DIEHARD
01-02-10, 08:33 AM
Nathan Friend mystified by failure
GOLD Coast Titans hooker Nathan Friend's 2009 NRL campaign was his most satisfying on a personal level, but he is still puzzled by the way the team failed to fire in the finals.
Friend won the Paul Broughton Medal as the Titans player of the year and in the process justified his decision to stand his ground on his demands for a contract extension and upgrade.
The 28-year-old was the only player to feature in all 26 games, including finals losses to the Broncos and Parramatta. In just their third season the Titans had finished third on the premiership ladder, a remarkable effort.
But to get so close to a Grand Final berth and then to fumble the chance proved an anti-climax.
"If you're that close you certainly want to continue and to play in the big one," Friend said yesterday.
"We faded there and I'm not quite sure what the problem was.
"But Parramatta proved to be a quality side and we did run into them when they were pretty hot. We just couldn't contain their off-loads. I guess there are a few things we need to work on, but come round one against the Warriors we'll be fine."
Friend's off-season has been far more relaxed than the build-up to 2009 when the Titans expressed interest in Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah and initially refused to give Friend a pay increase after Farah elected to stay in Sydney.
A Toowoomba product, Friend is a foundation Titans player after previous stints with the Broncos and Melbourne Storm.
He is under contract to the Titans until the end of 2011.
Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl
GOLD Coast Titans hooker Nathan Friend's 2009 NRL campaign was his most satisfying on a personal level, but he is still puzzled by the way the team failed to fire in the finals.
Friend won the Paul Broughton Medal as the Titans player of the year and in the process justified his decision to stand his ground on his demands for a contract extension and upgrade.
The 28-year-old was the only player to feature in all 26 games, including finals losses to the Broncos and Parramatta. In just their third season the Titans had finished third on the premiership ladder, a remarkable effort.
But to get so close to a Grand Final berth and then to fumble the chance proved an anti-climax.
"If you're that close you certainly want to continue and to play in the big one," Friend said yesterday.
"We faded there and I'm not quite sure what the problem was.
"But Parramatta proved to be a quality side and we did run into them when they were pretty hot. We just couldn't contain their off-loads. I guess there are a few things we need to work on, but come round one against the Warriors we'll be fine."
Friend's off-season has been far more relaxed than the build-up to 2009 when the Titans expressed interest in Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah and initially refused to give Friend a pay increase after Farah elected to stay in Sydney.
A Toowoomba product, Friend is a foundation Titans player after previous stints with the Broncos and Melbourne Storm.
He is under contract to the Titans until the end of 2011.
Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl