Gold Coast coach Des Hasler insists there are better days ahead for the battling Titans although whether he is there to witness them is a moot point.
The Titans were tenacious in their 26-14 loss to Brisbane in Robina on Sunday night but remain rooted to the bottom of the NRL ladder on 14 points after a sixth loss from their last seven games.
Hasler has been buffeted by constant reports that there is a clause in his contract which allows the Titans to terminate his contract for 2026 if he does not reach the finals this year.
The Gold Coast would need to win all their remaining eight games to play finals -- and even that might not get them there.
There have also been suggestions that Hasler will pull the pin on his decorated coaching career even if he is not pushed.
On match eve, the 64-year-old had said the reports were "speculation and unfounded" and repeated exactly that when asked about the future of the club.
He also said there were signs against the Broncos, when the Titans fought back from a 20-2 deficit to trail 20-14 and almost draw level, that suggested it was not all doom and gloom.
"The mentality is really strong, the side is really connected and I know there has been unfounded speculation ... pure speculation," he said.
"The results, we just haven't got them and the game we are in is a result-driven business. It's something we can only keep working on. What you saw tonight is the effort and the willingness to work hard.
"If we can execute better and limit some of the mistakes that we made, it is a very competitive side. The future of the Titans is quite strong. We haven't gone down the line of blaming injury, we pride ourselves on the next man-up mentality."
When asked about whether he needed next year to get the Titans where they needed to be, Hasler was emphatic.
"Of course, I don't take any notice of reports. I find a lot of the speculation unfounded, but I've only been at it 18 months," he said.
"I am one of the most competitive people you can come across and it's not something I am enjoying, particularly when I know what's in the four walls.
"If you are going to be fair and don't have an agenda, there are some great signs against potentially a side in the Broncos who will put a lot of pressure on in the finals."
Fullback AJ Brimson, half Jayden Campbell and centre Jojo Fifita, who scored two tries against the Broncos, all had nice touches while forwards Chris Randall and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui also shone but the Titans let then themselves down with errors at inopportune times.
"Then all that good work is undone. The disappointing part is the poor execution," Hasler said.
"As individuals we need to execute better."
