Des Hasler was expected to breathe new life into the Titans this year - but instead the side has now emerged as NRL wooden spoon candidates. The veteran coach took over the job in the off-season and given his track record at both Manly and Canterbury, many believed the star-studded Gold Coast roster would finally become a premiership force in 2024. After two convincing losses at the hands of the Dragons and Bulldogs, Hasler's side has been dealt a major injury blow in the form of Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, who will spend the remainder of the year on the sidelines with an ACL tear. The 24-year-old has been the leading man for the Titans since arriving at the club three years ago and will leave an enormous hole on and off the field. Speaking on Wide World Of Sports' QLDER, rugby league great Darren Lockyer claimed the side could overcome the loss of the Origin front-rower, but conceded they have failed to buy into Hasler's approach across their first two matches. "There's other guys there that can provide the heart and soul type of attitude [that Tino brings], like a Mo Fotuaika," Lockyer said. "They just haven't worked out how to play Des Hasler football yet. They just look really lost out there and maybe that's a new coach trying to implement his way of playing. "They've just got to keep it simple and get back to basics. They probably need to fix their defence up first and hope their attack starts to gel. "On both sides of the football, they are just not executing. I'm not too concerned about them yet … with a win or a better performance, they'll get a lot of confidence." Gold Coast have leaked 60 points in two games so far against bottom-four sides from last season, while crossing the stripe just once despite the presence of attacking weapons such as AJ Brimson and Alofi Khan-Pereira. The absence of David Fifita has also been monumental for the Titans early in their campaign - and that could become a more permanent fixture if things don't change.
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