Eamonn McManus insists Justin Holbrook’s exit will not derail St Helens.
Holbrook is expected to be confirmed as the coach of Gold Coast Titans in Australia by the end of the week.
Early fears that Holbrook would quit Saints immediately look to have been allayed, with him set to leave at the end of the year.
But Saints owner and chairman McManus is confident the club is strong enough to ride out the disappointment of the loss.
He said: “We have not been sitting idly by. We have got a short list of alternatives and we are happy with our contingency plans.
“Our preference is that Justin stays, and there is a deal on the table, but it is his choice.
“We have got a great young team which is going to get better.”
Holbrook is understood to have promised Saints that he will see out the remaining few months of his contract at the club.
McManus added: “He is absolutely committed to winning trophies with us at the end of the year.
“We gave Justin until the end of this month to make his mind up, so we will find out in the next couple of days.
“We cannot stop him being interviewed because he is off contract at the end of the season. But if he goes, it will be at the end of the year.”
Saints fans have been chanting “We want you to stay” in recent matches in an attempt to convince Holbrook to sign a new deal.
But the chance to take his first head coach’s job in the NRL have won the 43-year-old Aussie over.
Dave Furner, who was sacked by Leeds in May, is expected to be Holbrook’s assistant at Gold Coast.
Holbrook was previously an assistant at Sydney Roosters and coached the Junior Kangaroos but he was unproven when he took over Saints midway through 2017.
His stock his risen massively since then, convincing Titans to appoint him ahead of Queensland State of Origin coach Kevin Walters.
Saints were runaway winners of the League Leaders Shield last year and reached the semi-finals of both the Challenge Cup and the play-offs.
This season they have once again dominated Super League and on Saturday booked their place in next month’s Challenge Cup final.
The Wembley clash against Warrington is their first Cup final since they won it in 2008 - their fourth time in five years.
McMannus said: “Had someone told me in 2008 that we would have to wait 11 years for our next visit to Wembley, I would not have believed it.
"It is phenomenal to be going to Wembley once more but the semi-final win will be irrelevant if we don't lift the trophy.”
