Gold Coast have left the door open to sign Craig Bellamy as coach for 2027, with a clause in Josh Hannay's contract making him the assistant if the Titans landed the Melbourne mentor.
Hannay will begin his first pre-season in charge of the Titans next month, after signing a three-year deal to be Des Hasler's replacement in August.
The first-year coach has already made significant roster moves at the Titans, with three players released this month and David Fifita also given permission to go.
But it is in Hannay's contract where Titans management have left space for the club to make the most audacious play in its 19-year history.
AAP can reveal Hannay has agreed to a clause that would have him become Bellamy's assistant if the Storm mentor moved to the Titans in 2027.
Gold Coast are understood to have spoken to Bellamy, with a head-coaching job one of several roles they would be open to welcoming him with alongside other off-field roles.
"We are very excited to have Josh Hannay joining us as our head coach from 2026," Titans CEO Steve Mitchell told AAP.
"All employee contractual arrangements remain strictly confidential, and as such, we will not be making public comment.
"We acknowledge Craig's exceptional coaching credentials and reputation within the game and like many NRL clubs, would welcome him and his family in any capacity."
If Gold Coast were successful in landing the master coach and he wanted to stay at the helm of the club, Titans bosses want to ensure it is possible.
The Bellamy clause was part of negotiations with Hannay when the Titans began talking with the incoming coach, and was accepted by the 45-year-old.
Hannay has since spoken publicly about his desire to turn the Titans around, motivated by the challenge of taking Gold Coast to their first NRL grand final.
One of the highest-regarded up-and-coming coaches in the game, Hannay held interim roles at North Queensland in 2020 and Cronulla in 2021.
He has also served as Craig Fitzgibbon's assistant at the Sharks for the past three seasons, while also forming part of Billy Slater's Queensland State of Origin coaching staff.
But the reality is that most clubs would jump at the chance to land Bellamy, no matter the circumstances.
The fact such a clause exists in Hannay's contract shows the Titans believe they are a chance of signing Bellamy, who this month coached the Storm to a record 11th grand final.
Bellamy signed a five-year deal with Melbourne in 2021 that allowed him to decide whether he wanted to continue coaching on a year-by-year basis each season.
He then took up the option for the fifth year of that deal in June, and has not made a decision on what he wants to do beyond the end of 2026.
The prevailing thought has been that Bellamy will either retire or step into a coaching director role at the Storm when he eventually finishes coaching the club.
But the Titans have not given up hope of signing Bellamy, who has strong links to the Gold Coast region.
Bellamy and his wife own property in the area, and his daughter and her family live also live there.
Bellamy's 23-year stint with the Storm is the longest in NRL history, with his one-club status unparalleled when it comes to the game's elite coaches.
