NRL icon Billy Slater has called out Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler for his complaints regarding the team’s fixtures, labelling it a “whinge.” This criticism follows the Titans’ disappointing start to their season, marked by a 40-24 defeat to Canterbury after arriving at their opening match on the back of a bye in round one and a disrupted preparation caused by Cyclone Alfred.
The Titans were the last team to play in round two, making it a notable 16th game of the season while the four NRL teams that travelled to Las Vegas—Raiders, Warriors, Panthers, and Sharks—had already played their matches. After the loss, Hasler unexpectedly directed some blame towards the NRL for the scheduling, highlighting that a significant number of games had taken place before his team even got on the field. “There has probably been 17 games of footy played before we get to play one,” he remarked, although he insisted he wasn’t making excuses.
However, Slater, discussing the matter on his podcast, firmly disagreed with Hasler’s stance. He pointed out that while the Titans might feel they had an unfair advantage against them, they need to accept the reality of their situation and focus on their performance. “I get you had a bye in round one, but they are the cards you’ve been dealt,” Slater emphasised, urging Hasler to stop complaining and to motivate his team instead. Slater further noted that dwelling on such issues could distract the Titans from their game, especially given their lacklustre start which saw them struggle from the beginning against the Bulldogs.
Moving forward, the Titans will be eager to bounce back as they prepare to host Newcastle in round three, aiming to turn their fortunes around after a shaky onset to the season.