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DIEHARD
23-06-09, 11:29 AM
Gold Coast Titans vs North Queensland Cowboys
Friday 31 August 2009 - Skilled Park, Gold Coast

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/diehard2/titansvscowboys.jpg

Tickets: CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS OFF TICKETEK (http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=TITANIND09&searchId=8f89d964-bfc0-4ea1-9edb-854be9b838ba)

TITANS

1. William Zillman
2. Kevin Gordon
3. Esikeli Tonga
4. Brett Delaney
5. David Mead
6. Preston Campbell
7. Scott Prince
8. Matt White
9. Nathan Friend
10. Michael Henderson
11. Luke Bailey
12. Mark Minichiello
13. Brad Meyers

Interchange:
14. Aaron Cannings
15. Will Matthews
16. Josh Graham
17. Kayne Lawton

COWBOYS

TBA

DIEHARD
26-07-09, 10:07 AM
Time for the 2nd Queensland derby. Gold Coast vs North Queensland!

With a victory here we will be the undisputed Kings of Queensland!

It's our 3rd last home game and a Friday night will showcase the blockbuster.

Matt Bowen is back in fine form and Scott Prince and Jonathan Thurston are ready to renew their rivalry.

We are also shooting for 10 home wins in a row and maintain our perfect home ground record.

Ash (Ribs) and Mini (Knee) are pushing to be fit for the game.

Get your tickets at Ticketek! http://www.ticketek.com.au

DIEHARD
26-07-09, 10:21 AM
The Bulldogs were undefeated at home before the shock Parra victory in their derby.

Now it is up to the Titans to defend our home turf!

kwigibo
26-07-09, 12:00 PM
If the video refs like us as much as they liked Penny last night we can't lose.

titanstattman
26-07-09, 12:05 PM
If the video refs like us as much as they liked Penny last night we can't lose.

Just like on Friday night we will not need them............

Coaster
26-07-09, 01:17 PM
Is this the first time Esi has played against his brother Willie?

They will be matched up against each other also, so will make for some awesome viewing.

titanstattman
26-07-09, 01:21 PM
Is this the first time Esi has played against his brother Willie?

They will be matched up against each other also, so will make for some awesome viewing.

I think u are right on that......

karnage
26-07-09, 05:53 PM
That is bound to be the story of the week.

Brother on brother. How many times would they have gone up against each other in the backyard??

This time when Esi runs around his big brother he won't be able to claim the clothes-line or the bbq were in the way.

amaline
26-07-09, 06:41 PM
Is this the first time Esi has played against his brother Willie?

They will be matched up against each other also, so will make for some awesome viewing.

They are both left centres, aren't they?

teke
26-07-09, 07:37 PM
They are both Left centres but on Sat night Willie moved over to the right to mark Jennings and he played quite well. I think Willie might talk to his coach and tell him that he can cause lil brother some problems so you still might see them lining up against each other this week.

Adelaide Titan
26-07-09, 09:21 PM
Ive heard Harrison could be out for 2-3 weeks :( but we have plenty of depth to cover for him. Will Walker be back in the side? The only danger for us is Bowen and Thurston, if Princey can beat JT then we'll have no problems. But they arent exactly the greatest team at the moment and at home i think the Titans might just put 30 past the Cowboys on friday night and be crowned QLD's no.1 team! 10 in a row at home...impressive!

patskE
26-07-09, 10:24 PM
maybe delaney to back row to rover for harrison? i can dream cant i lol

GCT_89
26-07-09, 11:50 PM
i think you'll find Conn fill in for Harro.....or maybe big red, with Conn on to the bench......

DIEHARD
27-07-09, 12:13 AM
Gee Ash has bee yoyoing ever since Origin, he just puts it all in, body and heart. He might need a solid opportunity to rest and heal up. He is so valuable to the team cohesion and defensive effort.

Paul
27-07-09, 07:09 AM
I agree brad, if there is any doubt then rest him this week. We have the team to beat the cowboys this week without him but we certainly will need ash in the finals so it'll be best to play it safe if he's not 100%

DIEHARD
27-07-09, 10:53 AM
I think Prince will excell with Ash and Preston on the field and playing 13 and 6 respectively.

bigjim
27-07-09, 11:22 AM
This is a danger game because we don't need to win. There is no urgency and in this competition winning is all about attitude.
If we loose we will very likely stay at number 3, because Storm are playing Dragons at WIN next week.
The way the Dragons dismantled the Warriors at Mt Smart I don't think Storm have much chance at WIN.

karnage
27-07-09, 01:51 PM
This is a danger game because we don't need to win. There is no urgency and in this competition winning is all about attitude.
If we loose we will very likely stay at number 3, because Storm are playing Dragons at WIN next week.
The way the Dragons dismantled the Warriors at Mt Smart I don't think Storm have much chance at WIN.

They will be up for it - the competition for spots in the top 17 is too fierce for anybody to have a poor attitude.

titanstattman
27-07-09, 05:49 PM
So all up we have 5-6 players out this week... With Mini having another knock to that knee so he'll be out.... Mat,Walker,Ash,Mini and poss Friendy...

karnage
27-07-09, 07:14 PM
I think we can bank on Friendy, he will do whatever it takes.

God knows we need him.

Adelaide Titan
27-07-09, 07:27 PM
He came up last week, and im sure he can again this week! Plus we had many players out vs the Warriors and made a meal of them. No reason why it cant be done again!

Rage
27-07-09, 11:36 PM
AAP Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:26:12

A dangerous throw charge against Anthony Laffranchi has left Gold Coast facing the prospect of being without their entire starting backrow against North Queensland on Friday night.

With Ashley Harrison (ribs) and Mark Minichiello (knee) already in extreme doubt to face the Cowboys, the grade one charge against Test forward Laffranchi was the last thing coach John Cartwright would have wanted.

Laffranchi is facing a one week ban for his fifth minute hit on Brisbane five-eighth Aaron Gorrell, Titans officials likely to cop the suspension rather than risk a two-week ban by fighting the charge at the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night.

Harrison, who injured the ribs on the opposite side to the ones that were battered in Origin III, looks likely to spend Friday night on the sidelines with Cartwright all but ruling out the Queensland forward for their Skilled Park clash.

Cartwright said Minichiello was also unlikely to start against the Cowboys and said his chronic knee injury would present a constant problem for the side going into the finals.

"Harrison is in grave doubt, I don't think he'll play," the Titans coach said on Monday.

"Mini's probably 50-50 at this stage. It is becoming a little bit chronic, it was another knock on the same spot. It is something we'll have to manage as we get towards the end of the competition."

Meanwhile, there was good and bad news for Melbourne with prop Jeff Lima escaping a charge after being reported for a `crusher' tackle in Saturday's NRL win over Cronulla.

But Lima's front row teammate Adam Blair is facing a one-match ban after being charged with a grade one dangerous throw.

Blair will miss one match with an early guilty plea or with an unsuccessful trip to the judiciary.

kwigibo
28-07-09, 08:26 AM
Tagataese, Matthews, Graham all likely then. When's Berdie gonna get a run too, got some great banner slogans for him. Conn's injured right?

DIEHARD
28-07-09, 11:40 AM
Special sandpit session for Titans

THE Gold Coast Titans were back in the sand pit for another class of `Tackle 101' yesterday after they all but racked up a half century of misses during their win over the Broncos.

Despite their history-making season, the Titans are continuing to fall off tackles -- something they must rectify to be a force in the semi-finals.

After a near faultless first-half defensive effort on Friday night, the Titans switched off in the second stanza as they racked up an unacceptable 49 missed tackles by full-time.

Skipper Scott Prince said the situation had to be rectified fast.

"It's not where we want to be in terms of our missed tackled count," he said.

"It just creates a lot of confusion and a lot of doubt in the team if we're missing tackles. It's important we rectify that."

The Titans built much of their early season form on the back of brick wall defence but have fallen away in recent weeks, averaging more than 40 missed tackles per game.

It prompted the side to ask for a sand pit session with defence coach Trevor Gillmeister last week.

Prince, the consummate perfection seeker, said coaching staff would be turning up the heat on the players in the run to the finals.

"We were just disappointed with the way we finished defensively," he said.

"I think we only missed seven tackles at half-time and by the end we were up to 45 or 50.

The inspirational skipper said he was generally happy with how the side was going but stressed they needed to find the killer instinct in the last six weeks of the competition.

Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au

amaline
28-07-09, 12:28 PM
Bailey is playing second row this week...

1. William Zillman
2. Kevin Gordon
3. Esikeli Tonga
4. Brett Delaney
5. David Mead
6. Preston Campbell
7. Scott Prince
8. Matt White
9. Nathan Friend
10. Michael Henderson
11. Luke Bailey
12. Mark Minichiello
13. Brad Meyers

Interchange:
14. Aaron Cannings
15. Will Matthews
16. Josh Graham
17. Kayne Lawton

amaline
28-07-09, 12:37 PM
Bailey in rare switch for Cowboys clash
http://www.titans.com.au/default.aspx?s=article-display&id=18761


Jetstar Gold Coast Titans co-captain Luke Bailey will make the rare switch from prop to the backrow for Friday night’s blockbuster against the North Queensland Cowboys at Skilled Park.

With regular backrower Anthony Laffranchi suffering a one-match suspension and lock Ashley Harrison battling with a rib cartilage injury, Bailey will switch to the unfamiliar No.11 jersey.

Luke Bailey story image
Luke Bailey will switch from prop to the second row for Friday night's big clash against the Cowboys at Skilled Park.

The move gives tough prop Matt White an opportunity in the starting front row alongside Michael Henderson, with versatile forward Brad Meyers moving to lock for Harrison.

The match marks the second blockbuster local derby for the Jetstar Titans in seven days following last weekend’s win over the Brisbane Broncos.

After humbling 'big brother' with a 34-18 victory, the Jetstar Titans will now look to get over the top of their 'northern cousin' as both sides jostle for finals spots heading into the last six rounds of the regular season.

The Jetstar Titans are shooting for a perfect ten at home this season, having already notched nine straight wins from as many matches at Skilled Park for 2009.

The Jetstar Titans have a good record over the Cowboys, with the Gold Coasters holding a 3-1 advantage over North Queensland in the four matches played between the two sides since 2007.

DIEHARD
28-07-09, 12:39 PM
Bailey in rare switch for Cowboys clash
Adam Gardini

Jetstar Gold Coast Titans co-captain Luke Bailey will make the rare switch from prop to the backrow for Friday night?s blockbuster against the North Queensland Cowboys at Skilled Park.

With regular backrower Anthony Laffranchi suffering a one-match suspension and lock Ashley Harrison battling with a rib cartilage injury, Bailey will switch to the unfamiliar No.11 jersey.

Luke Bailey will switch from prop to the second row for Friday night's big clash against the Cowboys at Skilled Park. The move gives tough prop Matt White an opportunity in the starting front row alongside Michael Henderson, with versatile forward Brad Meyers moving to lock for Harrison.

The match marks the second blockbuster local derby for the Jetstar Titans in seven days following last weekend?s win over the Brisbane Broncos.

After humbling 'big brother' with a 34-18 victory, the Jetstar Titans will now look to get over the top of their 'northern cousin' as both sides jostle for finals spots heading into the last six rounds of the regular season.

The Jetstar Titans are shooting for a perfect ten at home this season, having already notched nine straight wins from as many matches at Skilled Park for 2009.

The Jetstar Titans have a good record over the Cowboys, with the Gold Coasters holding a 3-1 advantage over North Queensland in the four matches played between the two sides since 2007.

Source: TITANS

Paul
28-07-09, 01:03 PM
Wonder how the bench will look this week

kwigibo
28-07-09, 01:20 PM
Bailey already has more lateral in his game than a lot of back rowers, in a good way.

Adelaide Titan
28-07-09, 01:37 PM
luckily the Titans have plenty of depth and it should pay off this week with the guys we have out. fingers crossed for Friendy!

Paul
28-07-09, 01:38 PM
Wonder how the bench will look this week
I should probably read all posts on a page before posting lol


Epic fail on my part

TITAN PETE
28-07-09, 02:54 PM
My confidence level has gone through the roof after seeing that side :fist: , that is gotta be the Biggest Titans Pack possible :thumbsup:

Awesome to see White get a start he has been great since resigning a new contract :D

bigjim
28-07-09, 03:45 PM
They will be up for it - the competition for spots in the top 17 is too fierce for anybody to have a poor attitude.

Your absolutely right, but that doesn't always guarantee a team that is switched on and the Cowboys are one team not to be giving any latitude to.

We have Preston, they have Bowen; we have Prince, they have Jonathan.
The Cowboys are fighting the Broncasses and South for the 8th spot, so they will definitely be up for the game.

patskE
28-07-09, 04:11 PM
not sure about this back row
all great players but maybe we are to big and slow?
dnt know, would of liked to seen someone given a chance

karnage
28-07-09, 07:31 PM
not sure about this back row
all great players but maybe we are to big and slow?
dnt know, would of liked to seen someone given a chance

The one thing in our favour this week is the fact that their backrow contains Carl Webb - they don't come any bigger and any slower than him.

Great to see Carty think outside the square with that team. Hat's off!!

Tamwelg
28-07-09, 08:51 PM
not sure about this back row
all great players but maybe we are to big and slow?
dnt know, would of liked to seen someone given a chance

Not to worry. Have a look at the Cowboys backrow. We have it all over them for speed and agility.

heidstar
28-07-09, 08:59 PM
or maybe delaney not playing at all and we will win for sure.or if no one to cover him one of you guys mentioned a flag pole be stuck in the ground half way down to replace him.he is useless and i watch every game at skill park and have u all not noticed no one passes the ball to him.he is not a centre.

kwigibo
28-07-09, 09:19 PM
... have u all not noticed no one passes the ball to him..

Maybe they're afraid he won't give it back

heidstar
28-07-09, 09:22 PM
lol very true!!!!

patskE
28-07-09, 10:25 PM
is walker fit? maybe walker ot the bench n move delaney to the back row during the game?

heidstar
28-07-09, 11:01 PM
much better,he is not a center,centers pass and they are fast he is none of those

GCT_07
29-07-09, 06:06 AM
This is the game I m worried about and after seeing the line up I m a little more concerned. Far to many key players out. This is the game that imo can kill that 'win at home' streak. Dont have a good feeling at all about it. They better hit the ground with a whoop ass attitude otherwise we are going down. We better make sure we have our chit together as well...... I ll print out and laminate the chants we worked on last week..... little palm size cheat cards ;) ..............just someone remind me on Friday cause I ve got to much going on until Friday....... so just text me....msn me..... something...... just remind me this time :laugh:

lonegull
29-07-09, 06:14 AM
the bench worries me a lot Graham i tohugt was lucky to be named because he hasnt offered much this year, i thought tagatese would have been a better option, i just think we lack endurance on the bench bailey will have to play 80 minutes, lawton was a shock on the bench because if friend is fit he plays 80 minutes and i thought that maybe a secondrower like berdie could have got a chance, anyway just worried about endurance with 5 frontrowers in the side and graham on the bench who will have to play secondrow

karnage
29-07-09, 09:41 AM
What is this talk of Delaney being gone??

GCT_89
29-07-09, 10:33 AM
gone as in he wont be at the club next year?
or gone as in some people dont want him on the starting side?

teke
29-07-09, 12:29 PM
Whispers are that Mat Geyer could be the starting centre on Friday night.



























Nah just joking :D

TITAN PETE
29-07-09, 12:46 PM
Whispers are that Mat Geyer could be the starting centre on Friday night.



Nah just joking :D

That is Funny :laugh: , he would have to meet his team mates as he's never even been to a training session, too busy playing for Norths Devils & Broadbeach Oldboys..........see KHunt wasn't the 1st to defect :D

Supergoose
29-07-09, 09:46 PM
Agree with the sentiments on the oversized pack and lasting the full 80 minutes. Definitely would've like to see Tagataese on the bench instead of Lawnton. Friend's ankle must still be suss. Either that or put a centre or winger on the bench so we can move Delaney in and add speed to the backline. If we get an injury in the backs then I guess Graham would play centre - Tagataese can do the same but there's no-one else in the squad who can.

DIEHARD
29-07-09, 10:03 PM
Tonga brothers set to clash

FACE-OFF ... North Queensland star Willie Tonga will go head-to-head against his young brother Esi, pictured, when the Cowboys meet the Titans on Friday night

IT will be a brotherly affair when the Cowboys take on the Gold Coast Titans on Friday night with Willie Tonga set to take on his younger brother Esi for the first time.

The Titans centre has broken through into the NRL this season, after five appearances in 2008, to become a mainstay in their backline with 16 games in 2009.

Esi played in the Titans' 14-10 win over the Cowboys in round five this year but Willie was sidelined with groin and knee injuries.

Friday night will be the first time that Willie, 25, and Esi, 21, have stepped on to a rugby league field in any grade together.

Esi is relishing the challenge, although he said it would be an equal mix of nerves and adrenaline when he took to Skilled Park.

''I have played them before but this will be the first time playing against Willie,'' he said.

''I have a few mixed feelings, I'm a bit nervous but I'm excited at the same time. We've never played on the same field at the same time.
''We were hoping to play on the same team as each other (as kids) but we haven't had that chance so this is the next best thing, playing against each other.

''I'll probably give him a call tonight and see what he's up to. I'm not going to bring the game up but it probably will come up.''

Willie is having a stand-out season after overcoming a horror run of leg injuries to reassert himself as an Origin-quality player following a four-year absence from representative football.

Esi said he was proud of his brother's achievements but wasn't sure if he would get a chance to mark him with Neil Henry shifting Willie from left to right centre for Saturday's match against the Panthers. But no matter what side of the field they play, Esi said there was a strong chance they would clash.

''He's been going very well this year, he's got over the injuries and had a big year so far, I'm really happy for him,'' he said.''

We spoke earlier that (we might clash) one off the scrum if we get a chance.''
The Cowboys will be desperate for a win after a run of two straight losses - including their controversial 28-20 loss against Penrith - has seen them slip to eighth on the ladder.

Esi said he wouldn't be putting in any special preparation to shut his brother down but expected North Queensland to come out firing.

''Coming off losses like that you're always hungry for a win, like any side they'll be hungry and it will be a tough match,'' he said.

The Titans may be without back-rower Anthony Laffranchi who was charged with a grade-one dangerous throw yesterday and faces a one-match ban with an early guilty plea.

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au

DIEHARD
29-07-09, 10:05 PM
Titans v Cowboys
Skilled Park Friday 7.35pm

Titans? fans are once again spoiled with a mouth-watering Queensland derby match on what shapes as a sensational Friday night of football for the NRL in the lead-up to the finals.

While top-four combatants St George Illawarra and Melbourne do battle in Sydney, the third-placed Titans put their undefeated home record on the line against the Johnathan Thurston-led Cowboys just a week after they battled and busted Brisbane on the same surface.

The Titans have quietly gone about their business this season and it appears only an absolute catastrophe could see them miss out on an inaugural finals berth. They sit in third place on the NRL ladder after seeing off the Broncos 34-18 last weekend and have designs on a top-four finish and a home final.

They are now nine from nine at home this season and would love nothing more than to wrack up the perfect 10 against a Cowboys unit that has faltered a little in recent weeks to drop to eighth spot.

Having fallen 28-20 to Penrith in Townsville last weekend and losing heavily to the Wests Tigers prior, the Cowboys need to find a way to arrest the slide or they could finish the weekend outside the finals zone.

The Broncos are already tied on competition points with the Cowboys, so they could leapfrog with a win. Also, South Sydney are just one competition point behind, so they could also make the jump. Even the Wests Tigers are capable of overtaking the Cowboys on percentages (although that is unlikely).

The visitors come into the clash still without the likes of Aaron Payne and Luke O?Donnell although Anthony Watts is back from suspension to start at hooker, pushing Dayne Weston to the bench.

Matthew Scott has been given his starting spot back at prop, with Antonio Kaufusi reverting to the bench and Manase Manuokafoa has been added to a six-man reserves list.

For the Titans, suspension has claimed Anthony Laffranchi while injury has claimed Ashley Harrison.

Luke Bailey will move from prop to second row with Matt White starting up front. Brad Meyers will replace Harrison at lock. The new faces on the bench are Will Matthews and Josh Graham.

Watch out Titans: While the Cowboys might be without hooker Aaron Payne for the season it doesn?t mean the home side can relax around the rucks.

The Cowboys have scored an impressive 10 tries from dummy-half this season ? more than any other side in the NRL. Considering the Titans have conceded nine from dummy-half, it?s a logical plan for the visitors.

Only South Sydney have conceded more tries from dummy-half so the Titans need to muscle-up and pay attention or face the reality of easy points being scored against them. Look for several Cowboys to chance their arm from close range if they get a sniff of an opening.

Watch out Cowboys: The Cowboys might be concentrating on the ruck in attack but they need to stay awake in defence even on early tackles, as the Titans don?t mind attacking from long range.

With 11 tries for the season from their own side of halfway the Titans are the third most prolific side in the competition at long-range tries. Armed with the knowledge the Cowboys have conceded 11 from the same range to be one of the NRL?s worst sides in the category, the Gold Coast?s attack may go hunting.

Look for Scott Prince to marshal his backs early in each set of six to, at the very least, threaten to go wide. This will force the Cowboys? defence to spread a little and give the Titans? forwards a little more room to take the yards. If the Cowboys stay compressed, watch for Esi Tonga and David Mead to be unleashed.

Where it will be won: The Johnathan Thurston v Scott Prince showdown. So blessed are these two individual halfbacks it is conceivable the winner of the head-to-head battle will be the winner of the match.

The skills sets of both men are of such a high standard and so important to their sides that the man who is most creative, who breaks through the most, and who directs play the best, will be the one smiling at game?s end with two competition points in the bank.

Scott Prince is running for 52 metres a match this season, kicking for 321 metres, has four line breaks, 12 line-break assists, four tries, 16 try assists, 44 tackle breaks, 17 offloads and just 30 errors.

Thurston?s stats read: 48 metres running, 233 metres kicking, six line breaks, 18 line-break assists, seven tries, 17 try assists, 55 tackle breaks, 17 offloads and 27 errors.

Thurston has played 17 games this season, Prince 16. Watching these two go up against each other will be enthralling.

The History: Played 4; Titans 3, Cowboys 1. Earlier this season the Titans gutsed out a 14-10 win over the Cowboys in Townsville to make it three in a row over their Queensland counterparts.

There has only been one match at Skilled Park which was won 36-18 by the Titans last season. The Cowboys? only win over the Titans did come on the Gold Coast, at Carrara, in 2007. As mentioned earlier, the Titans are a perfect 9-0 on home turf this season while the Cowboys away record is a dismal 2-6.

Conclusion: The Cowboys were a little unlucky last weekend against the Panthers, with some controversial decisions going against them, so while they come in off two losses their form isn?t terrible.

The Titans once again got the job done against the Broncos last week but the loss of Laffranchi and Harrison is certainly significant. With Mark Minichiello in some doubt also, the 100 per cent home record is certainly under threat.

Safety tip is to stick with the home side but with a spot in the top eight on the line the Cowboys won?t be short on motivation. If you get the Cowboys vibe, trust it.

Match officials: Referees ? Tony Archer & Ashley Klein; Sideline Officials ? Steve Carrall & Chris James; Video Ref ? Steve Clark.

Televised: Channel Nine ? Live 7.30pm (Qld), delayed 9.30pm (NSW); Fox Sports ? Delayed 3.30am.

* Statistics: NRL Stats.

Source: NRL

DIEHARD
29-07-09, 10:07 PM
Webb living on edge

CLOSE EYE ... Carl Webb watches hooker Anthony Watts at training ahead of the Cowboys' crucial match against the Gold Coast on Friday night. Watts returns from suspension while Webb will take on a wide-running role in the absence of Luke O'Donnell

DAMAGING forward Carl Webb could be the key to a Cowboys win when they take on the Gold Coast Titans at Skilled Stadium on Friday night.
Assuming the role normally reserved for former Test back-rower Luke O'Donnell, Webb has relished playing on the left edge beside skipper Johnathan Thurston.

With Titans' Origin forwards Ashley Harrison (ribs) and Anthony Laffranchi (suspension) to miss the game and Mark Minichiello (knee) in doubt, the Cowboys pack have a golden chance to overcome the Coast. Coach Neil Henry said Webb would be a vital part of that and that his new role could allow him to wreak havoc on the Gold Coast.

''He is a key, we've got him out on that left edge a little bit,'' Henry said.
''With Ben Harris coming back from injury and Luke O'Donnell out we're a little bit light on in the back-row.

''He's been good out there and certainly he's damaging if he can get a one-on-one situation. He's vital to us, he's (added) a bit of momentum for us and he's getting more minutes when he's playing on the edge than he does when he plays in the middle.

''Hopefully he can continue that and JT can find him a few times.'

Henry is not taking the Titans lightly, with a number of promising forwards stepping into the breach on Friday.

On top of that they have former Queensland second-rower Brad Meyers at their disposal and Luke Bailey to shift into the back-row.

''They've been pretty good with their depth, (Aaron) Cannings has been good, Meyers has been in real good form stepping up there,'' Henry said.
''Bailey is a workhorse as well so they've got people to come in and do the job.
''Laffranchi is a good player so they might miss him a little bit and I'm not sure about Minichiello.
''It's still going to be tough there, they haven't lost a game at Skilled Park and we need to be desperate.

''To stay in the eight we need a win.''

Aiding the Cowboys' cause will be the inclusion of Anthony Watts who was forced to miss the loss against the Panthers through suspension.

His contributions from dummy-half were sorely missed with the club's first choice hookers Aaron Payne and Clint Amos both sidelined through injury.
And he will be given free licence to play aggressively despite earning his suspension for two punch-ups with Wests hooker Robbie Farah.

''He's been very good for us, he's a bit disappointed that he got his suspension straight up but he's done his time and we welcome him back into the team,'' Henry said. ''We're not going to kerb any aggression, we've been over that, we thought he was clipped in the scrum and he retaliated.

''It was a bit risky to contest that charge. He adds a bit of punch around the ruck and takes the strain off trying to be a bit creative with Matt Bowen, Grant Rovelli or Travis Burns.''

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au

DIEHARD
29-07-09, 10:09 PM
GOLD COAST TITANS v NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Friday 31st July, 7.35pm Skilled Park

Referees: Tony Archer, Ashley Klein

HEAD TO HEAD
Titans 3 wins, Cowboys 1 win

FORM GUIDE
Titans: WLWWWWLWLLWBWWBWLWLW
Cowboys: LWLLLWWLWWWBWLWLWBLL

Another bumper all-Queensland clash, with Johnathan Thurston?s Cowboys hoping to end the Gold Coast?s perfect home record.

The third-placed Titans look destined to make the finals for the first time in their history, with the second-half-of-the-season slump that has dogged them in previous years yet to arrive in 2009.

The same can?t be said for North Queensland, who are teetering on the edge of the top eight after losing at home to the Panthers last week.

They have struggled without injured pair Aaron Payne and Luke O?Donnell ? two players who are almost as vital to the Cowboys? chances as superstar duo Thurston and Matt Bowen.

O?Donnell is a recognised Origin star, while the Cowboys have failed to find the right replacement for Payne at hooker.

That spot will be taken this week by Anthony Watts, who returns from injury.

The Titans have lost Anthony Laffranchi to suspension and Ashley Harrison to injury, while Mat Rogers and Chris Walker remain on the sidelines.

KEY MATCH UP
Scott Prince v Johnathan Thurston
This pair are the best two halfbacks in Queensland, and probably the best two halfbacks in rugby league.

It?s hard to believe now, but there were serious calls for Thurston to be replaced as Maroons halfback by Scott Prince at the start of the year.

That was back when Thurston went through a mini-form slump upon the arrival of new coach Neill Henry, who brought a new gameplan that didn?t revolve entirely around the halfback in attack.

Since then, Thurston returned to his best ? leading the Cowboys to a string of victories and guiding Queensland to yet another Origin victory.

But Prince has been in hot form too of late, taking Man of the Match honours in an efficient win over the Broncos last week, and will love to get one over his long-time rival this week.

PUNTERS GUIDE
Head to head: Titans $1.50; Cowboys $2.50
The Cowboys have struggled without Payne and O?Donnell in the past fortnight, with back-to-back losses, and they?ll need better form to take a win from Skilled Park.

The Gold Coast have their own injury concerns but have been terrific at home, and it?s hard to see that ending on Friday. Titans by 10.

CASUALTY WARD
Titans: Mat Rogers ? groin (Rnd 22), Luke O?Dwyer ? ankle (indefinite), Chris Walker ? quad (indefinite), Ashley Harrison ? ribs (Rnd 22)
Cowboys: Clint Amos ? knee (season), Aaron Payne ? shoulder (season), Ashley Graham ? foot (Rnd 22), Luke O?Donnell ? knee (Rnd 22)

BAD BOYS
Titans: Anthony Laffranchi ? suspended (Rnd 22)
Cowboys: -

http://www.rugbyleaguelive.com/

teke
30-07-09, 12:32 AM
I have a feeling we will see Graham at centre inside Mead and Delaney into the second row.

Graham/Mead combination is a good one. They have scored a good number of great tries earlier in the Q Cup season.

Hoppy2007Dragons
30-07-09, 11:02 AM
Haha, Carl Webb is gonna beat the Titans at home, your dreaming Henry, Dreaming.

Paul
30-07-09, 11:55 AM
The day we fear an nrl player as fat and slow as me is the day we may as well pack up and go home. He gets puffed out just running onto the field


Does Webb even play more than thirty/forty minutes?

jimbeam06
30-07-09, 01:43 PM
Dont have to say this but this is a must win and we also need the dragons to take out storm to give us some breathing space.:thumbsup:

Adelaide Titan
30-07-09, 01:46 PM
Preview: Titans v Cowboys
Scott Brooks, Sportal

VENUE & TIME: Skilled Park, Friday July 31, 7.35pm (AEST).
COVERAGE: Channel 9
LAST TIME: Titans 14 - Cowboys 10 at Dairy Farmers Stadium, Round 5, 2009

WALKING WOUNDED: Titans' co-captain Luke Bailey moves back for a rare appearance in the second-row this week to compensate for the loss of back-rowers Anthony Laffranchi (suspension) and Ashley Harrison (ribs). Big Matt White fills Bailey's spot up front, while Brad Meyers slots into the unfamiliar lock position. Hooker Nathan Friend (ankle) and second-rower Mark Minichiello (knee) have both been named despite leaving the field early last week. Mat Rogers (groin) remains on the sidelines for another week.
The Cowboys remain largely intact for this clash with Anthony Watts returning from suspension at hooker, forcing Travis Burns back to a six-man bench. They will again be without regular No. 9 Aaron Payne (shoulder - season), centre Ashley Graham (knee) and state back-rower Luke O'Donnell (knee), who could make a return next week.

FORM: The Titans were near-perfect for three-quarters of their match against an injury-ravaged Broncos last Friday night as they raced to a 34-2 lead before dropping their guard late in the game. Coach John Cartwright labeled his team's opening 40 minutes as "good as we've put together all season". It was the perfect response to their disappointing Round 19 loss to the Bulldogs and a result that pushes them four-points clear of the fifth-placed team (Manly).
While the Titans are consolidating their position in the top-four, their northern cousins, the Cowboys, are struggling to maintain their top-eight standing. Neil Henry's men missed twice as many tackles as the Panthers last Saturday night to go down by eight points in a result that saw the mountain men leapfrog the Cowboys on the ladder. Many in the know were expecting North Queensland to struggle without Aaron Payne's smarts out of dummy-half and the previous two weeks have done little to disprove those suggestions.

WHO'S HOT: Titans' co-skipper Scott Prince returned to his best form against the Broncos on Friday night, setting up the team's first four tries of the match. Missing out on a QLD Origin berth this year was a bitter blow for the man many regard as the second best No. 7 in the game, but that would all be forgotten if he could successfully guide the Titans through their first ever finals campaign.

WE THINK: The Cowboys will need a massive effort from distracted skipper Johnathan Thurston if they are going to sneak in a vital win here. Statistics suggest they are next to no hope, losing their previous seven Friday night matches and six of eight away games this season. Of course we cannot forget the big one - the Titans' unbeaten home record in 2009. Unfortunately for the visitors, Thurston has looked as flat as a tack since Origin III and with rumours circulating of a heated verbal exchange with the coach, only the brave could back the fragile ship from the far north in this one. Titans by 12.

TEAMS:
Gold Coast Titans:
William Zillman, Kevin Gordon, Esi Tonga, Brett Delaney, David Mead, Preston Campbell, Scott Prince (capt), Matthew White, Nathan Friend, Michael Henderson, Luke Bailey (capt), Mark Minichiello, Brad Meyers. Interchange: Aaron Cannings, Will Matthews, Josh Graham, Kayne Lawton.
North QLD Cowboys:
Matthew Bowen, Michael Bani, Ty Williams, Willie Tonga, John Williams, Grant Rovelli, Johnathan Thurston (capt), Shane Tronc, Anthony Watts, Matthew Scott, Carl Webb, Scott Bolton, Steve Southern. Interchange: Travis Burns, Steve Rapira, Antonio Kaufusi, James Tamou, Manase Manuokafoa, Dayne Weston (two to be omitted).


www.sportal.com.au


The Titans still have a fairly strong team even with a few players out. The Cowboys arent in hot form and are struggling on the road while the Titans are on fire at home. Thurston will hopefully be distracted and give Prince plenty of space to run a muck like last week. I think this will be a Titans win and perhaps another 30 points on the scoreboard. It will ne interesting to see how our backs hold up though.

GO YOU TITANS!! :clap:

Rage
30-07-09, 04:58 PM
Every game I've been hoping we crack 40. Hope it happens this round :thumbsup:

DIEHARD
30-07-09, 05:58 PM
Every game I've been hoping we crack 40. Hope it happens this round :thumbsup:

Yea mate. Me and Coaster have been having that conversation pre-game for the last several weeks.

Hopefully tomorrow night will be our night!

DIEHARD
30-07-09, 05:59 PM
Tonga to recapture form

GUN centre Willie Tonga has put the onus on himself to break out of a post-Origin funk when the Cowboys attempt to end a worrying form slump tomorrow night.

The 25-year-old has been highly critical of his NRL form since the end of the heated interstate series in Brisbane a little over two weeks ago.

Since then, North Queensland have lost back-to-back games against the Wests Tigers and most recently against Penrith, seeing the team slip to eighth place on the ladder.

While conceding the whole Cowboys team had put pressure on themselves to lift against the Titans on the Gold Coast, Tonga is determined to make a big impact.

''My last couple of weeks after Origin, I'm not happy about my performance,'' he said.

''You are always looking to improve, so to take a step back like that is disappointing in my mind, so I'm looking to come out hard because I need a big game this weekend.''

Former Bulldogs premiership winner Tonga's running metres have been notably down in the past two weeks, averaging 61.5m compared to 117.2m in his previous 11 games. He refused to use an Origin hangover as an excuse.

''I make no excuses for anything, I felt like I wasn't up to my standards, so I'm working to change that,'' Tonga said. ''Origin's out of my mind now and I'm looking forward to staying in the top eight.''

Despite the seeming importance of the game, with a loss potentially forcing the Cowboys to as low as 11th, Tonga denied it was make-or-break just yet.
But he made it clear that North Queensland cannot repeat recent efforts.

''I don't think it is at that stage, but it could easily get to that stage if we continue to play the way we are,'' he said. ''It's very close, so if we win the last couple of games we're sitting fourth, or we're sitting up there comfortably . . . but we can't continue to play the way we are.''

Tonga said the team's individual assessment sessions this week had made that message bluntly clear.

''We've spoken about it among the team and with each other. We have definitely still got the players to do it,'' he said.

''We know we are a lot better than the way we have been playing the last couple of weeks, that's what has been the most frustrating thing, so each player has got to look at their individual performances and we need to definitely step it up.

''We've got to rattle some teams and there is no bigger challenge than the Titans.''

To add a little extra motivation to perform individually, Tonga will line up against brother, Gold Coast winger Esi for the first time ever at any level of rugby league.

Despite being the younger of the siblings, Esi has not shied away in the build-up, talking 'smack' down the phone to Willie in a phone conversation on Tuesday night. The Cowboys' Tonga said he would not back down if they came face-to-face.

''He plays pretty aggressively and he's really looking forward to it, so I know that he will do it so I'm going to have to give it back if he does it,'' he said.

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/

DIEHARD
30-07-09, 06:09 PM
Fox Sports Preview


Gold Coast Titans v North Queensland Cowboys
Friday 7.35pm (EST), Skilled Park

What was always going to be a tricky fixture for Gold Coast has been made more challenging by the loss of Anthony Laffranchi (suspended) and Ashley Harrison (rib cartilage). The Titans were able to grind out a 14-10 victory over North Queensland in round five this season - when the Cowboys were struggling for fluency - and they seem to have got them again at an opportune time. The Cowboys, one of the NRL's most dangerous attacking teams when in form, have been dismal in the last month. They have lost three of their last five, with their only wins coming against the lowly-ranked Sharks and Roosters. The Titans, meanwhile, are edging closer to completing a full season without being defeated at home. With only Cronulla and Wests Tigers to come at Skilled Park, this game is their biggest threat to having that record blemished. A team that contains Matt Bowen and Johnathan Thurston can never be written off. Adding to the Cowboys motivation, they have only ever beaten the Titans once, ensuring they will want to prevent a lopsided head-to-head record in the Queensland derby.

Laurie Daley says: It's another big game for the Titans and they were very good last weekend against Brisbane Broncos. I thought Scott Prince was good again and the fact that he's coming up against Jonathan Thurston should bring out the best in him. The Cowboys struggled against Penrith last week; I don't think they had a good desire so that certainly needs to change. I think they're struggling for confidence at the moment and the Titans aren't lacking it, so the Titans will get the cash.

Source: http://www.foxsports.com.au

Supergoose
30-07-09, 08:19 PM
Every game I've been hoping we crack 40. Hope it happens this round :thumbsup:

We should have against the Broncos had the ref not pulled back Prince for a knock-on that wasn't.

Adelaide Titan
30-07-09, 09:10 PM
yeah i rekon we should have gotten it last week too, knock on my ass! But we'll take the 2 points any day :)

GCT_07
31-07-09, 09:31 AM
I have some grave concerns for the Bronco s at the moment...... how the hell are they coping with not being the center of attention on a Friday night...... I mean have their players learnt how to play on a weekend..... I dont even know what day they are playing..... are they playing in the daylight..... OMG.... do their players need some serious councelling beforehand in order to be able to play in the daylight... have they slip slopped slapped..... do they know how to...............Maybe I should rush up to Brissy and drop of some tissues and sunscreen..... hold on.... they arent there.... OMG ..... i m to late....... :cry:

How dare the other 2 QLD teams take the limelight from them.......... Well guess what donkeys...... get used to it....:laugh:

curly_11
31-07-09, 01:30 PM
Well i wont be joing you folks at the game tonight because i have pig flu and have been sick in bed all week. I will be watching in HD from my bedroom with the window open listening to all you cheer at skilled!

We need to take things to the next level starting tonight. I am not quite sure how to feel for this game but i have confidence the boys can get the job done.

GO THE TITANS!!!:fist:

bigjim
31-07-09, 01:54 PM
We need to win this game and win it well.
After a few lucky and unconvincing wins over the last couple of months and the failure to put the Broncasses to the sword last week, many are wiping us as true threats to the premiership.
This might be a good thing but it would be nice to dominate an opposition that has been spoken well of late.

Mind you, I don't understand why we're not seen as a credible chance, after all, we've played all the favourites and won more than we've lost.
Titans vs Dragons - Loss,Win - Goal difference -2
Titans vs Bulldogs - Win,Loss - Goal difference +1
Titans vs Storm - Win - Goal difference +12 This game was at Olympic.
Titans vs Manly - Win - Goal difference +1

This might be an opportunity to make other teams sit up and take notice.

Go the TITANS:salute: :salute:

Coaster
31-07-09, 02:59 PM
Just win thats all i want, dont care if it is by 1

Except a tough game, we are evenly matched across the park, home crowd may sway it in our favor.

Prince needs a big game, and i expect Myers to get 'man of the match'

Adelaide Titan
31-07-09, 04:48 PM
Not long to go now :D stupid late telecasts :(

GO TITANS!!!

jimbeam06
31-07-09, 07:50 PM
arr well looks like we have to hope the dragons win

Adelaide Titan
31-07-09, 08:24 PM
Titans lose 34-18 :( it was a real danger game for us.

Dragons are up 26-12 at least...

Supergoose
31-07-09, 08:51 PM
I have never sworn so much in my life, we throw one intercept pass and the momentum changes for the next 50 minutes. Seriously though we lacked creativity and patience in attack (creativity has been a problem all season) and the Cowboys just smashed us down the middle of the park. They got out of their end with such ease, it was like we had 4 props on the field - oh wait, we did.

Still all is not lost - Delaney looks like he will be out for a while. I hope Rogers or Walker come back and are slotted in there. While Graham was probably our best player once he came on tonight - I still like him off the bench. Lesson learned I guess regarding the props.

Our structure in attack is terrible and it got found out tonight with the Cowboys dominating the ruck our attack was totally inept. Was great to see us actually let the ball sing at the end of the game where we played with some ingenuity and depth. Our wingers looked horribly out of position but it wasn't their fault - the forwards were totally dominated and the middle was so bad that wingers were left with 2 and 3 players to defend all night.

Adelaide Titan
31-07-09, 09:14 PM
Next week we will get our key players back and have our players in the right positions and it will help. Im just worried about the fact we are on the road. Our last 2 home games are must wins now!

Robbie_Dee
31-07-09, 09:16 PM
Haha, Carl Webb is gonna beat the Titans at home, your dreaming Henry, Dreaming.true ;) :thumbsup:

eelectrica
31-07-09, 09:53 PM
Next week we will get our key players back and have our players in the right positions and it will help. Im just worried about the fact we are on the road. Our last 2 home games are must wins now!

Well I know our next away game is against the warriors. If we can't win that the Titans should hand in there top 8 spot to another team who wants it more.

titanstattman
31-07-09, 09:56 PM
Titans are ****ed never been so pissed off to be a titans fan ever as i was tonight...... All i wanted to do is rip my left arm off in shame...............




TITANS WAKE UP TO URSELF

isaiah
31-07-09, 09:59 PM
Next week we will get our key players back and have our players in the right positions and it will help. Im just worried about the fact we are on the road. Our last 2 home games are must wins now!

the key players, that was the broncs problem last week. i didn't see anyone in here give them any pity. depth is the problem at the titans, all 3 seasons. a few players out, bye bye again. had a fortunate run with injury all season before now.

bigjim
31-07-09, 10:06 PM
Here's the difference. St. George get a game against Storm who put it to them. St. George battle and take the game back to the Storm. They win.
We get a game against a team that put it to us, and we fold.
Disgusting exhibition.
We have no claim on the premiership.
We will finish fourth, absolutely no doubt.
Prince had a shocker. The challenge of Thurston overwhelmed him and he completely folded. How many times did he get caught with the football on fifth tackle. He had no idea what to do.:doh:

amaline
31-07-09, 10:09 PM
Hopefully this is the loss we need to kick the guys into gear. Cartwright needs to stop playing guys out of position to cover injuries. A second rower goes out, get another second rower in there. If he doesn't have enough faith in our depth, something should be done about it. Conn wasn't able to play tonight? Tagatese? Berdie? Someone from 20's?

titanstattman
31-07-09, 10:14 PM
Hopefully this is the loss we need to kick the guys into gear. Cartwright needs to stop playing guys out of position to cover injuries. A second rower goes out, get another second rower in there. If he doesn't have enough faith in our depth, something should be done about it. Conn wasn't able to play tonight? Tagatese? Berdie? Someone from 20's?

He played he was in number 19.....

amaline
31-07-09, 10:15 PM
Yeah, but he could have started and had Bailey in the front row, sorry didn't really make it clear.

amaline
31-07-09, 10:27 PM
This article says Delaney is looking at 4-6 weeks on the sideline aftear tearing a hamstring.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25864818-5018866,00.html

Titans centre Brett Delaney is looking at four to six weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring tear in the loss.

isaiah
31-07-09, 10:30 PM
I have some grave concerns for the Bronco s at the moment...... how the hell are they coping with not being the center of attention on a Friday night...... I mean have their players learnt how to play on a weekend..... I dont even know what day they are playing..... are they playing in the daylight..... OMG.... do their players need some serious councelling beforehand in order to be able to play in the daylight... have they slip slopped slapped..... do they know how to...............Maybe I should rush up to Brissy and drop of some tissues and sunscreen..... hold on.... they arent there.... OMG ..... i m to late....... :cry:

How dare the other 2 QLD teams take the limelight from them.......... Well guess what donkeys...... get used to it....:laugh:


lol, went off too early

Boofhead
31-07-09, 10:33 PM
Titans centre Brett Delaney is looking at four to six weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring tear in the loss.

Gift from the Titan gods.

1. William Zillman
2. Kevin Gordon
3. Esi Tonga
4. Mat Rogers
5. Chris Walker / David Mead
6. Preston Campbell
7. Scott Prince
8. Luke Bailey
9. Nathan Friend
10. Brad Meyers
11. Anthony Laffranchi
12. Mark Minichello
13. Ashley Harrison

14. Aaron Cannings
15. Michael Henderson / Matt White
16. Josh Graham
17. Sam Tagataese

karnage
31-07-09, 10:38 PM
My mate made an observation on the freezing walk home that the Cowboys are a team that can beat anybody on a given day.

He's right, they are.

I counted by saying that we are a good team that can lose to anybody on a given day, we showed that against the Raiders, we tried to show it against the Eels and we showed it tonight.

Boy tonight was bad...

We have 2 away games coming up and if we don't win one of them we will be staring at a finish in 6th, 7th or 8th and facing more headlines about late season fadeouts.

The 9 day turnaround before the Kiwis helps but it will be a very nervous week.

TITAN PETE
31-07-09, 10:56 PM
The Cowboys played a perfect 40 minutes of attack & Defense tonight & when u have a 22-0 lead it's always going to be a hard task to chase :nope:

One loss doesn't end your year but it should be a kick in the guts to remind u that previous games at your "Fortress" mean nothing to the next side when they turn up ready to play..........

A couple of good things from tonights match;
Tagetese, he showed if given enough game time he has probably more potential than any other forward in the club
Mathews, i think he needs another season in QLD Cup
Delaney, may have played his last game for the Titans
Friend, He's Back 100%

I had a chat to Chalky tonight & he said he'll be back for the Souths game but when i asked if he was heading to NZ he said Yes , injured players rarely travel to away games so lookout next week may see a completely different Team with a much Stronger line up :fist:

amaline
31-07-09, 10:57 PM
My mate made an observation on the freezing walk home that the Cowboys are a team that can beat anybody on a given day.


How cold was it tonight??

Anyway, yeah I agree. There have been a lot of games we just don't seem to turn up to. It didn't help to watch that game surrounded by Cowboys fans. It's our home ground. :fist:

Also, which section are you in, karnage?

amaline
31-07-09, 10:58 PM
I had a chat to Chalky tonight & he said he'll be back for the Souths game but when i asked if he was heading to NZ he said Yes , injured players rarely travel to away games so lookout next week may see a completely different Team with a much Stronger line up :fist:

Just as long as he doesn't replace Delaney.

TITAN PETE
31-07-09, 11:03 PM
Just as long as he doesn't replace Delaney.

Both Walker & Rogers should be back to fill that hole , Chalky's the best Bench player in the club but is just as happy anywhere in the backrow if Harrison doesn't pass a fitness test ;)

GCT_07
01-08-09, 12:01 AM
I ve never done it before and hopefully will never do it again but I just couldnt watch....... I screamed, yelled, chanted like a friggin crazy woman tonight..... but they just didnt bring it. Yes there were a lot of ref calls that were chit but regardless of that the cowboys cleaned the park with us. Prince showed why JT is in the QLD side. JT was out there pumpin up his side...... he was in their face constantly he was a phsyco man and it forced his team to step it up. Prince.........well... Is it just me or should he cut back on some of his media commitments and focus on football for a while instead.

I really dont want to say to much because I m just not into bagging out players..... but d@mn....... it was so bad I left with 15 minutes to go. I ve NEVER done that before... in any football game regardless of the score or the team. I know they scored as I was outside heading for the train but I can say I wasnt alone.... half the stadium was out there with me. All but 1 were titans fans.......there was one female walking to the train in cowboy get up...... she didnt say a word thank god.

Tonight is the clear reason behind why we are not considered in the finals like Melbourne, Manly, Bulldogs and Dragons are. We should have owned that game from the kick off............ thats what a final 4 team would have done.

Ok... I m shutting up now..... hopefully the one thing we might get out of it is a kick up the butt....... its a sour pill to swallow and hopefully one they remember.

teke
01-08-09, 01:03 AM
A bad game like that with the injuries the Titans had is not so bad.

I thought Cannings played really well and it was obvious as daylight that the Titans missed Laffranchi and Harrison in defence. Prince had an off night with his kicking and is still getting hassled in defence which will not changed for the rest of the year.

Delaneys injury could prompt Mead to centre with Walker on the wing (or vice verser) which would be a dangerous duo for any team in the comp. Presto to fullback with Zillman back on the bench.

I would rather Rogers in the centres but I just cant leave Mead or Walker out of the starting line up, they are too dangerous so Rogers should stay at 5/8 after all they have been winning all year with him there.

Steve
01-08-09, 08:07 AM
Pretty abysmal, I just hope they use it as a wake up call. We play a few of the 'bottom' teams over the next few weeks and if we decide it's in the bag before kick off like last night, we're gonna cop some floggings and not just drop out of the 4, but drop out of the 8.

Bailey and Meyers were everywhere early, getting through a mountain of work. 30min in they were both looking exhausted, and unfortunately it's not a two man game.

I felt we dominated the first half despite the score line. Cowboys defence was solid, and our attack clumsy. It just felt like we had no options, didn't know what to do.

Whatever anyone else thought, I was disappointed with Tagataese. He was the closest man in one of the Cowboys tries, and he didn't even try to make a tackle. Just pulled up and watched the Cowboy stroll past. Even if he couldn't get there, he could make the effort, apply some pressure, keep them out wide, something.

Coaster
01-08-09, 08:20 AM
We were smashed.

Cowboys played great.

Thurston had a blinder.

ughh

daveyk
01-08-09, 10:01 AM
crap crap and CRAP

we certainly didnt turn up with right attitude last night
they opened the door and let the cowboys run wild in OUR HOUSE

dont think i can single anyone out because at the end of the day its a TEAM GAME and thats all i have to say on the matter....

eelectrica
01-08-09, 12:05 PM
I just hope this is a wake up call. We've been winning without playing really well and last night not playing well killed us.
There's no reason for Titans not to win they're next 3 games and cement 3rd spot. Just need to re-focus

We've got Warrior, Rabbits then the Sharks at Skilled.

Steelers
01-08-09, 01:53 PM
Wow... one loss to quality opposition and suddenly the Titans have gone from heroes to villians. Seriously guys, settle down. That was the loss and the wake up call you needed. You would rather a performance like that now rather than in the first week of September.

GCT_07
01-08-09, 02:02 PM
Wow... one loss to quality opposition and suddenly the Titans have gone from heroes to villians. Seriously guys, settle down. That was the loss and the wake up call you needed. You would rather a performance like that now rather than in the first week of September.

I dont think we are being any harder on our team than they will be on themselves. We all know they didnt bring it last night...... we are not about to sit there and sing their praises on a misserable performance....... the titans are a hell of a lot more than just last nights performance and they are certainly not villians.

I will however agree with you that it was a wake up that they needed..... they cant keep scrapin accross the line...... they need to bring more to a game otherwise come September they may as well hand the opportunity to another team.

bigjim
01-08-09, 03:03 PM
Wow... one loss to quality opposition and suddenly the Titans have gone from heroes to villians. Seriously guys, settle down. That was the loss and the wake up call you needed. You would rather a performance like that now rather than in the first week of September.

It's one thing to loose, it's another to get smashed in your own house.
A 6-10 point loss after 80minutes of hard battling I can take but a 22-0 deficit at half time is down right embarrassing. And to say we're down a couple of troops is a cop out. Every team is down a couple of troops. They just didn't adjust their offence for a rushing defence, if that makes any sense.:fist:

DIEHARD
01-08-09, 03:58 PM
Well a good night's sleep hasn't taken the edge of a thumping defeat at hom. I even watched Tweed v Wynnum on ABC and they lost as well. So that did not pick up my spirits.

To be 22 point to nil down at half time was so embarrassing and it was ominous for the 2nd half. Let alone losing our perfect record at home. I was more worried about how badly we were in disarray.

I think we had alot of trouble playing players out of position and we tired. Losing delaney meant we had an extra man down.

07 is right that we aren't being any harder than they will be on themselves. It is hard to reach a level of equalibrium of opionion when our forum is so topsy turvy.

Teke's suggestion of Mead to centre and Walker to wing, sounds like a good one. I hadn't considered that.

Cant wait to get Ash, Chalky and Boof back on deck.

It should be a wake up call, but how many do we need? It also seems the team really misses Rogers more than we give credit for.

The Cowboys were all over Princey Scott's kicking was off kilter all night, but I reckon it's down to the pressure the Cowboys put on him. But it was the entire team that didn't give Prince the space, time and back up...

They were all over Gordon as well and put him under buckets of pressure.

But what really blew us out of the water was Thurston and Bowen. Thurston showed why he is the form halfback of the competition so far in 09. He is such a terrier and can lift his team or carry them over the line in equal portions. He has real Joey qualities. And Matt Bowen, was the man of the night. After a long while suffering injuries and not the greatest form, he came to full life last night. His tries were amazing, but his cover defence was even better, denying us two tries.

It was magic, but how about doing it on another night and against another club? I keep saying, we never get easy matches and teams seem to lift against us or experience an epiphany in the week or weeks before they play us. Deadset!

I have to say one of the Cowboys tries shouldn't have been a try. It was forward and then there was a knockon as well. But the Cowboys were the better team by miles last night.

It is painful to lose our perfect record at home. But out of any team, I guess the Cowboys are the team I wouldn't have minded the most. There fans are good value and on the back of that performance... you can't argue they deserved the 2 points.

I have to say that I had a great time in The Legion, which always takes the edge off a loss and makes the night not a complete write off. It was good to keep cheering in desperate hope and seeing us score a couple tries within a couple minutes of each other.

Now on to Auckland against the Warriors! Time to get the campaign back on track!

GCT_07
01-08-09, 04:23 PM
It should be a wake up call, but how many do we need? It also seems the team really misses Rogers more than we give credit for.



OMG :salute:

For those doubters still out there..... when he gets back on that field..... WATCH HIM...... I m not talking about when he has the ball or how far he runs it or kick s it.... I m not even talking about how many tackles he makes and his workload...... watch him ..... watch how he talks to those younger players and makes sure they are in positon all the time.....watch him do to our team what JT did to his team last night.

With his injuries this year I would not be surprised if this is his last year, I hope like all hell it s not...... He gives that team a level headedness that only someone of his experience and calibar can. We will certainly miss him when he is gone.


Ok... getting off my Rogers soap box (for now)

teke
01-08-09, 04:43 PM
Teke's suggestion of Mead to centre and Walker to wing, sounds like a good one. I hadn't considered that.
In all honesty It isnt something that I came up with, the coaching staff have mentioned this a fair few times and to me it is a really good idea. Delaney is a good defender but to have Mead and Walker together is a really potent attack down the right side.

I cant wait for next year with the addition of Tomane. Rugby League week named its top 10 rookies and Tomane was 3, Mead 4 and Gordon 6. The future is extremely bright for the club when you have youngsters like these coming through.

DIEHARD
01-08-09, 05:18 PM
:laugh: GCT 07, can't wait to see the return of Mat!


I cant wait for next year with the addition of Tomane. Rugby League week named its top 10 rookies and Tomane was 3, Mead 4 and Gordon 6. The future is extremely bright for the club when you have youngsters like these coming through.

Yea, that is a tremendous honour. Our juniors are really coming through and in contrast the Broncos juniors seem to be false starting of late. So a real credit to our club.

karnage
01-08-09, 06:01 PM
How cold was it tonight??

Anyway, yeah I agree. There have been a lot of games we just don't seem to turn up to. It didn't help to watch that game surrounded by Cowboys fans. It's our home ground. :fist:

Also, which section are you in, karnage?

I sit in the Eastern Stand directly opposite the tunnel that the Titans run out of.

I'm loud and parochial and hopelessly biased so if you sit anywhere near there you would have heard me. I was gonna go down to the legion to say g'day but it was too warm wedged between the 2 people either side to entertain going for a walk.

curly_11
01-08-09, 06:20 PM
At the end of the day we lost because of attitude! Too many players started doubting themselves and we handed the cowboys the game!

Realistically if you look at the dragons last year......an average football team. Bennett arrives, installs confidence and drills each players with their responsibility and their individual role to play as a team and well we can all see the result. They are now the form team of the comp!

Titans need self belief and to stop slacking off! Its an 80 minute game. Put the effort in for the full 80 and you should get the result.

I expect a better performance next week! Hope carty rips them a new *** hole!:cry:

squirrell
01-08-09, 07:38 PM
Im glad i havnt read post after post of cliches which is what diehard fans do,to excuse the team of a garbage effort(meyers stats were excellent and i wish i brought my ginger beard to the game again).but ill agree with everyone that the performance was sub standard and not befitting a team commanding 20000 plus fans on a cold evening.I expect the players are embarassed and they better have their heads on for the 2 away trips and personally for me against the rabbits in 2 weeks cos im going to that game and i dont want channel9 cameras pointing at me with my dejected face on.I want to jump and celebrate like the dude a few weeks ago at an away game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.It all boils down to personal pride and if they can all say i did my best then ill be happy,maybe 2 did last night,no more.....

DIEHARD
01-08-09, 07:59 PM
Im glad i havnt read post after post of cliches which is what diehard fans do,to excuse the team of a garbage effort(meyers stats were excellent and i wish i brought my ginger beard to the game again).but ill agree with everyone that the performance was sub standard and not befitting a team commanding 20000 plus fans on a cold evening.I expect the players are embarassed and they better have their heads on for the 2 away trips and personally for me against the rabbits in 2 weeks cos im going to that game and i dont want channel9 cameras pointing at me with my dejected face on.I want to jump and celebrate like the dude a few weeks ago at an away game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.It all boils down to personal pride and if they can all say i did my best then ill be happy,maybe 2 did last night,no more.....

Well said mate!

Yea good old Matt from the Southern Legion. I nearly forgot what it was like to celebrate a try last Friday night. You can meet him at the Souths games. I'll be there as well. Hopefully as you said we can be celebrating.

GCT_07
01-08-09, 11:10 PM
Well looks like we must have had something go our way. With the Draw for Panthers and the loss for Knights and Donkeys....... our loss (putting it nicely) last night hasnt cost us to the degree it could have.

Chaos
02-08-09, 01:13 PM
Haven't read all previous post but the Titans had a side to win Friday night but just didn't have a go.

Why did we start the game at half pace...looked like we were just going through our plays at training...I understand the Cowboys have a strong defensive forward line but our starting props didn't penetrate the line at all.

Is Minichello the only Titans player that can hit a hole?
Even though we were behind, it was difficult watching our halves run across the field and no one to hit the gap. I'm not having a shot at the halves because Prince was stepping players creating an over lap and everyone else just watch him.

Mat Bowen did have one of his best games all year, setting up a Cowboys win...but we allowed his confidence to grow. The first set of six after the break should have ended with a bomb and six forwards coming through with a target on Bowen.

Not taking anything away from the Cowboys as they will trouble teams with that expansive attack...it suits Thurston who finished us off.

It's a tuff game...no tactical set plays can win a game of league by playing soft.

Supergoose
02-08-09, 08:28 PM
While Thurston and Bowen were outstanding the reason for them being able to have their way with us was because the Cowboys forwards handed our forwards a lesson. They rolled down the field with ease all night and our sub-standard kicking game was to blame for that too as their kick returns ate up serious metres putting them on the front foot. John Williams looked like he had spiders all over him or something. It's not the first time our forwards have struggled against the Cowboys pack and the Raiders pack caused us problems as well. Let's hope we can get some troops and some heart back this week and get back in the winners circle.

bigjim
02-08-09, 10:50 PM
I said it and I was right. The Cowboy game was a danger game because we didn't have to win it. We lost and stayed in third place, no damage.
Cowboys were desperate to win considering their run home.
Desperation will win over complacency every day and twice on Fridays.
Not to worry, our desperate days will come real soon.;)

Adelaide Titan
03-08-09, 08:22 AM
We're lucky that the teams below us (except Nth QLD) all have similar point differences so gives the Titans a better chance of staying in the 4

DIEHARD
03-08-09, 02:52 PM
Coast ambush led by Cowboys posse of big boppers

TITANS boss John Cartwright has rejected suggestions he was tactically upstaged by reigning NRL coach of the year Neil Henry after a Cowboys ambush cost the Titans their unbeaten run at Skilled Park on Friday.

In a surprise move that put the Titans on the back foot early, North Queensland and Maroons State of Origin tactician Henry started the match with hooker Anthony Watts on the bench in an attempt to shock the Titans with six big forwards.

The plan worked, with the Cowboys pack gaining the upper hand in the critical opening exchanges and going on to lay a solid platform for game breakers Matt Bowen and Johnathan Thurston.

Asked if he was tactically caught out, Cartwright said: "Well we didn't know until an hour before kickoff (they would start with six forwards) but we thought from the side they picked that they would try and run through us.

"They picked all their big boppers.

"Watts starting on the bench, whilst it was a shock, I don't think it got us tactically at all.

"I thought it actually worked in our favour there a few times.

"They looked a little bit disjointed at the ruck there (with no specialist hooker)."

Thurston praised the efforts of his forwards after the match, while Henry said the first half was arguably his side's finest 40 minutes of footy all year.

Henry said he was pleased with how his six-forward stampede worked, with regular hookers Aaron Payne and Clint Amos sidelined with injuries.

"It gave us a bit more support in the midfield so that when we got the ball we had a few more options," said Henry.

"Matty Bowen (who slotted in at No.9 when Watts was on the bench) is quite good out of dummy half, he is pretty good with his hands there and he can play forward."

The Titans head to New Zealand this weekend still in search of a victory to put their top-eight spot beyond doubt.

Gold Coast skipper Scott Prince said the loss to the Cowboys, which halted their unbeaten run at home, was proof they still had work to do before being considered genuine title contenders.

"We seemed to have the momentum and we created the opportunities," said Prince.

"We missed Harro (Ashley Harrison) and (Anthony) Laffranchi around the ruck doing the tidy up work.

Representative forward Laffranchi returns from suspension against the Warriors, while Maroons backrower Harrison will be given every chance to overcome a rib cartilage injury.

"They have got some attacking brilliance with Matty B and JT and they took their opportunities and scored points with it.

"We are still missing some workers in there and I think that showed.

"But over all it game the guys an opportunity to see where we need to be."

http://www.goldcoast.com.au

heidstar
03-08-09, 03:18 PM
AAAH!! my first game i missed all season as overseas and my boys loose.Just about to watch it now as it has been recorded for me so will have better imput on this forum tomr.But delaney gone hey?top 4 chance maybe??:D

Chaos
03-08-09, 06:28 PM
Thanks for the article Diehard...but I still think Bigjim might be on the right track...I was disappointed not to see any determination to break through the line.
Maybe we could have ran more smaller forwards at there big fellas...and maybe we were without Laffranchi and Harrison but those two are mainly defenders and it was lack of forward momentum that give us the poor start.
The word 'Soft' stays in my mind.

isaiah
04-08-09, 06:22 PM
:laugh: GCT 07, can't wait to see the return of Mat!



Yea, that is a tremendous honour. Our juniors are really coming through and in contrast the Broncos juniors seem to be false starting of late. So a real credit to our club.

what broncos juniors are false starting?