Justin Holbrook could hardly arrive on the Gold Coast in a better frame of mind, nor will he have any doubts over the effectiveness of his methods despite being a relatively young coach.

He just needs to put them into action in rugby league's most challenging postcode since Tony Rampling first pulled on a Chargers jersey in 1988.

Holbrook will arrive at the end of October, a few days before the official start of the pre-season, to take charge of the Titans, a wooden-spoon club that won four games in 2019 and finished with a points differential of minus 281.

After success at St Helens, Justin Holbrook is inbound for the Gold Coast Titans. Credit:PA

It will be a far cry from the jubilation of his Super League grand-final victory at the helm of St Helens, who beat underdogs Salford 23-6 at the weekend to win their first title since 2014. The 43-year-old was hailed a hero in front of more than 60,000 fans at Old Trafford. In contrast, Cbus Super Stadium in Robina can feel like a morgue and often has more away fans than Titans supporters.