titanstattman
30-07-08, 04:07 PM
BOOKMAKERS will today make the Titans one of the biggest outsiders of the season -- in the process handing the Gold Coast the opportunity to etch their names into Queensland Rugby league history.
The Titans will be given more than 20 points start and will be posted as long as $9 to win the match with some betting agencies, as bookmakers declare the club needs a miracle to defeat the Storm in Melbourne on Friday night.
But history shows Queensland teams, the Titans included, have a proud tradition of rising from the ashes, a fact no one knows better than the team's assistant coach Trevor Gillmeister.
In 1995 Gillmeister captained the Queensland State of Origin side with nine debutants, including players like a teenaged Ben Ikin who were virtual no-names, after Super League split the game.
Remarkably, with one of the weakest sides in Origin history, at least on paper, the Maroons won the series 3-0. In fact Gillmeister's career at the Roosters began on the back of filling in for injured players.
"You get given opportunities in this game, that's the good thing about it," he said.
"You've got to think, 'I'm not here to make up the numbers', you've got to think 'I'm here to make the difference'."
Gillmeister said his career started when Eastern Suburbs suffered a host of injuries.
"I think both second rowers got injured and they had no choice but to put me in and I was there (from then on)," he said.
Gillmeister said had it not been for the split competition, players like Ikin may never have been given an opportunity to carve out their own piece of league history.
"If the game hadn't been through that turmoil, who knows some of those blokes mighten have got a chance for Queensland," he said.
"We had nine blokes making their debut, you'll never see that again."
Gillmeister said the 'Toddler Titans' had to focus on their individual games.
"You can't help the bloke next to you, you've got to go out there with a positive mind and try and get on top of them," he said.
Betting manager at Sportingbet, Bill Richmond, yesterday said the only thing saving the Titans from being a longer quote was Melbourne's Sunday-Friday backup and travel from New Zealand.
He said the club would probably be $8.50 to win the match when markets were posted today.
"The Storm will probably not be at the absolute shortest quote, they've just come back from New Zealand, they've copped a bit of hard yakka," said Richmond.
"About $1.05 is as short as we bet in a rugby league game, so they'll be near that."
Richmond admitted the Titans had a reputation for fighting hard and said bookmakers had to be careful not to give them too much start.
"The Titans are a side that fight hard, if the line was bigger than 20.5 it wouldn't surprise if there was some money for the Titans," he said.
Despite the knockers, the belief is still there for the Titans.
Coach John Cartwright said the club was still enthusiastic about their chances.
"Nobody's dropped off their training, I promise you that, they've all been giving 100 per cent," he said.
There was no doubting that at training yesterday where they put in a two-hour effort.
A host of players also stayed back after the session finished to hone their game.
In-form hooker Nathan Friend will be given every opportunity but he is virtually no chance to play and wasn't named in the side yesterday.
"We'll give him every chance, but we've got to be thinking beyond this week, there's still five games to go, so we won't be risking him," said Cartwright.
Forward Michael Hodgson said players were concentrating solely on themselves and would not look at the the huge task they faced.
"You can't place too much emphasis on another team. We've just got to prepare ourselves as best we can," he said.
The Titans will be given more than 20 points start and will be posted as long as $9 to win the match with some betting agencies, as bookmakers declare the club needs a miracle to defeat the Storm in Melbourne on Friday night.
But history shows Queensland teams, the Titans included, have a proud tradition of rising from the ashes, a fact no one knows better than the team's assistant coach Trevor Gillmeister.
In 1995 Gillmeister captained the Queensland State of Origin side with nine debutants, including players like a teenaged Ben Ikin who were virtual no-names, after Super League split the game.
Remarkably, with one of the weakest sides in Origin history, at least on paper, the Maroons won the series 3-0. In fact Gillmeister's career at the Roosters began on the back of filling in for injured players.
"You get given opportunities in this game, that's the good thing about it," he said.
"You've got to think, 'I'm not here to make up the numbers', you've got to think 'I'm here to make the difference'."
Gillmeister said his career started when Eastern Suburbs suffered a host of injuries.
"I think both second rowers got injured and they had no choice but to put me in and I was there (from then on)," he said.
Gillmeister said had it not been for the split competition, players like Ikin may never have been given an opportunity to carve out their own piece of league history.
"If the game hadn't been through that turmoil, who knows some of those blokes mighten have got a chance for Queensland," he said.
"We had nine blokes making their debut, you'll never see that again."
Gillmeister said the 'Toddler Titans' had to focus on their individual games.
"You can't help the bloke next to you, you've got to go out there with a positive mind and try and get on top of them," he said.
Betting manager at Sportingbet, Bill Richmond, yesterday said the only thing saving the Titans from being a longer quote was Melbourne's Sunday-Friday backup and travel from New Zealand.
He said the club would probably be $8.50 to win the match when markets were posted today.
"The Storm will probably not be at the absolute shortest quote, they've just come back from New Zealand, they've copped a bit of hard yakka," said Richmond.
"About $1.05 is as short as we bet in a rugby league game, so they'll be near that."
Richmond admitted the Titans had a reputation for fighting hard and said bookmakers had to be careful not to give them too much start.
"The Titans are a side that fight hard, if the line was bigger than 20.5 it wouldn't surprise if there was some money for the Titans," he said.
Despite the knockers, the belief is still there for the Titans.
Coach John Cartwright said the club was still enthusiastic about their chances.
"Nobody's dropped off their training, I promise you that, they've all been giving 100 per cent," he said.
There was no doubting that at training yesterday where they put in a two-hour effort.
A host of players also stayed back after the session finished to hone their game.
In-form hooker Nathan Friend will be given every opportunity but he is virtually no chance to play and wasn't named in the side yesterday.
"We'll give him every chance, but we've got to be thinking beyond this week, there's still five games to go, so we won't be risking him," said Cartwright.
Forward Michael Hodgson said players were concentrating solely on themselves and would not look at the the huge task they faced.
"You can't place too much emphasis on another team. We've just got to prepare ourselves as best we can," he said.