THE WHEELS are moving towards appointing a selection committee to hire Gold Coast's next coach, but CEO Mark Evans is keeping things close to his chest.
Evans is completing a review of the club's football department that claimed the scalp of Rodney Eade last week, and said things were slowly progressing to find a replacement.
Speaking at the launch of Gold Coast's Reconciliation Action Plan on Wednesday morning, Evans said he had begun considering who would form the selection committee.
"I have, but I'm reluctant to detail that publicly until I've first told my board," he said.
"Maybe towards the end of the season we'll get to that."
Among the countless names linked to the vacant job has been interim coach Dean Solomon.
Evans said it would be up to Solomon to decide whether he applied, but regardless, he wanted the former Essendon premiership player at the Suns in 2018.
"He's an outstanding candidate for us, to do what he's doing right now in terms of galvanising the group and giving them purpose over the last two weeks.
"We need Dean Solomon at our club next year in any case."
Despite the Suns' woes and that of NRL's neighbouring Gold Coast Titans – who have missed the finals, lost a major sponsor and are in the midst of a public standoff between their coach and highest profile player Jarryd Hayne - Evans was confident elite sport could flourish in the area.
"Every sporting franchise anywhere around the world has to do two things really well; it has to connect and mean something to its community, and it has to have success," Evans said.
"I know that can be delivered here.
"If you can strengthen your ties to the community and mean something to the community and then give them something to be celebrate and get excited about on the weekend and give them that success, I know that can be delivered on the Gold Coast."
