on camera. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. As Hasler entered the rooms to address his playing group, he was left infuriated by the sounds of the showers running. The 64-year-old exploded into a fit of rage as he shouted at the players in the showers, forcing them to walk out and sit with the playing group. According to Code Sports, Hasler's on-camera outburst was actually his second spray because the Titans players didn't respond sufficiently to his initial post-game spray. 'Des was furious,' an anonymous player agent said. However, it did the trick, with his Gold Coast team producing an inspired performance in Hasler's 500th game to stun the Warriors in New Zealand. The Titans found themselves down 10-0 after just 11 minutes, but instead of rolling over like they have time and time again this year, they responded by turning the blowtorch on the Warriors. They held off a rampant New Zealand side late to score a memorable eight-point win. Hasler, who is widely tipped to retire at the end of the season, has never won the wooden spoon in his decorated 20-year coaching career. And Sunday's 24-16 upset victory in Auckland has given him a good chance of avoiding that in what is likely his final ever coaching stint. The 64-year-old's first season as an NRL head coach was in 2004, and over the next two decades, he guided clubs (Sea Eagles and Bulldogs) to four grand finals and two premierships. Against the Warriors, he became just the sixth coach in history to oversee 500 first-grade games, behind Wayne Bennett (956*), Tim Sheens (693), Brian Smith (601), Craig Bellamy (594*) and Ricky Stuart (534*). The upset victory in Auckland also dragged the Titans off the bottom of the ladder as they leapfrogged Bennett's Rabbitohs. Meanwhile, the Warriors are stuttering at the wrong end of the season, and coach Andrew Webster admits there is plenty to fix before finals. The Kiwis got out of jail last week with a miraculous last-second try to beat the Knights, but that victory only temporarily masked their problems, which were again on display against the Titans. Webster said none of his players were celebrating on the team bus last week, and despite knowing they needed to seriously improve at home, they couldn't get the job done against the bottom-placed Titans. 'We just weren't good enough; it has nothing to do with where they sit on the table. We knew if they played good football, what they could offer,' Webster said. 'We just weren't the way we wanted to be, and that's always frustrating. They were at their best and we weren't, and that's what happens in the NRL, you get beaten. 'We need to get back to how we want to play and just have confidence and belief in each other. 'We need to make sure it's a hard day for the opposition when they come here.'
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Warriors let opportunity slip with defeat to cellar dwelling Titans
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad of the Warriors goes in for a try (file photo). Photo: Andrew Cornaga / The NZ Warriors could find no miraculous comeback on Saturday, as they slumped to a 24-16 defeat against the bottom-of-the-table Gold Coast Titans at Auckland's Go Media Stadium. Early tries to centre Adam Pompey and second-rower Leka Halasima put the home side in prime position, but they conceded the next 24 points, including try doubles to Titans centre Jojo Fifita and winger Phillip Sami, to lose control of the contest. They lost hooker Wayde Egan to concussion in the first half and then had to play short-handed, when winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was sent to the bin for taking out a player without the ball on his goal-line. With their next possession, Fifita scored his second to put the game beyond reach for the Warriors and not even a try to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck could spark a revival. The result is a blow to their chances of a top-four finish - they remain in fourth on the NRL table, but are now vulnerable to those chasing. Victory means Gold Coast coach Des Hasler can celebrate his 500th game in a season, when he has been under threat of losing his job. The Warriors now meet the Dolphins on Friday at Mt Smart, desperately needing a better performance to restore credibility to their championship hopes. See how it unfolded, with RNZ's blog: Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll‑Klokstad, 2. Dallin Watene‑Zelezniak, 3. Adam Pompey, 4. Kurt Capewell, 5. Roger Tuivasa‑Sheck, 6. Chanel Harris‑Tavita, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher‑Harris (c), 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Marata Niukore, 13. Erin Clark Interchange: 14. Te Maire Martin, 15. Jacob Laban, 16. Demitric Vaimauga, 17. Tanner Stowers‑Smith Reserves: 18. Taine Tuaupiki, 20. Samuel Healey, 21. Bunty Afoa, 22. Ali Leiataua, 23. Eddie Ieremia‑Toeava Titans: 1. AJ Brimson, 2. Jaylan De Groot, 3. Brian Kelly, 4. Jojo Fifita, 5. Phillip Sami, 6. Kieran Foran, 7. Jayden Campbell, 8. Moeaki Fotuaika, 9. Sam Verrills, 10. Jaimin Jolliffe, 11. Chris Randall, 12. Beau Fermor, 13. Klese Haas Interchange:14. Jacob Alick‑Wiencke, 15. Reagan Campbell‑Gillard, 16. Iszac Fa'asumaleaui, 17. Josh Patston Reserves: 18. Arama Hau, 19. Sean Mullany, 20. Tom Weaver, 21. Ryan Foran, 22. Alofiana Khan‑Pereira
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Titans stun Warriors to celebrate Hasler's 500th
Gold Coast have celebrated Des Hasler's 500-game coaching milestone with one of the upsets of the season, a stunning 24-16 defeat of top-four hopefuls the Warriors. Amid speculation over Hasler's future, the struggling Titans showed there may still be enough fight in their season to avoid the first wooden spoon of their beleaguered coach's career. Gun halfback Jayden Campbell starred in Auckland on Saturday afternoon as the favourites for last place bounced back from 10-0 down after nine minutes. It's a second unconvincing performance in a row for the fourth-placed Warriors, who needed until after the siren to overcome struggling Newcastle last week. The Warriors are still in the box seat for a top-four spot. They would have to lose at least twice more to finish the regular season any lower. But they're set to be without Wayde Egan for next week's clash with top-eight hopefuls the Dolphins after the hooker suffered a game-ending head knock in the first half. It looked likely to be a long night for Gold Coast when the Warriors crossed twice in quick succession down the left side early on, catching Jojo Fifita out in defence both times. But halfback Campbell hoisted his side back into the contest grabbing an offload from Jaimin Jolliffe and finding Fifita on a 60-metre tear. The Titans were level after an AJ Brimson cut-out pass to Phil Sami, and took an unlikely half-time lead thanks to Campbell's penalty goal. The Titans hit back through Jojo Fifita! 👊 — NRL (@NRL) July 26, 2025 Gold Coast smelt the unlikeliest of victories when Campbell intercepted a Te Maire Martin pass as the Warriors were working into their half in pursuit of late points. Without injured general Luke Metcalf, the Warriors struggled for their rhythm in attack after their opening burst. When they lost winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to the sin bin for a professional foul in the second half, Gold Coast capitalised. The bunker ruled Fifita had made contact with the turf burrowing over the line for a second try on the back of a beautiful flat ball from Campbell. That made it a three-score game for the Titans and left the hosts with too much to do.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
NRL live: Warriors vs Titans, Panthers vs Tigers, Rabbitohs vs Sharks
With coach Des Hasler in the firing line, the Titans face a brutal road trip to face the fourth-placed Warriors in Auckland. Later, the Panthers and Tigers face off at Western Sydney Stadium and the injury-hit Rabbitohs take on Cronulla in Gosford. Follow all the action in our live blog below, check out all the stats in the full ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.
