Des Hasler Slams Titans’ Costly Collapse in Loss to Dragons
Gold Coast Titans coach Des Hasler expressed his frustration after a costly 10-minute lapse allowed the St George Illawarra Dragons to seize control in their 38-16 win at WIN Stadium—just the Dragons’ second victory of the season.
The Titans had held the hosts to a single try in the opening 30 minutes, but the game turned sharply as Valentine Holmes, Tyrell Sloan, and Kyle Flanagan all crossed before halftime. What had been a tight contest at 6-4 quickly blew out, with the Titans trailing by 20 points at the break—a deficit they never recovered from.
“I was pretty disappointed with that last 10 minutes,” Hasler said in his post-match comments. “They ran in three tries before halftime—that basically decided the match. We tried to claw it back after that, but probably got stuck in too much negative play, which we’ve been talking about.”
Hasler lamented the team’s inability to manage that critical period, adding, “That last seven or eight minutes in the first half was where we lost it.”
The coach was also asked about Beau Fermor’s error that handed possession back to the Dragons following Holmes’ try. Hasler pointed to a recurring issue: “We’ve been speaking about those negative plays and mistakes. Every team faces them, but it’s about individual accountability. When you’re already down on numbers, mistakes like that hurt even more.”
Despite the result, Hasler found positives in the performance of David Fifita, who started in the back row after being initially named on the bench for the second week running. The powerhouse forward produced his best showing of the season, racking up two try assists and nine tackle busts.
“I thought David was excellent—really competitive, strong carries, set up a try. He stood out,” Hasler said. “It’s vital we regroup and get a win next week at Cbus, especially after a start like that.”
