Titan role for Mal Meninga?

[DIEHARD]

Mal might have role with Titans

http://www.gcbulletin.com.au

THE Titans will wait until new owners are in place before deciding on a replacement for outgoing COO Tony Mestrov, leading to speculation Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga could link with the club in an oversight role.

Mestrov will leave the Gold Coast late next week to take up a role as chief executive at Greyhound Racing NSW.

But Titans boss Graham Annesley said with an ownership change imminent, he would wait to consult the club’s new owners before deciding on the structure of the role.

Mestrov and his predecessor Brian Canavan have handled both football and commercial operations. But if the Titans opted for a new structure, it could open the way for a coaching director to be appointed, with Meninga’s name being thrown about after the Kangaroos coach revealed he would review his position with the national team following the World Cup.

Meninga has relished the responsibility of cultivating the Kangaroos brand and building the credibility of the international game, but said he will decide his Test future after the World Cup.

“I don’t know if I will go on (next year), I will see what happens,” Meninga said.

“It just depends on what happens in life. I have to see what happens through this World Cup and what pans out.

“I have another two years after this, I have a four-year contract, but that doesn’t mean to say ... I guess you never say never.”

Meninga recently expressed his disappointment at not being contacted by the Titans while the club was hunting for a head coach.

At the time, Annesley dismissed speculation Meninga would hold any role with the club if he was not interested in a full-time head coaching role. It would be a major surprise if Meninga severed his Kangaroos ties midway through his first term as Australia coach.

And even if he did, it would not necessarily indicate a link with the Titans.

“The first thing for us to do is to get the ownership of the club resolved and once we do that, I’ll be able to talk about structures and personnel,”

Annesley said. “But hopefully we’re so close to the outcome that I’ll defer until after that.”

The Titans appointed Garth Brennan as head coach last week and are in no rush to replace Mestrov before the ownership change is finalised.

“We’re in no dire need to make a quick decision and when I do make a decision it needs to be the right one,” Annesley said.

[DIEHARD]

Doubts grow over Mal staying as Test coach after showpiece

http://www.couriermail.com.au

MAL Meninga has revealed he will review his position as Australian coach amid fears the Queensland legend could be lost to the Kangaroos after the World Cup.

Meninga will launch Australia’s World Cup defence in tonight’s tournament opener against England at AAMI Park, but whether he remains in the role next year remains to be seen.

The 46-Test legend is contracted to the Kangaroos until the end of 2019 and has steered the national team to seven straight wins – including last year’s Four Nations triumph.

Meninga has relished the responsibility of cultivating the Kangaroos brand and building the credibility of the international game, but said he would decide his Test future after the World Cup.

“I don’t know if I will go on (next year), I will see what happens,” Meninga said.

“It just depends on what happens in life. I have to see what happens through this World Cup and what pans out.

“I have another two years after this, I have a four-year contract, but that doesn’t mean to say ... I guess you never say never.’’

The 57-year-old is highly respected by Kangaroos players and has been an influential figure in restoring Australia’s No.1 Test ranking.

Meninga faces a sp**** campaign in 2018, with Australia playing just one end-of-season Test against New Zealand next October.

The former Maroons coach has a busy schedule outside of his Kangaroos responsibilities.

Midway through this season he moved permanently to Canberra to be closer to his wife’s family and has enjoyed his media role with Fox Sports.

He has also been linked with NRL coaching roles.

Last month, Meninga was mooted as a possible coaching director at the Gold Coast Titans, who ultimately hired Penrith lower-grade coach Garth Brennan.

“The other thing about it, the Australian job is not a fulltime gig,” Meninga said.

“It’s a designated position, so I only work a number of days each week.

“We’ll see how things pan out through the World Cup and what happens for me personally and professionally for me down the track.”

[Mr Bods]

^^^ those articles seem to indicate that it’s going to happen. The CEO role will be expanded to take on some COO responsibilities and that Meninga is going to be in some capacity fulltime with us.
I never took this seriously but now I am.

[shamus]

Nah, I call media bull$h1t. Never gunna happen

[Bayside Titan]

I wouldn’t completely dismiss this idea happening. We went for a coach that is not costing us a lot so the plan may have been to bring Brennan in and have Meninga in a role similar to Gould. It wouldn’t be situation that Brennan would be foreign to either.

[Mr Bods]

I wouldn’t completely dismiss this idea happening. We went for a coach that is not costing us a lot so the plan may have been to bring Brennan in and have Meninga in a role similar to Gould. It wouldn’t be situation that Brennan would be foreign to either.

There’s money there to employ him with Mestrov gone. There can be a review of the various responsibilities of the CEO, Coach and Meninga’s Directors Roles to make it work.