Round 1: Gold Coast Titans vs St George-Illawarra Dragons

[DIEHARD]

Gold Coast Titans vs St George-Illawarra Dragons
March 11-14 2011 - Skilled Park, Gold Coast

http://premier.ticketek.com.au/dbimages/sfx68738.jpg

TITANS

TBC

DRAGONS

TBC

[DIEHARD]

I thought it was time we started to look forward to the 2011 season and what better way than a Round 1 Titans v Dragons match thread.

It is going to be a huge challenge straight up at home against the Premiers and our arch rivals the Dragons. But we might as well get thrown into the deep end straight away.

We have a very very difficult start to the 2011 season, so please get out to Skilled Park and support our boys!

[onlooker]

how are the Dragons arch rivals to the Titans?

[teke]

I will be there to watch the Premiers play

2011 Premiers ;)

[DIEHARD]

how are the Dragons arch rivals to the Titans?

Well they defeated us in our first ever Premiership game. And we have a poor record against them, IMO they are our bogey team.

Beyond the no brainer rivalries against the Broncos and North Queensland. I hate the Dragons the most. Maybe arch rival was incorrect, that would be the Broncos. It has taken us years to get some runs on the board against them and many of our loses are close.

We also have a healthy rivalry against the Storm brewing.

I guess it is also much a personal thing, what teams you dislike. But IMO Dragons are top of my list. I definitely see them as our dark horse that stalks us.

Here is our record against them:

8 Games. 2 Wins. 6 Loses.

2007 Round 1 - Lost 20-18 @ Lang Park - Absolute Heartbreaker!
2007 Round 10 - Lost 28-10 @ WIN Stadium
2008 Round 2 - Lost 30-12 @ Win Stadium
2008 Round 16 - Lost 26-22 @Skilled Park
2009 Round 2 - Lost 16-10 @ WIN Stadium
2009 Round 13 - Won 28-24 @ Skilled Park
2010 Round 6 - Lost 19-6 @ Skilled Park - I thought we were gonna win this one.
2010 Round 20 - Won 11-10 @ Kogarah - Words can not describe how amazing this game was. Against the leaders, in the wet, away and at the Dragons cherished traditional home ground. THANK YOU!

[Mushi]

Yes that last dragons game was awesome - def one of the games that stands out from the 2010 season - such a turning point after a run of losses too. Will be a huge game - dragons fans are always out in force at skilled and obviously minus a few players will hurt us so we need a big crowd to be out there in force. At the titans movie event the other week they did announce it was a friday night game too. Can't wait for the new season to kick off!

[titansrawesome]

i would pray that would win this game but damnit friendy out is huge, we can we win with every player out except him. im not saying we have no chance but boy this will be harder than last years game at koograh

[Greg81]

my money is on the Friday night for this game, as opposed to our last 2 rd 1 games, that were Sunday 1pm kick off.

[TITAN PETE]

my money is on the Friday night for this game, as opposed to our last 2 rd 1 games, that were Sunday 1pm kick off.

It was announced the match will be played on Friday night 2 weeks ago :thumbsup:

[Greg81]

oh really? My bad! I was worried bout that, near impossible to make friday night games, as I live in Toowoomba.

[onlooker]

It was announced the match will be played on Friday night 2 weeks ago :thumbsup:

Any other of the matches announced?

[Steelers]

See you all there. One would think this would be a sellout.

[DIEHARD]

Especially with the amount of Saints fans in SEQLD and the ones tha will travel. Get your Memberships and tickets as soon as possible.

Let's make sure we get as many Titans fans as possible there and shut out as many Dragons fans as possible. >: )

[Mushi]

oooopppss looks like they "announced" it wrong the other night - it is on a saturday night - I'm happy saturdays' suit me much better :-)

[DIEHARD]

Gold Coast Titans v St George-Illawarra Dragons
Saturday 12th March - 6.30pm @ Skilled Park

[TITAN PETE]

Gold Coast Titans v St George-Illawarra Dragons
Saturday 12th March - 6.30pm @ Skilled Park



Looks like Michael Searle's early "Scoop" was wrong :surprise:

[Steelers]

Well with the scheduling change I will only be able to make it if the cricket side I play for do not make the semi finals this season. At this stage it is 50/50 :laugh:

[thelwall]

yer broncos cowboys match wouldnt move

[DIEHARD]

Looks like Michael Searle's early "Scoop" was wrong :surprise:

And probably not too happy not getting a Friday night to engage the AFL. This probably means they'll reap more media, with the lead up and the post game fluff articles on Saturday. But I don't doubt the Titans will dominate the media.

We all need to get to Skilled Park and shut out as many Dragons fans as possible. :fight:

[DIEHARD]

Titans v Dragons to kick off the season

THE Gold Coast Titans will kick off the 2011 season with a Saturday night blockbuster against premiers St George Illawarra at Skilled Park.

The March 12 game was confirmed yesterday when the NRL released the dates for the first five rounds of the 2011 season.

The Roosters and Rabbitohs, alongside the Broncos and Cowboys, have been awarded the free-to-air first round Friday night games.

The Titans will travel to Melbourne to face the Storm in the second round, again playing on a Saturday night.

The club's first free-to-air game will be against Brisbane at Skilled Park on Friday, March 25.

A Saturday road trip to Canberra follows in Round 4 and they stay on the road for another Friday night game, against North Queensland.

A highlight of the opening round will be the Warriors tackling the Parramatta Eels in the first NRL match at Eden Park, venue for the Rugby World Cup opening ceremony and final next year.

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

[DIEHARD]

Gold Coast Titans could start NRL season against St George Illawarra without four key forwards

Gold Coast Titans face the daunting task of starting the NRL season against premiers St George Illawarra without the services of four key forwards because of injury.

Titans hooker Nathan Friend and Kangaroos second-rower Anthony Laffranchi will miss the March 12 match at Skilled Park and are not likely to be back until round 6 following shoulder reconstructions at the end of last season.

Laffranchi will have further surgery this month to have bolts and screws removed from his left wrist. Titans coach John Cartwright also rates City second-rower Mark Minichiello as "very doubtful" for the Dragons match following groin surgery.

And Cartwright revealed former Test forward Brad Meyers, who is recovering from wrist surgery, has an appointment with a specialist this week to assess a knee problem.

"We're hoping all he needs is a trim of the cartilage," Cartwright said.

"It's not ideal but it might be harder if they were all young guys missing the start of the season because the younger blokes need match practice."

Hooker shapes as the biggest headache for the Titans' NRL season opener, with Friend not having missed a match with the club since 2008.

Cartwright will name two hookers in his 17 while Friend is sidelined, with Riley Brown, Kayne Lawton and Matt Srama contenders.

Lawton missed most of last season through injury, while Brown played mainly for Burleigh Bears. Srama was the Titans' Toyota Cup Player of the Year.

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

[DIEHARD]

Woah.... no Laffranchi, Friend, Meyers and Minichiello. Hopefully this won't be the case, otherwise it'll be up to the other boys to stand up to the early season blow torch.

[TITAN PETE]

Gold Coast Titans could start NRL season against St George Illawarra without four key forwards

Gold Coast Titans face the daunting task of starting the NRL season against premiers St George Illawarra without the services of four key forwards because of injury.

Titans hooker Nathan Friend and Kangaroos second-rower Anthony Laffranchi will miss the March 12 match at Skilled Park and are not likely to be back until round 6 following shoulder reconstructions at the end of last season.

Laffranchi will have further surgery this month to have bolts and screws removed from his left wrist. Titans coach John Cartwright also rates City second-rower Mark Minichiello as "very doubtful" for the Dragons match following groin surgery.

And Cartwright revealed former Test forward Brad Meyers, who is recovering from wrist surgery, has an appointment with a specialist this week to assess a knee problem.

"We're hoping all he needs is a trim of the cartilage," Cartwright said.

"It's not ideal but it might be harder if they were all young guys missing the start of the season because the younger blokes need match practice."

Hooker shapes as the biggest headache for the Titans' NRL season opener, with Friend not having missed a match with the club since 2008.

Cartwright will name two hookers in his 17 while Friend is sidelined, with Riley Brown, Kayne Lawton and Matt Srama contenders.

Lawton missed most of last season through injury, while Brown played mainly for Burleigh Bears. Srama was the Titans' Toyota Cup Player of the Year.

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

The will need 2 players to make up for Friendy's defence :?)

[teke]

Not a good thought.

Smash em out wide.

The no frills Dragons team will be in for a shock

[titansrawesome]

i betcha we win because whenever the titans are decimated by injuries in aa big clash we always come through, example st george vs titans 2010 at jubilee and roosters vs titans at sfs, get your money in when the markets up

[DIEHARD]

At least hopefully the pressure will be off our boys. With the Dragons being Premiers. And we can just assassinate STI. LOL STI...

[karnage]

The biggest issue for the Dragons in Rd 1 will be coming off the World Club Challenge in England which is experiencing one of the coldest winters in living memory. Teams coming back from England always struggle in the opening round. Even this year the Storm only just got over a horrible Sharks team by 2 or 4 points in the opening round.

[Titanic]

I see the next two seasons as transitional ones with many of the original core squad having to compete with the younger brigade for spots. This game should provide a good insight into Carty's perspective.

[DIEHARD]

Titans tickets on sale from tomorrow

Kick-off for season 2011 may still be four weeks away but Jetstar Gold Coast Titans Social Members only have to wait one more day to secure their seat for the club?s season opening blockbuster against the St George Illawarra Dragons at Skilled Park on Saturday, March 12.

Tickets to the game between the Jetstar Titans and last year?s Premiers, the St George Illawarra Dragons go on sale from midday tomorrow (Tuesday, February 15) for Social Members and one day later for the general public (midday Wednesday, February 16).

Jetstar Titans Social Members will receive a 24-hour priority booking windows for every home game of the 2011 season. Social Memberships for the entire season are priced at $45 for adults and $25 for juniors.

Casual game-by-game tickets start from $30 for an adult and $18 for a junior.

Full pricing details are listed below:

2011 Season Ticket Pricing

CATEGORYADULTCONCESSIONJUNIORFAMILY (1a+1Jnr)FAMILY (2a+2Jnr

TITANIUM$ 57$ 47$ 33$ 78$ 157

GOLD$ 43$ 36$ 26$ 60$ 120

STEEL$ 30$ 25$ 18$ 41$ 82

There are also plenty of blockbuster games coming the Jetstar Titans way after Round 1, with the Broncos (Round 3), the Wests Tigers (Round 6) and then the grudge match against last year?s preliminary final opponents, the Sydney Roosters (Round 8).

Ticket sale dates for those matches are listed below.

Titans v Broncos (Skilled Park 25 March) on sale:

? 9am Monday (7 March) for Titans Social Members

? 9am Tuesday (8 March) for the general public

Titans v Wests Tigers (Skilled Park TBC 15-18 April) on sale:

? 9am Monday (28 March) for Titans Social Members

? 9am Tuesday (29 March) for the general public

Titans v Roosters (Skilled Park TBC 29 Apr-2 May) on sale:

? 9am Monday (11 April) for Titans Social Members

? 9am Tuesday (12 April) for the general public

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

[DIEHARD]

Legion Unreserved
Adult $30.00
Family of 4 (2 Adults + 2 Juniors) $82.00
Family of 2 (1 Adult + 1 Junior) $41.00
Junior $18.00
Concession $25.00

[Sydney Titans Fanatic]

#### yer only 2 more weekends to go and it will be round 1 im so excited

[DIEHARD]

Box Offices Open: 3.40pm
Gates Open: 4.10pm
Under 20?s Kick Off: 4.15pm
Main Game Kick Off: 6.30pm

[DIEHARD]

You can purchase tickets online at CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS TO TITANS V DRAGONS ROUND 1 ON TICKETEK.COM.AU (http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/Show.aspx?sh=TIT0111)

[DIEHARD]

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/913/hellod.jpg

Dragons trophy cabinet.

[DIEHARD]

Latest silverware testimony to Dragons' commitment

http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2011/03/04/1226016/141569-st-george-illawarra-dragons.jpg

DRAGONS hooker Nathan Fien has dismissed the naysayers who have already written off the side's premiership defence, declaring they're ready to buck history under the last coach to go back-to-back.

The all-conquering Dragons returned home yesterday with their latest silverware - the World Club Challenge trophy - to add to the Telstra Cup, JJ Giltinan Shield and Charity Shield.

And while critics have been quick to condemn their chances of going back-to-back, Fien says the 21-15 World Club Challenge victory over Wigan showed they were ready to defend their title.

No side has gone back-to-back in a united competition since Wayne Bennett's Broncos in 1992-93.

And Fien says there's no reason why St George Illawarra can't defy the odds and defend their title.

"We've definitely still got the hunger there," Fien told The Daily Telegraph. "It showed on the weekend where we were under the pump but we were still able to turn the Wigan attack away and we didn't let any points in the second half, and that's what we base around. So if that can continue we're going to give ourselves a good opportunity to win a lot of games this year."

Quizzed about the difficulty of defending the crown, Fien said: "The odds are against us to go back-to-back, but you can't worry about that.

"Last year is done.

"We'll be out there working hard week in, week out. We know how much hard work is ahead."

Fien said Bennett has been pushing the side harder this year: "He hasn't let the foot off the pedal at all," the 31-year-old said.

"If anything it's been pushed down further."

Fien said despite the attention paid to the World Club Challenge, the side's pre-season focused squarely on preparing for round one against the Gold Coast.

And as if to underline the point, the team was back training this morning, less than 24 hours after arriving back in Sydney.

Fien said the premiership and World Club Challenge were now confined to history: "The club challenge was a bit of a reward for what we did last year," he said.

"It was great to win it, the experience over there was something that everyone will remember for the rest of their lives.

"But we've got the Titans at home in just over a week, so it's business as usual now.

"We haven't won anything this year in terms of the NRL and everyone's starting on a level playing field. We've got to start again and work really hard to earn the points week in and week out."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/

[DIEHARD]

Luke Bailey says Titans want nothing short of a grand final appearance this season

TITANS pack leader Luke Bailey has declared nothing short of a grand final appearance is acceptable this season as the Gold Coast prepare to kick off their premiership campaign against defending champions St George Illawarra at Skilled Park on Saturday.

After consecutive top four finishes the past two years, Bailey said the Titans were determined to start 2011 with a bang by toppling the Dragons and setting the tone for a successful season ahead.

"We want nothing short of the grand final this year so we plan on starting big," the former NSW and Test prop said.

"They have played some tough trials as well as winning the World Club Challenge, so they are already playing some good footy.

"We have had a couple of sloppy games against Souths and the Cowboys, so this will be good to see where we are at for the year."

It may still be five days out from the season-opening blockbuster but the Titans are already under siege.

The entire away supporters bay behind the goal posts at the southern end of Skilled Park has already been sold out, with tickets snapped up by the Dragons' faithful.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au

[Steelers]

Unfortunately due to a lack of funds I was not able to buy tickets earlier than now. This has caused me to miss out on the away supporters bay. Looking at the seating map, they only have Titanium, Gold and Steel sections, but Sand is also available for purchase. Where is the sand section?

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3744/sfx70172.gif

[C-Whiz]

Where is the sand section?
All of the corners are Sand. For example, section 27/27-1, which is the NE corner. My part of town.

[DIEHARD]

It is always nuts at the start of the year ey Steeler. Just recover from Christmas and you get hit by footy. It gets particularly expensive when you want to pencil in an away trip and also want to get Test Match and Origin tickets.

Are you in Section 27 this year Whiz? I finish my "lap" with my flag after we score a try there. We need to work together to improve the atmosphere in the north-east section of the stadium.

[Tamwelg]

Minichiello aims for Dragons clash
Jake Dew | March 8th, 2011

Mark Minichiello could make a return in time to face the might of St George, with Titans coach John Cartwright set to today name the durable backrower in an 18-man squad to face the world champions at Skilled Park on Saturday.

Determined to fight his way back from off-season groin surgery in time for Round 1, Minichiello looks set to win that battle after training strongly yesterday.

While the rest of the Titans NRL squad left the Station Reserve training facility early yesterday morning, Cartwright stayed put with his 18-man squad, which included Minichiello and Rabbitohs recruit Luke Capewell, who appears set the be handed first crack in the No. 6.

Riley Brown will make just his fifth appearance for the Titans at hooker in the absence of Nathan Friend while David Mead returns after missing the end of 2010 with an ankle injury.

But the availability of Minichiello -- who together with Friend and winger Kevin Gordon played every match for the Titans last season -- appears to be the only sticking point for the coach, with interchange forwards Sam Tagataese or Ryan James likely to miss out if the NSW City Origin star is declared fit.

"He (Minichiello) will have a good, tough week but he's just a bit behind in the preparation the other guys have done," said Cartwright, while refusing to rule out the 29-year-old.

"There's 18 there but we'll name the side to make sure we know where all the players stand.

"There's a lot made of picking (a Round 1) side and it's a big occasion for the blokes who make it."

"It's game one of 24, and hopefully semi finals and grand finals, (and) the guys who make the first side have probably had the best preparation."

"But it's a long long season and very comforting to know we have a lot of guys who are going to be coming back in the side through the rest of the season."

With star forward Friend, Anthony Laffranchi and Brad Meyers still to come back into Cartwright's selection calculations, regardless of their availability big prop Luke Bailey said as far as big games go they don't come much bigger than this weekend.

And he says St George, who endured the extra pressure of the travelling to England for last week's World Club Challenge final, would approach the match in exactly the same manner.

"There was talk that they might come over here a little bit tired, a little bit wounded from that game (against Wigan) but I know they won't and I'm preparing for a big game," he said of the Dragons.

"You hear all the excuses in the world but once you tie them laces up and get on the field you forget about all the excuses and you have a crack at them."

"In the back of our minds it would be nice if they were tired."

"But I'm tipping the Wayne Bennett team will have them pretty pumped up and ready to continue the success of what they've achieved over the last 18 months."

www.goldocast.com.au

[keep_real]

I will probably come to this game, it'll be very interesting and its been a while since i've been to a game.

[Tamwelg]

This is good news, Mini as good as back, if not this game most likely next. I've heard Laffranchi may be back for round 2 as well.

[TITAN PETE]

This is good news, Mini as good as back, if not this game most likely next. I've heard Laffranchi may be back for round 2 as well.

i will have some news today & hopefully good news on our most important missing man ;)

[lonegull]

i will have some news today & hopefully good news on our most important missing man ;)

looking forward to your news, i am presuming this man is a "friend" of yours

[C-Whiz]

i will have some news today & hopefully good news on our most important missing man ;)***SPOILER ALERT***
Yes, I have purchased Sand membership and will be in section 27-1. Sorry to break it before you Pete. ;)


Are you in Section 27 this year Whiz? I finish my "lap" with my flag after we score a try there. We need to work together to improve the atmosphere in the north-east section of the stadium.Yes mate. Back "home". :D

OK, seriously keen to hear the real news Pete. We'll need as much good news out there on Sat as we can get!

[Tamwelg]

1 William Zillman
2 Kevin Gordon
3 Steve Michaels
4 Clinton Toopi
5 David Mead
6 Luke Capewell
7 Scott Prince
8 Luke Bailey
9 Riley Brown
10 Matthew White
11 Greg Bird
12 Bodene Thompson
13 Ashley Harrison
14 Michael Henderson
15 Sam Tagaetese
16 Ryan James
17 Preston Campbell

18th Man ?Mark Minichiello

[Tamwelg]

1 William Zillman
2 Kevin Gordon
3 Steve Michaels
4 Clinton Toopi
5 David Mead
6 Luke Capewell
7 Scott Prince
8 Luke Bailey
9 Riley Brown
10 Matthew White
11 Greg Bird
12 Bodene Thompson
13 Ashley Harrison
14 Michael Henderson
15 Sam Tagaetese
16 Ryan James
17 Preston Campbell

18th Man ?Mark Minichiello

No surprises there. I'm looking forward to seeing Capewell tear it up.

[TITAN PETE]

No surprises there. I'm looking forward to seeing Capewell tear it up.

It's the team i was told 2 weeks ago with Meyers the only player in doubt :D

[TITAN PETE]

looking forward to your news, i am presuming this man is a "friend" of yours

He's everyones "Friend" & the news is Great he will be back wearing the 9 in round 4 :fist:

[Tamwelg]

Dragons

1. Darius Boyd
2. Brett Morris
3. Mark Gasnier
4. Matt Cooper
5. Jason Nightingale
6. Jamie Soward
7. Ben Hornby (c)
8. Dan Hunt
9. Nathan Fien
10. Michael Weyman
11. Beau Scott
12. Ben Creagh
13. Matt Prior

14. Michael Greenfield
15. Jon Green
16. Trent Merrin
17. Kyle Stanley

[patskE]

would of liked to seem tonga or tomane giving a go in the centres, but a good looking lineup

[karnage]

I might have to add Capewell to my fantasy team...

As for the Dragons, their pack is certainly not as imposing as it was with Costigan, Smith and Young all in there. If we can hold our own in the forwards Prince can win it for us.

If our forwards get on top we will get the chocolates impressively.
Soward and Hornby are not going to look the same behind a forward pack that is not laying the massive foundation they got last year, we saw that at Kogarah when our engine room served it up to them for the full 100 minutes.

I see no reason why the latter can't eventuate.

[Tamwelg]

Capewell wins the race for Titans No.6 jersey
8/03/2011 2:57:56 PM

New recruit Luke Capewell has been rewarded with the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans No.6 starting jersey for the club?s season opening blockbuster against World Club Champions St George Illawarra Dragons at Skilled Park on Saturday night.

Jetstar Titans Coach John Cartwright today named a strong 18-man squad for the Round 1 clash, with former South Sydney backline utility Capewell to form a new look halves combination with Captain Scott Prince.

Capewell, 21, was one of the standouts for the Jetstar Titans during pre-season trial match wins over Souths (42-4) and North Queensland (24-22) and Cartwright said the Charleville junior had done enough to win the race for five-eighth spot left vacant by the retirement of Dual International Mat Rogers at the end of last season.

?I thought he had a really good off-season. He didn?t miss any time at all during the off-season and I thought he was probably the most impressive in the No.6 jumper of the guys that were competing for that position in the trials,?? said Cartwright.

With Capewell lining up at five-eighth, Australian Kangaroos representative Greg Bird shifts to the back row while speedster William Zillman has been given the nod at fullback despite missing the club?s pre-season trial matches due to a minor back injury.

?I thought Zillman had a tremendous off-season but he was unable to play in the trials due to a back complaint,?? said Cartwright.

?He was in tremendous form last year at fullback or on the wing so I thought it was about time he was given an opportunity to cement that spot.??

Cartwright said the inclusion of livewire Preston Campbell on the interchange bench was a valuable asset for the Jetstar Titans heading into their first assignment for 2011.

?He played at hooker throughout the trials and he can cover so many crucial positions. When you get an injury in the halves in the course of the game at hooker or at fullback, it?s hard to carry someone who just plays that position on the bench.

?So to have a guy of Presto?s quality that can play at six, seven, hooker or fullback ? I don?t think there would be many clubs that would have that luxury.??

Back rower Mark Minichiello has been included on a five-man interchange bench and will be given until the team?s final training session on Friday morning to prove his fitness as he works his way back following off-season groin surgery.

titans.com.au

[Coaster]

Awesome side, i am as confident as i have ever been.

Titans by 30.

[DIEHARD]

Wow Im delighted to see Luke has been given a go straight up. Very impressive. I hope the halves combination with Prince gels.

No surprises really, looks like we are playing conservative, which is best when we are down on troops, especially key ones.

And we see Preston as our Super Sub. I can't wait for him to flash onto the field and switch gears on the unsuspecting Dragons. He can also cover many positions, so is an authenic utility.

[DIEHARD]

Former Dragon Bailey Primed For Encounter

Gold Coast Titans prop Luke Bailey is excited by the prospect of squaring-up against his former Club the St George Illawara Dragons this Saturday in the opening-round NRL clash at Skilled Park, Gold Coast.

The Shellharbour junior began his NRL career with the Dragons in 2000, totalling 119 appearances for the Club in his seven-season tenure, before heading north to join the Titans in 2007.

?It?ll be very exciting playing against the old boys,? said Bailey

?I?ve always said I look forward to playing against them as everyone does [playing against a former team].

?To get them in Round 1 and to play them after what they have done is going to be a good challenge for us and to see where we are at.

?The Dragons have had a few good trials and a win overseas.

?There?s since been talk they might come over here a little bit tired and wounded from that game [against Wigan] but I know they won?t so I?m prepared for a big game.?

Watch the full video interview with Luke Bailey on the Dragons TV Bigpond Player.

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

[C-Whiz]

Awesome side, i am as confident as i have ever been.

Titans by 30.Bloody hell! By 30! I reckon you'd get pretty good odds at 29.5 start for the Dragons.

Luke Capewell was awesome at Coffs. I had no idea who he was until i asked Titan Pete. I just saw some youngen' carving them up and thought, this guy looks alright! Hope he can do the same on Saturday. :thumbsup:

[Supergoose]

I'm loving this side. Maybe only the inclusion of Tomane or Tonga would've had me more excited but Mead, Toopi and Michaels should be just fine. The pack looks fresh and exciting. I'm sure Tomane, Tonga and Shannon Walker will get their chance at some stage but let's hope we give it to the Dragons and make those markets fluctuate. I predict a 13+ victory to the Titans!

[teke]

Im seriously disappointed for Shannon. Now he has to go and play in the Q cup dribble. Good predictable team and I think they will beat the Dragons on Sat night.

[TITAN PETE]

It was announced that more than 24k tickets have been sold already :surprise: so how good would it be if we could nearly sell out a Saturday night game :banana:

[teke]

Legion will have their work cut out for them Sat. night cause the Dragons will have big support.

I wonder if they are up to the challenge :eyebrows:

[C-Whiz]

It was announced that more than 24k tickets have been sold already :surprise: so how good would it be if we could nearly sell out a Saturday night game :banana:That's friggin awesome! I hope there is a big proportion of Titan fans making up the crowd.

[Mushi]

Legion will have their work cut out for them Sat. night cause the Dragons will have big support.

I wonder if they are up to the challenge :eyebrows:


hmmm, I think the legion will take on that challenge and make you all proud :D

:fight: to the dragons fans - all remember it is OUR HOUSE :fight:

[DIEHARD]

Round 1 Preview: Titans v Dragons

Skilled Park - Saturday 6.30pm (Qld)

What a difference a title makes! With diamond-studded premiership rings on their fingers the Dragons have breezed through their trial games, bagged the World Club Challenge and are now focussed on a third consecutive minor premiership and serious defence of their title.

In the past month they?ve monstered the Rabbitohs in the Charity Shield, easily accounted for the Bulldogs then defeated glamour Super League outfit Wigan 21-15.

Having flown halfway across the world in the past fortnight, you wouldn?t think a 60-minute flight to the Gold Coast would present too much of an obstacle but given their whirlwind early season demands, they still have the job ahead coming up against the traditionally disciplined Titans in front of a packed house on their home turf.

The acid test will be applied to new Titans five-eighth Luke Capewell, charged with the task of stepping into Mat Rogers? boots. And big boots they are ? last year Rogers and halves partner Scott Prince recorded more runs (459) and metres gained (3,496) than any other team?s No.6 and 7.

Personnel-wise, the Titans will field William Zillman at fullback, with Preston Campbell on the bench. Injured hooker Nathan Friend is replaced by former Knight and Rooster, Riley Brown.

Dan Hunt starts at prop for the Dragons, with Matt Prior reverting to lock. Dean Young is out injured, which leaves a huge workload on their only established ruckman Nathan Fien. It?s a big game for centre Matt Cooper who plays his 200th NRL game.

Watch Out Titans: By his lofty standards, right-side centre Mark Gasnier had a pretty timid return to the NRL in 2010. He made just three line-breaks in 12 outings and averaged less than 100 metres a game (96) for the first time since 2002.

Given Gasnier?s hefty salary, you?d suspect Wayne Bennett will look to get him more involved in 2011. That will make the Dragons even more dangerous, given their potent left-side attack was responsible for two thirds of their 90 tries last year. The Titans need to keep the pressure up to Gasnier and try to keep him from growing in confidence.

Danger Sign: Brett Morris looks set for another blistering year on the left wing ? he carved up Wigan in the WCC with 195 metres, four line-breaks and a whopping13 tackle-breaks and is certain to make his presence felt here. Finding the sidelines with kicks will be an important part of the Titans? game plan to combat Morris? forays ? or they?ll pay.

Watch Out Dragons: With enforcers Neville Costigan and Jeremy Smith no longer in the fold, now?s the chance for teams to test out the Dragons? mettle in the centre of the ruck. You can expect former Dragon Luke Bailey (team-high 125 metres) to lead the way.

It will be interesting to see how John Cartwright uses Preston Campbell in his new role as a ?super sub?. Last year Campbell played pretty much the full 80 minutes and averaged 92 metres with 68 tackle-breaks. He was the side?s chief kick-returner, averaging 42 metres a game, and it was here he was most dangerous. Expect him to take the field around the 25-minute mark and look to target the tiring Dragons? forwards.

Scott Prince (25 try assists, 16 line-break assists) will play to his strengths and look to pick up the likes of Greg Bird and Mark Minichiello close to the Dragons? line. He?ll also look to the flanks, hoping speedsters David Mead and Kevin Gordon can get around the Dragons. A left-side cut-out play reaped rewards for Gordon in their one-point victory last time out, so they know the Red V are vulnerable.

Danger Sign: The Dragons can?t afford to feel comfortable even if they are ahead on the scoreboard. Last year the Titans were the champions of reversing half-time deficits, coming back to triumph on six occasions ? including last time out against the Red V.

Where It Will Be Won: Composure, completions and kick metres. The premiers know that if they keep their mistakes to a minimum, all sides will find it hard to climb over them. Last year they started the first two rounds with unheard-of completion rates of 94 per cent and 92 per cent, before finishing with the NRL benchmark 79 per cent.

It could develop into a game of ?whoever blinks first?: coaches John Cartwright and Wayne Bennett have a healthy respect for their opposition and will be endeavouring to play the game down the other end of the park at all costs. In their most recent clash (Round 20 last year) the sides racked up a record 2,178 metres from the boot, with the Titans edging out the Dragons 1072-1006 on a dour night where they grabbed the competition points in a golden-point cliffhanger.

Plays To Watch: Watch for Prince to try to build pressure and gain repeat sets after pegging the Dragons in their in-goal with deft grubbers late in the tackle count.

Expect the Dragons to again employ some variations on their lethal left-side plays, with second-rower Ben Creagh being fed flat ball inside the Titans? 10-metre zone. Creagh has good force and a huge reach that helped him to 69 tackle-breaks and 10 tries last year.

The History: Played 8; Dragons 6, Titans 2. The Dragons hold a 2-1 advantage at Skilled Park. Last time they met the Titans won 11-10, with Mat Rogers snapping a crucial field goal to seal the deal in extra time at WIN Jubilee Oval.

Conclusion: The Titans will miss Mat Rogers, both in this game and for the rest of the season. But they?ll miss hooker Nathan Friend more, especially in the early rounds. Friend was the leading defender in the NRL in 2010, making 1108 tackles. He was also the game?s busiest player in attack, with 2,789 touches ? a whopping 330 receives ahead of next-best Matt Ballin. We just don?t see Riley Brown covering for this vital contribution (no offence Riley).

Go the Dragons by 12.

Match Officials: Referees ? Jared Maxwell & Phil Haines; Sideline Officials ? Steve Carrall & Adam Gee; Video Ref ? Steve Clark.

Televised: Fox Sports ? Viewer?s Choice/Live from 7.30pm (AEST).

* Statistics: NRL Stats.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

[DIEHARD]

Dragons prop Trent Merrin says forwards must show mongrel to overcome loss of Smith and Costigan

BOOM prop Trent Merrin says the St George Illawarra forwards must "mongrel up" to fill the holes left by premiership enforcers Jeremy Smith and Neville Costigan this year.

Although the Dragons start 2011 as hot title favourites, critics have suggested the one chink in their premiership armour is the loss of the hard-nosed Smith and Costigan, who have joined Cronulla and Newcastle.

The bruise brothers were acclaimed last season for delivering the crucial "mongrel" required by every premiership winner. And while Merrin admitted no one could replace the pair, the 21-year-old prop said it was up to the entire pack to develop a harder edge.

"We lost Jeremy Smith, Neville Costigan and Jarrod Saffy and Neville and Jez were the hard men of the team and I think it's [up to] a few of the forwards this year to take that under our belt and to mongrel up a bit," he said.

The rallying call comes as Wayne Bennett's men prepare to face a Gold Coast side hell-bent on claiming the premiers' scalp when they clash at Skilled Park on Saturday.

Titans prop Luke Bailey this week declared his side desperate to beat the premiers to show their premiership credentials.

And Merrin revealed he was expecting a torrid battle with a side he rated among the "guns" of the premiership.

"They were in the semi-finals last year so of course they're going to come out this weekend and try to knock us off," he said.

"But we're not going to take a backward step."

Merrin, who capped a dream first full season in the NRL with a premiership ring, said his goals were simple this year.

"I want to achieve a bit more and improve my game a lot more and hopefully I get a good start to the year," he said.

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

[TITAN PETE]

Round 1 Preview: Titans v Dragons

Skilled Park - Saturday 6.30pm (Qld)


Conclusion: The Titans will miss Mat Rogers, both in this game and for the rest of the season. But they?ll miss hooker Nathan Friend more, especially in the early rounds. Friend was the leading defender in the NRL in 2010, making 1108 tackles. He was also the game?s busiest player in attack, with 2,789 touches ? a whopping 330 receives ahead of next-best Matt Ballin. We just don?t see Riley Brown covering for this vital contribution (no offence Riley).

Go the Dragons by 12.

Match Officials: Referees ? Jared Maxwell & Phil Haines; Sideline Officials ? Steve Carrall & Adam Gee; Video Ref ? Steve Clark.

Televised: Fox Sports ? Viewer?s Choice/Live from 7.30pm (AEST).

* Statistics: NRL Stats.

Source: http://www.nrl.com

This is the only worry we have in the game , we can get over the Rat but can we cover for our missing Friend :sadpace: ..

Lets hope Riley & Presto can wear the 9 & do us proud :fist:

[Steelers]

Got my tickets. Section 17. Looking forward to the footy being back :D

[Dragons]

Got my tickets. Section 17. Looking forward to the footy being back :D

Section 19 the unlicence section, first time for me. Still will love being there.

[Seaweed]

I won't be there as I'm heading to America in 3 weeks time for Wrestle Mania 27 :)

But will be going to a few games later in the season, love heading down from Brisbane on the train. We should be Top 4 again, and hopefully make a better go of the finals after being thumped the last 2 years and making a nasty exit.

[TITAN PETE]

NRL Teams update

Gold Coast Titans: William Zillman, Kevin Gordon, Steve Michaels, Clinton Toopi, David Mead, Luke Capewell, Scott Prince (c), Luke Bailey, Riley Brown, Matthew White, Greg Bird, Bodene Thompson, Ashley Harrison. Interchange (from): Michael Henderson, Sam Tagataese, Ryan James, Preston Campbell, Mark Minichiello.

Peter Sterling's Late Mail: Mark Minichiello is a chance of playing, will have a late fitness test. Ryan James would be the man to drop out.

St George Illawarra Dragons: Darius Boyd, Brett Morris, Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Jason Nightingale, Jamie Soward, Ben Hornby (c), Dan Hunt, Nathan Fien, Michael Weyman, Beau Scott, Ben Creagh, Matt Prior. Interchange: Michael Greenfield, Jon Green, Trent Merrin, Kyle Stanley.

Sydney Morning Herald: Brett Morris expected top play despite nursing a hip injury from the World Club Challenge.

[Mushi]

gold coast news tonight said Minichiello was out after not passing fitness test. Confident of being back for round 2 though.

[DIEHARD]

Bring it on. Round 1 tomorrow!

Going to spend some time finishing off my supporter gear.

Then I gotta remember my SPORTSEAR or Ill be so pissed off.

GO TITANS!!! I hope Mead scores! Hope Capewell has a blinder. And hope Scott Prince puts the Dragons to the sword!

[Tamwelg]

Bring it on. Round 1 tomorrow!

Woohoo and about time :D


Then I gotta remember my SPORTSEAR or Ill be so pissed off.

Thanks for the reminder.

[Tamwelg]

Minichiello set to miss Dragons clash

Luke Turgeon | March 11th, 2011

GOLD Coast Titans back rower Mark Minichiello has failed in his bid to be fit for the club's season opener against the Dragons at Skilled Park tomorrow night.

Making his way back from off-season groin surgery, Minichiello was named 18th man earlier in the week.

But coach John Cartwright has opted to stick with his 17-man squad, which has impressed through the trials.

goldcoast.com.au

[DIEHARD]

OK I got my flags ready, my banners, my sportsear, my tickets, my jerseys in the wash....

[DIEHARD]

Preston Campbell set to give Titans edge off bench against Dragons

AN EXCITED Preston Campbell looms as the Gold Coast's X-factor in tonight's NRL premiership opener against St George Illawarra at Skilled Park.

Campbell, who considered retirement last year, has been reborn and rejuvenated as an impact bench player this season.

The livewire's spark is sure to ignite the Titans in a match otherwise shaping as an old-fashioned forwards dogfight.

Both teams boast formidable packs, but in the back end of each half is where super-sub Campbell could come in to his own.

"I don't know about being called a super sub, but I will be trying to get out there and give the guys a bit of a buzz," he said.

"They have a lot of big forwards and a lot of their boys are going to be getting a bit tired towards the end of the halves.

"Hopefully that's where I can make a difference."

Campbell, who impressed from the bench in pre-season trials, can comfortably cover most spots in the backline and is no stranger to the dummy half role.

He has filled that role for NSW Country and at times for Cronulla during his time at the Sharks.

Coach John Cartwright said he was excited about the possibilities of injecting Campbell into the fray mid-match.

"I am excited about what he can offer us but, more importantly, Presto is excited himself," he said.

"He's got a real extra spring in his step. He's been buzzing at training and that gets everyone else excited."

Cartwright also said he was not buying into any talk of the Dragons being ripe for the picking after the world club champions' flight back from Europe last week and the off-season loss of enforcers Jeremy Smith and Neville Costigan.

"They've still got their core group together," Cartwright said.

"And it doesn't seem to matter who is in and who is out, they always turn up."

Mark Minichiello was named on a five-man bench for the Titans but will not play tonight after a fitness test yesterday on his troublesome groin.

He underwent surgery in the off season but will be an almost certain starter next week.

A crowd of more than 25,000 is expected for tonight's match between two of the competition favourites.

http://www.couriermail.com.au

[DIEHARD]

Dragons forward Dean Young says side can't afford to be complacent

DRAGONS forward Dean Young has warned his teammates they risk being left behind the pack if they sit and bask in the glory of their six-month span that produced a treble of trophies.

St George Illawarra collected the JJ Giltinan Shield on their way to winning the Telstra premiership last year, and added the World Club Challenge trophy last month.

The Dragons are $5.50 favourites to win back-to-back NRL titles but Young has warned recent history shows that even producing back-to-back top-four finishes has been a difficult ask.

"Everyone starts from scratch now," he said.

"It's pretty good to get the treble of trophies. It's a great effort of the whole club.

"But it starts again now and we've got to try to get off to a good start because that's what's been successful for us the past two years.

"If you look at 2009, of the sides that finished in the top four, we were the only ones left last year," he said.

"I know there was the thing with Melbourne, but Brisbane missed the eight, the Bulldogs missed the eight and Parramatta missed the eight. The way the salary cap is, it's a dead-set lottery. Everyone comes out and says they've had the best pre-season and they're stronger, faster, fitter ... and they probably are."

The Dragons, Penrith, Wests Tigers and tonight's opponents the Gold Coast filled the top-four placings last year and the Titans will be looking to continue a solid record against the premiers.

The Gold Coast have won two of the past three clashes between the teams, the last a thrilling 11-10 victory at WIN Jubilee Stadium last season.

But they head into the first-round match significantly weakened - with forwards Anthony Laffranchi, Nathan Friend and Mark Minichiello all sitting out injured.

But Dragons captain Ben Hornby has warned the Titans will still be a force to be reckoned with, tipping it will be hard to break down a defence that he describes as under-rated. With off-season dramas dominating the build-up to the new season, Hornby said he was looking forward to helping shift the focus back on to the park.

"All the things happening off the field are hopefully staying there now," he said.

"We'd like to go out there as players - not just in our game but every game - and put on a good show."

Hornby insists the Dragons head into their NRL season-opener as hungry as ever for premiership glory despite ending their long wait for a title.

The red and whites open their premiership defence at Skilled Park tonight, the first of four consecutive away games as Wollongong's WIN Stadium undergoes a re-development. While there is an obvious sense of relief among Wayne Bennett's men after shedding their "chokers" tag in last year's grand final, Hornby insists the Dragons won't have have any problems maintaining the same level of desire.

"I think whether you're the champions or not, as a team you want to go into each year and try to improve," Hornby said. "I think the pressure's always the same. Every team wants to do well and wants to start the season well so we want to go up there and play as best we can."

http://www.heraldsun.com.au

[Mushi]

Game day is here - now to pick up merchandise this morning and be ready to cheer loud and proud tonight - can't wait!

[TITAN PETE]

Partnership will take time: Prince
By Wayne Heming AAPFri, Mar 11, 2011 - 6:39 PM

Halfback Scott Prince is excited to be linking with new Gold Coast No.6 Luke Capewell while coach John Cartwright can't wait for Preston Campbell to ignite his new super-sub role against NRL titleholders St George Illawarra at Skilled Park on Saturday night.

Cartwright was feeling good on Friday with the evergreen Campbell bouncing around like a rookie rather than a 33-year-old veteran two games shy of his 250th NRL appearance.

"I'm excited about it (Campbell off the bench) but he's more excited which is the most important thing," said Cartwright after the team's final training hit-out on Friday morning.

"Everyone can tell when Preston's in the groove, he has an extra spring in his step and he's the last to leave training.

"Look at him, he's still out there now trying to kick goals from halfway.

"When he's buzzing around, it rubs off on everyone."

Dragons playmaker Ben Hornby said alarm bells would sound when Campbell entered the game.

"It's one of those things, he's going to be very dangerous and fresh when he comes on so it's something we're going to have to be wary of to make sure he has a limited impact," said Hornby.

The Dragons, who are coming off a premiership-world club challenge double, have been the benchmark for the past two seasons under coach Wayne Bennett, who has helped the players believe in themselves more.

"It does a lot for your belief and your trust in each other but at the end of the day you've still got to go out there and perform and work hard for each other otherwise the belief is not going to come into it," said Hornby.

Cartwright dismissed suggestions the Dragons would lack fire after losing enforcers Jeremy Smith and Neville Costigan.

"They've got their core together, (Darius) Boyd, (Ben) Hornby (Jamie) Soward and (Nathan) Fien, that hasn't changed and they've got some good go-forward with (Michael) Weyman along with probably as good a back-row as anyone in the comp," he said.

"I wouldn't think they've lost too much."

Prince, meanwhile, has no complaints about Capewell winning the key No.6 job, although he cautioned it would take a little while before they combined fluently.

"He's very classy on his feet and very quick off the mark as well," said Prince.

"I thought he played really well through our trial games and the coaching staff obviously thought he did enough to get the five-eighth position.

"I'm happy for him to be in the No.6."

Prince said the Dragons were the NRL measuring stick because they'd been the most consistent team for the past seasons.

"They're not the premiers and world club champions for nothing," he said.

"They do the simple things well and they make you work hard for a win.

"What better way for us to start 2011 than up against the world champs."

Shellharbour junior Matt Cooper, one of the toughest centres in the game, celebrates his 200th game for the Dragons in what will be a special night, 11 years after making his debut for against Cronulla in round one of 2000.

"I'm pretty proud of the figure," said Cooper, who burst through the 100-try barrier late last season

[TITAN PETE]

Game Day is here & the long wait is over , 11 hours till kick off :fist:

Looks like a wet day ahead as it's pouring down here now so lets hope it helps put the Dragons Flames out :thumbsup:

Bodene Man of the Match :fight:

[TITAN PETE]

Carty issues challenge to Thompson
Jake Dew | March 12th, 2011

JOHN Cartwright has backed Bodene Thompson to become a regular starter in the Titans pack after declaring the position was "his to lose" ahead of tonight's season opener against premiers St George Illawarra.

Thompson will pack down alongside Greg Bird and Ashley Harrison in the backrow tonight and Cartwright was yesterday confident the emerging Kiwi talent would become a key component in their make-up this season.

A graduate of the Titans' Toyota Cup system, Thompson became a key contributor with 17 appearances last season but the coach expects more from the 22-year-old after an impressive off-season and trial form.

"(Bodene's) one of those young fellows who has been in our system since he was 16 or 17," Cartwright said.

"He's been very fortunate that he has such a good-quality group around to learn from (but) it's going to take a lot to shift him from the starting spot.

"He was pushing all last year and he has an opportunity now and it's up to him to hold it."

Cartwright said giving a young player with so much promise a start was one of the joys of his job.

"Any time you give a guy an opportunity to start, you remember yourself what it was like and you know the thrill they feel," he said.

"It's exciting to be in that first 17, no matter how young or how old you are. It's the start of a new season and we have a great opportunity playing against the best league side in the world, so there's a lot to smile about."

While the challenge for Thompson is staving off his teammates, he can expect a fight with Mark Minichiello (groin) and Anthony Laffranchi (shoulder and wrist) expected back in the coming weeks.

But with Thompson's ruthless style winning widespread praise, including rugby league immortal Wally Lewis, unseating him will be tough.

Skipper Scott Prince said he had high expectations for all the young bucks now becoming regular fixtures in the Titans line-up.

[Rage]

Finally! It's been such a long wait and what better way to start the season than beating the drags again. I'm looking forward to seeing Presto as the impact player :D

[TITAN PETE]

1ST Try Scorer - Mead
Last Try Scorer - Presto

[C-Whiz]

Game day is here - now to pick up merchandise this morning and be ready to cheer loud and proud tonight - can't wait!I'll have some merch for you when i see you, a massive banner to spread the word! :thumbsup:

[Mushi]

I'll have some merch for you when i see you, a massive banner to spread the word! :thumbsup:

:D Looking forward to it! Can't miss us in our Titans Legion Nighties - freaking hell the shirts are huge!!!!!! :ugh: Oh well - gotta wear the blue! So excited about it all right now = can't wait! :banana:

[nrl]

No links to illegal streams please.

P.S. Go Titans!

[RichOs69]

ooooooo i think im gonna wet myself
walkin out door in 10 mins to catch the train
all decked out with my new titans merch :D
GO TITANS...GO TITANS...GO TITANS GO

[titansrawesome]

titans by 1 point after losing by 4 at the break and coming back strong ala koograh 2010

[Ryan]

Titans forward pack to man handle the drag queens, Titans back line to pile on the points.

I put down my lunch money.
The more they win by, the more I get back:

Titans 1-12, $20 @ $4
Titans 12-18, $20 @ $9
Titans +19, $20 @ $11

:fist:

[titansrawesome]

Titans forward pack to man handle the drag queens, Titans back line to pile on the points.

I put down my lunch money.
The more they win by, the more I get back:

Titans 1-12, $20 @ $4
Titans 12-18, $20 @ $9
Titans +19, $20 @ $11

:fist:

kicking game was sub par, capewell looks like a back playing 5/8, campbell was much better at 9 than brown, tagatese was fantastic and he needs to be there next week, and finally referee turned the tide for the worst with getting in the way of zillman i like how we are finally starting to throw the ball around and take risks and throw offloads and long pass set pieces. i think we should try some scrum kicks for mead and gordan and not let bird have the ball on the 4thg and 5th because he seems to only hit it up instead of passing hen somethings on

[RichOs69]

and scoring the 3rd try for the Dragons, wearing the pink Jersey
is that ******* of a video referee steve clark
***************

[RichOs69]

"campbell was much better at 9 than brown,"

hmmm... I thought brown played pretty well. Hes not Friend, but i think he stood up and played well, unlike Capewell who had a shocker. I hope he does better in the next game - he's deffinetly cappable of playing better than he did tonight


"i think we should try some scrum kicks for mead and gordan"
Ditto


"and not let bird have the ball on the 4th and 5th because he seems to only hit it up instead of passing"
aww cmon...the little mogrel played his ass off, despite being targeted a VERY capable dragons defencive line-up

[Adelaide Titan]

mmm...very disappointing performance for most parts. Passing in traffic was dismal, Scotty Prince's kicking was way off tonight, the referee was on the Dragons side. didnt deserve to win anyway. Having Mini, Laffranchi, Friend and Meyers out doesnt help but it was an average performance to start the season...luckily the scoreline wasnt one sided. First half Dragons had 2 chances and took them, Titans just couldnt create anything in attack.

[teke]

I thought there were a couple of positives to take out of the game. The Titans looked the fitter side and came over the Dragons strong in the last 30.

The Ref blocking Zillman changed the game no doubt.

:laugh: :laugh: at the Taga missiles.

The deft little kicks in play was the main difference, Prince and Presto were just off. Capewell did alright and compliments Prince well.

Geez I hope its not another year where Mead and Gordon have to beg to get the ball :nope:

[Boofhead]

Brown had a great game for mine, offered plenty in attack. Bird/Campbell rotation would of been more effective tonight... farewell to Capewell.

Taga was near our best, if he lost that occasional error he would be first choice bench warmer.

Still seeing red over the refs tonight...

[TITAN PETE]

Brown had a great game for mine, offered plenty in attack. Bird/Campbell rotation would of been more effective tonight... farewell to Capewell.

Taga was near our best, if he lost that occasional error he would be first choice bench warmer.

Still seeing red over the refs tonight...

He was Fantastic & James played a great game too , i don't expect to see him back in the 20's anytime soon :surprise:

There was plenty to like about tonights game when u think about the Ref's effort, Capewell showed glimpses of what he's capable of & our forwards all looked good
Matty White's hit on Boyd
Tag on Nightingale, Cooper & couple of others
Ryan James put some big shots on
Bodene had a few Bell Ringers too

The downside was our kicking game , it was rubbish :mad: but it can only improve :rolleyes:

I don't think there are going to be many if any changes for the next round & i think Minni,Boof & Red will have to fight their way into the 17 , Friendy is the only 1 guarenteed a walk up start when he returns..

[teke]

Lets be honest fellas, we wont be the 1st or last team to be beaten by a full strength Dragons side this yr. :)

Its actually looking pretty good knowing our injured players will return soon.

I watched the Storm game and I must say that if you shut down either Kronk, Smith or Slater you go half way to winning the game. They looked soft and I pick the Titans to do them next week.

[Adelaide Titan]

Yep agreed, Tagatese and Brown were the standouts for me too, thats one positive to take away from the game...younger ones stepping up to the task against the reigning premiers.

[TITAN PETE]

Titans crying foul after loss to Dragons

By Wayne Heming AAPSat, Mar 12, 2011 - 11:39 PM

Gold Coast coach John Cartwright claimed a controversial ruling to award St George Illawarra fullback Darius Boyd a try after a referee fell in front of two Titans defenders was "critical" to the outcome of Saturday night's NRL game.

The Dragons won 25-16 at Skilled Park but the talking point was video referee Steve Clark's decision to award Boyd the try after referee Phil Haines stumbled and fell as both fullback William Zillman and Titans captain Scott Prince tried to defend Jamie Soward's kick.

An NRL official later told reporters Clark had been unable to make a decision under the "mutual infringement" rule which covers the ball coming into contact with a referee or a the attacking player with the ball making contact with the referee.

There is no rule that covers the defending playing coming into contact with the referee.

"It didn't cost us the game, but it was critical," Cartwright said.

"A lot of things happen in the course of 80 minutes but it was critical. It (margin) went from seven points to 13 points along with a lot of momentum."

Prince agreed, with his coach saying it was a tough call to make.

"I just remember one ref said to the other ref: `just check that, I think I got in the way'."

Cartwright watched a replay of the incident after the game and felt there was no doubt Zillman was impeded in his effort to get to Soward's kick before Boyd arrived on the scene.

"There's no doubt that the ref was between the ball and Zillman and that Zillman had eyes for the ball and was going to swallow it," said Cartwright.

"You've got to draw your own conclusions. To the letter of the law, I'm not 100 per cent sure but I think there is somewhere in the rules that allows for the spirit of the game or commonsense you would hope."

Dragons coach Wayne Bennett said he felt a try would be awarded at the time.

"I thought 'they can't take that off him, they ran into the ref," said Bennett after the game.

"The ref had taken his position, that's why I think we got the try."

Bennett was full of praise for centre Matt Cooper, who celebrated his 200th game with a win and was given a standing ovation by his teammates as he left the field in front of a sea of red and white jumpers.

"I was pleased for Matt, it's a wonderful milestone," said Bennett, who convinced the Shellharbour junior not to go overseas in 2009 when he arrived at the club.

The Dragons got the jump on the Gold Coast and led 12-0 after tries to hooker Nathan Fien and back-rower Ben Creagh before the Titans crossed just before halftime through centre Steve Michaels, who cashed in after Boyd spilled a Prince bomb.

Soward, whose kicking game was brilliant, snapped a 30-metre metre field goal soon after halftime to extend the lead to 13-6 before Boyd's try drew jeers and boos from Titans fans in the 21,000-strong crowd.

"We were still jet-lagged," said Bennett of his players who two weeks ago were in freezing conditions in the UK beating Wigan for the world club championship.

"Ten days ago we were in zero temperatures and it was humid tonight. We tough it out and hung in."

[Supergoose]

Tagataese and James were excellent tonight and must be retained and I thought Brown did a good job at hooker whereas Presto can do better. Inwas hoping for more from Thompson and Capewell and I hope we preserver with them for longer. I thought Zillman was too quiet and the wingers don't get used enough. Toopi was okay but Michaels lacked impact. I would've liked to see soward try and tackle Tomane instead. Bird needs less ball out on the edge a's it is too predictable - a bit like when Laffranchi is on the right. White was average in the opening stanza. More second man ball to Zillman out the back hitting wingers would be nice too, just like every other side does to score points. And a bit more urgency to defuse kicks would be good too, we can expect a whole lot more to come our way due to being exposed by the Dragons tonight with them Tomanes aerial ability is a must. The short kicking game and the ability to defend it was the main difference, otherwise we were in it up to our eyeballs. I agree that Minichiello and Laffranchi need to earn their way back in. I'd say White should go before James or Taga who we need for sure. Henderson was also pretty good but his spot may also be vulnerable when Laffranchi comes back.

[TITAN PETE]

Dragons Take The Points At Skilled Park
Adam Gardini & Mitchell Olivey
12/03/2011 8:28:25 PM

A controversial second half try emerged the talking point as the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans suffered a 25-16 defeat at the hands of Premiers the St George Illawarra Dragons at Skilled Park tonight.

Before a strong crowd of 21,709 fans, a 55th minute try to Dragons fullback Darius Boyd proved the turning point of the match as a seven point margin at the time turned into a handy 13-point lead for the visitors.

The controversial try occurred after Titans fullback William Zillman collided with referee Phil Haines as he was racing to swoop on a Jamie Soward kick into his own in-goal, with Boyd subsequently scooping on the ball to score.

Video referee Steve Clark ruled the interference from the referee had not impacted on the play and the try was awarded, much to the discontent of Titans fans.

?I?m not 100 per cent clear on the rule .. but you?d hope there was a rule of common sense somewhere in the book there,?? said Titans coach John Cartwright.

?It didn?t cost us the game but it was critical. It went from seven points to 13 points and a lot of momentum.??

Despite the controversy, the Titans showed strength and character to fight back and score two late tries to reduce the winning margin to nine points.

For much of the match, the Titans went toe-to-toe with the defending premiers and coach John Cartwright said they could take plenty of positives from the match.

?I thought we had opportunities to get them, and we competed with them physically, I think you?ll find we won most of the statistics in the game,?? said Cartwright.

?They scored three tries off kicks so I was happy with a lot of areas but I thought we probably squandered the possession.

?St George got that sort of start and they?re hard to hold, they got a bit of confidence out of that and they got in front and we got within six and that was it.

?Physically I didn?t see anything that didn?t make me confident that we are going to be up there and competing with the best.

Cartwright also reserved special praise for the club debut of new recruit Luke Capewell.

?I thought he (Capewell) showed in the second half especially some broken field stuff where he?s going to be a good player,?? he said.

?He?s finding his way, he?s a quiet kid, he?s a country boy but the quicker he gets comfortable in the side he?s going to offer a lot.?

Titans captain Scott Prince was also pleased with the team?s ability to take the game to the Dragons for most of the game.

?They?re a good team you have to match them and get into the grind and go end-to end footy it doesn?t matter how boring it seems to be working for them,? Prince said.

?I thought we matched them in all parts of the game but it was just a certain period in the first half first 10-15 minutes.?

It didn?t take long for the visitors to make their mark on the match with a Ben Creagh offload giving the Dragons handy field position which allowed dummy half Nathan Fien to cross for the game?s first try in the third minute.

The Dragons extended their lead in the 25th minute after a precision chip-kick from Soward found the outstretched arms of Creagh, who planted the ball down next to the posts to hand Soward an easy conversion to take their lead out to 12-0.

It wasn?t until the dying minutes of the half that the Titans were able to register their first points of the 2011 season after a Prince bomb deflected perfectly into centre Steve Michaels? hands to plant the ball down out wide to reduce the margin to 12-6 at the halftime break.
The Dragons opened the scoring in the second-half in unusual fashion with Soward slotting a 47th minute field-goal to take the Dragons lead to 13-6.

The Dragons then extended their lead in even more peculiar fashion when Boyd?s controversial try was awarded.

In the 63rd minute Soward?s left boot put another pin-point chip up to combine again with Boyd who leapt above the Titans defence to score his second try of the night, Soward added the extras taking the Dragons to a 25-6 lead.

The Titans hit back after a brilliantly placed Prince grubber kick bounced up to the awaiting hands of Ashley Harrison who plotted the ball down next to the posts to hand Prince an easy conversion and reel the score back to 25-12 with ten minutes remaining.

A last minute try to utility Sam Tagataese, who barged his way over the Dragons defence and planted the ball down next to the posts was too little too late, and with Prince unable to add the extras the Dragons held on to take the game 25-16.

The Titans will look to hit-back next week when they take on the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park.

St George Illawarra Dragons 25 ( Tries; Boyd 2, Fien, & Creagh. Soward 3 Goals & 1 Field Goal)

Jetstar Gold Coast Titans 16 ( Tries; Michaels, Harrison, & Tagaetese. Prince 2 Goals)

Jetstar Titans Player of the Match Ashley Harrison

[karnage]

Surprsied by some of the responses. The Dragons are the benchmark for the entire comp and I thought we competed evenly in every aspect except for our attacking kicking game - and that doesn't worry me in the slightest because we know that Princey will come good with a bit more footy under his belt.

Defence was great - their wide shifts were completely nullified and almost all of their tries came from kicks.

Capewell wasn't great but give him time, I have seen much worse debuts.

I thought the only negative was the contribution of Henderson - I hope it was only injuries that got him a game. Compare his contribution to White, Bull, Taga and even the young gun Ryan and it is clear that he is miles off them.

I actually mentioned to my old man on the way home that I feel better about that Rd 1 performance than I did after the shaky looking Rd 1 win over the Warriors last year.

I think we have a lot more to be excited about than we do to be worried about.

[teke]

I actually mentioned to my old man on the way home that I feel better about that Rd 1 performance than I did after the shaky looking Rd 1 win over the Warriors last year.

I think we have a lot more to be excited about than we do to be worried about.Completely agree

[Adelaide Titan]

Was there more Dragons fans there? It looked like the fan bases were evenly split tonight. I saw the away stand was PACKED with red and white...the size of a GC United home crowd ;)

[karnage]

Just watched the replay. Didn't exactly get the rub of the green in this game either - 3 of 4 tries from kicks.

[Adelaide Titan]

Just watched the replay. Didn't exactly get the rub of the green in this game either - 3 of 4 tries from kicks.


Dragons 2nd try was quality, i'll give them that. Soward's kick was to perfection to set it up. 3rd try well.... :boo:

[Tamwelg]

I usually don't comment until I have watched the replay on T.V., but I won't be able to watch it for a few days. To the people calling for Capewell's head after one game, shame on you. Yes he was below average at time, the kid was obviously very nervous. He was there in support every time someone made a break and if they gave him the ball he was away, but they kept looking the wrong way. Give him chance I think he will be something special.

We had some ordinary decisions go against us, but that did on cost us the game. The game was lost alone on the worst display of last tackle options in a game of NRL that I have ever seen. Our forwards were destroying theirs and it's not often the Dragons get done in that area. Taga, James Bodene were all very strong, I'm sure there will be some very sore Dragons today. The forwards really got the side on top last night and got us into great field position.

[Coaster]

Was like being strangled.
Slowly

I would keep the same side, but our kicking game needs attention

[Supergoose]

The last 3 or 4 posts are spot on. We outplayed the premiership favourites in every aspect except for kick defusal and last play execution, pretty important areas it turns out.

I can't help but feel we are giving too much ball to our second rowers out wide, stifling our 5/8, centres and wingers and we rarely go second man for our fullback to create. There is a reason every other contender uses that play, it works.

I'd like to see the second rowers wider than the five-eighth not playing it.

[shamus]

Titans forward pack to man handle the drag queens, Titans back line to pile on the points.

I put down my lunch money.
The more they win by, the more I get back:

Titans 1-12, $20 @ $4
Titans 12-18, $20 @ $9
Titans +19, $20 @ $11

:fist:

Geez........How much do you eat! :D

[C-Whiz]

The downside was our kicking game , it was rubbish :mad: but it can only improve :rolleyes:


To the people calling for Capewell's head after one game, shame on you.

The forwards really got the side on top last night and got us into great field position.
I was pretty happy overall, considering we had 3 of our best out. Our kicking game was shabby, to say the least. Almost every in-goal kick went dead without a Titan even looking like getting close, or it was a bomb with no chasers.

Give Capewell a few games to settle in and learn his role within the team out there against real competition. he's there for a reason, but it's not like he is the competition's leading 5/8 that we stole from heaven. He will grow and develop. I hope.

And we had their measure in almost every other facet of the game IMO. But we couldn't finish, and the Dragons just kept shutting us down. I have no doubt we would have had at least 2 more tires with a full strength team, and take away ref's infringement we could be 18 points better next time. :thumbsup:

[Ryan]

Geez........How much do you eat! :D
I was eating my foot after the game..... :(


Loved the impact from the bench. Our forwards did man handle the drag queens, even Harro put on some decent shots and I think I have a little bit of man love going on for Tagatese :?)

As everyone else said, last play kicking - while the ideas were good most of the time, execution was poor. Keep Capewell, give him some decent time. He showed alot of promise, but like the rest of the backline his execution failed.

Bill Harrigan and Co need to come out and answer for that performance, and TAB need to investigate any pink shirts that come to collect on that game.
The Zillman obstruction was an obvious one, but other things like not allowing Gordon to quick tap after allowing the Dragons to do the very same thing, also the ******** pushing into Harro when he got pinged for not playing the ball straight....... :boo:

[patskE]

our bench > their bench for sure
thompson is looking good!
i still think give the number 6 to campbell...

[titansrawesome]

why cant we defend kicks, they are really not that hard to defend unless you vs someone with flying abilities of folau or inglis, our guys looked confused

[titanfan1980]

i agree with the majority of the posts on here.. our forwards were outstanding especially taga, james and white they should all play next week.. with out that try from the ref anda few better last tackle options and we were right in that

[Mushi]

First game of the season done and dusted. Our defence was pretty impressive I thought - especially considering who was out of the team - our young guns aimed up and did a fantastic job. Capewell was obviously nervous and will need a while to settle in. Prince obviously took on most of the kicking duties and certainly didn't have the best night there. Def need to spread that ball wider when we can, Mead and Gordan look dangerous every time they get a little space - we need to use them as much as possible. Dragons shut down Bird EVERY single time he had the ball but we had them tired in the end. Yes it should have come down to a VERY close scoreline without that sh*thouse call for the try - that was a crock. I can see our attack improving over the next few weeks when our halves start to gel and we get some plays working. Bring on Storm next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DIEHARD]

I'm about to dive into a replay now but I echo alot of the points raised her.

Heartbreaking to lose at home but we drew the short straw playing the Premiers first up especially after a great pre-season for them ending with the WCC. They are at near full strength. And we are down on key players particularly Nathan Friend. Who I dont think we have won without him.

I think we matched it with them physically but our kicking let us down. Probably need more Presto out there but that is always going to be the way when using Preston as a super sub.

Definitely persist with Luke Capewell.

We conceded a couple of soft tries and that video ref was a farce. So there is no disgrace in defeat last night.

Onwards to Melbourne!

[Boofhead]

I don't share the same interest in Capewell. Having Bird at 5/8 and Campbell coming in on rotation is the way forward.

We have too many talented forward when fit deserve game time.

For the record, Campbell should not be playing at hooker.

[titansrawesome]

i like campbell at 5/8, good defender and good spark in attack, persist with capewell for a bit longer though, simple problems and simple answers for the titans, 1. instruct our backs how to defuse bombs its not rocket science all you have to do is jump into the ball where the other person is contesting instead of just watching them or making a bad attempt 2. have a raiders like attack, that attack destroys every teams defense and we desperately need that style for every game and 3. please get our kicking game back up to scratch, we need a long kicker too and i dont know who can do long kicking now, prince is more of a short tactical kicker.

[karnage]

I don't share the same interest in Capewell. Having Bird at 5/8 and Campbell coming in on rotation is the way forward.

We have too many talented forward when fit deserve game time.

For the record, Campbell should not be playing at hooker.

Interesting comment re: Campbell. My heart was In my absolute mouth every time he led the chase team down off a kick restart. All the different thoughts say to me is that we have good depth.

[Nick]

Capewell looked nervous, even in the warm up he looked a bit shaky. Once on the field he looked as if he was not sure just where he fit into the attacking plays. When he got the ball and didnt feel pressured to pass it he looked dangerous, quick off the mark and great footwork. I feel that after a few more games and he gets comfortable in the 6 he will improve and gel with princey more.

Michaels and Bird seemed to have the impression that they could run over soward and gasnier every run. These two need to learn to pass! We had some great sweeping backline movements to the left, yet Gordon did not get the ball in his hands once? As said earlier, we need to get it out the back to the fullback to create the extra man and give our wingers more ball and space.

Overall our defence was pretty good, only our kick defence let us down. The dragons just seemed to be more committed to getting up and catching the ball, admittedly it is hard to stop creagh and such in the air with momentum.

Cant wait for next weeks match now!

[DIEHARD]

Soward's kicking was first class. The Dragons look very dangerous and they might be a true threat to be the first BACK2BACK Premiers in the NRL. (EST 1998)

[matti]

We had trys go our way , its just the way the cookie crumbles ... Being honest it means the titans have something to go back to this week , i dont no why people are cranky, its the first game of the season, i dont think we have every won against them first round. Yer the ref got in the way , sure enough he isent jesus and cant teleport

[C-Whiz]

Could have been a lot worse, we could be Panthers fans. :?)

[Titanic]

No drama ... some questions answered, some questions posed ... better than racing off to a great start and then getting caught up in our own press.

1. Zillman (needs to talk more but solid)
2. Mead (not much ball but should have gained confidence)
3. Michaels (more than held his own)
4. Toopi (must be feeling the pressure of others breathing down his neck)
5. Gordon (picked up where he finished off last year)
6. Capewell (with confidence he will fit in well)
7. Prince (rusty start)
8. Bailey (see Prince)
9. Brown (tried hard but is not Friend)
10. White (big improver)
11. Bird (that's his position)
12. Thompson (honest game but Minichiello's got your number)
13. Harrison (tradesman like)

14. Henderson (too one dimensional - Laffranchi's got your number)
15. James (earned a bench spot)
16. Tagataese (see James)
17. Campbell (get back into the supporting off-loads role)

Meyers will have trouble making this team.

[Supergoose]

Agree with most of what Titanic says here but Minichiello and Bird both prefer the left channel. Someone has to play on the right and that has been Laffranchi and Thompson played their last week. I'm not sure we'll have both Bird, Minichiello and Harrison all playing big minutes together because they all love the left. Maybe we need to play 2 right centres and two left backrowers.

[Blazertaser]

Soward's kicking was first class. The Dragons look very dangerous and they might be a true threat to be the first BACK2BACK Premiers in the NRL. (EST 1998)

Brisbane 92-93?

[Tamwelg]

Brisbane 92-93?

The first year NRL was played was 98.

[Titanic]

but Minichiello and Bird both prefer the left channel. Someone has to play on the right and that has been Laffranchi and Thompson played their last week. I'm not sure we'll have both Bird, Minichiello and Harrison all playing big minutes together because they all love the left. Maybe we need to play 2 right centres and two left backrowers.

I felt that Harrison spent a fair bit of the game on the right edge on Saturday and thought he went well. When he was playing 5/8 before the Titans he had a pretty fair roving game.

Admittedly, I'm a size does matter kind of guy and the thought of Tagataese/James coming on after the tried and tested workaholics excites me greatly.