The Gold Coast Titans have swung the axe on Des Hasler after confirming on Monday that the under-fire coach won’t be at the helm in 2026. It comes after a horror season for Hasler and the Titans and follows reports that Souths’ pursuit of Gold Coast forward David Fifita looks set to hinge on the Rabbitohs’ ability to offload $650,000-per year halfback Lewis Dodd.
Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett has made no secret about his admiration for Fifita, who has fallen out of favour on the Gold Coast. Fifita has barely played in 2025 after an injury-ravaged NRL season and The Courier Mail reported last week that the former Maroons star had been granted permission to speak to rival clubs. The report said the Titans were willing to grant him an early release on a contract that runs until the end of next season and is reportedly worth $900,000 for 2026.
Des Hasler has been axed as Gold Coast coach for 2026 and David Fifita could also be leaving the Titans after this season. Pic: Getty
Titans coach Hasler refused to answer questions about Fifita in a testy press conference over the weekend, before news of his sacking was confirmed on Monday. One reporter took aim at Hasler after the veteran coach refused to confirm whether he’d been given permission to speak to rival clubs, with Hasler simply repeating, “He’s signed for 2026” multiple times.
No one ever sides with a journalist in a battle with an athlete/coach but Des Hasler has been rude to people just doing their job forever and a day.
Glad someone went back at him
Easier to get away with it when winning than about to ‘win’ a wooden spoon 🥄 #NRL pic.twitter.com/3fy5xipI9L
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) August 23, 2025
But Bennett made it clear over the weekend that Fifita is a player he’d love to have at the Bunnies, despite the injury-plagued former Maroons star being limited to just nine games for Gold Coast this season. “We are interested in David here at South Sydney, so we will be talking to his management and the Titans,” Bennett told AAP.
“We appreciate the way they have handled themselves, and we have handled ourselves well. Now we will try and see if we can get a deal done. I gave him his debut at the Broncos when he was 18 after he had just played under-18s that year. David is just a rare talent. We haven’t seen the best of him yet.”
Souths’ move for David Fifita hinges on Lewis Dodd’s exit
The Titans would likely need to chip in some of Fifita’s $900,000 salary for next season, and any potential deal for Souths is likely to hinge on their ability to offload Dodd. The English playmaker was signed to the Rabbitohs on a three-year deal worth $650,000 a season before Bennett agreed to return to the club, and he’s failed to convince the master coach he has a future at the Bunnies.
Souths’ hopes of luring David Fifita (R) to the club in 2026 look set to hinge on whether they can offload English import Lewis Dodd (L). Pic: Getty
Dodd still has two years remaining on his Rabbitohs deal but his price tag is proving difficult for Souths in their attempts to move him on. News Corp reports that the Rabbitohs are willing to chip in around $250,000 a season for the next two years if he were to switch to a rival club, but potential suitors have been few and far between.
The halfback could be forced to return to the English Super League if he wants to continue playing first-grade footy in 2026. But Souths’ ability to try and get a deal done for Fifita rests on whether they can free up space in their salary cap by wiping as much of Dodd’s $650,000 per year salary off their books as they can.
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Fifita has suffered a fall from grace after backflipping on a big-money offer from the Roosters last year, with Penrith also interested in the 25-year-old’s services at the time. Even before confirmation of Hasler’s axing on Monday, the Titans were reportedly happy to grant an early release for Fifita, just weeks after he underwent season-ending surgery on his troublesome ankle.
But much like Dodd’s contract situation at Souths, the Titans could find it difficult to move on Fifita from his $900,000 deal in 2026. Gold Coast will almost certainly have to chip in for Fifita’s switch to a rival club and the rampaging forward could be forced to take a significant pay cut if he hopes to reunite with Bennett at the Rabbitohs.