Round 21: Newcastle Knights vs Gold Coast Titans

[DIEHARD]

Newcastle Knights vs Gold Coast Titans


http://www.proticket.com.au/images/db_images/events/eventmain761.jpg.ashx

Date: Sunday 31 July 2011
Kick off: 2:00pm
Venue: AusGrid Stadium, Newcastle

[patskE]

will be good to see herny vs his old club!
also i think they should swap capewell n zillman around... no point having him in a possie where he wont be next year... zillman is still our best fullback atm and dont know why carty would move him, when capewell has played centres before aswell

[DIEHARD]

I'm looking forward to seeing Beau Henry against his former club.

Steve Michaels is likely to sit out the weekend's match.

Hopefully the Knights will field an understrength side.

Sure to be a big crowd down there with great support. So if you are in the area or want to travel we need you at the game.

[DIEHARD]

Tickets - http://www.proticket.com.au/event.asp?eventid=761

[Tamwelg]

will be good to see herny vs his old club!
also i think they should swap capewell n zillman around... no point having him in a possie where he wont be next year... zillman is still our best fullback atm and dont know why carty would move him, when capewell has played centres before aswell

We need to work out if Capwell is staying or going asap and then Carty needs to decide who is going to be fullback next year. That way, as others have said, we will have our 1,6,7,9 together for the rest of this year, building a combo for next year. If we keep Capes he is our fullback and Zilly to remain at left centre IMO. That will then leave Carty with the dilemma of how to use Idris and Champion next year.

[DIEHARD]

Henry keen to build on debut against former club

New recruit Beau Henry is hoping to build on his impressive debut performance for the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans as he prepares to take on his former club in Newcastle on Sunday.

Henry, who made a mid-season switch from the Newcastle Knights in June, displayed some impressive touches in a 65-minute debut for the Titans at five-eighth against the Cowboys on Saturday night before being replaced by super sub Preston Campbell late in the second half.

The 21-year-old said he had gained confidence from his first-up display and was hoping to build further on his combination with captain Scott Prince in Sunday?s clash against his former club at Ausgrid Stadium.

?I haven?t played for 10 weeks and I have only played six games of first grade so the speed was very quick out there,?? said Henry.

?We had to get Presto on the field as well, so to play 65 minutes I was pretty happy with that. Hopefully this week I can stay there for the full 80 minutes and it should be a good game.??

Henry acknowledged his new halves combination with Prince may not click overnight but said it would only get better with time.
?I think we gelled pretty well together. If he took a shot, I?d take the next one,?? he said.

?If I can take a little bit of pressure off him so he can set up the plays for the next go, then that?s what I?m here to do.
?It?s not going to click straight away but we?re very close from being where we want to be and we?re working hard at it.??

Although he was released from the Knights after being informed his services wouldn?t be required for next season, Henry said there were no hard feelings between he and the club.

Instead, he said he was more focussed on making the most of a fresh start with the Titans for the next two-and-a-half seasons.

?This our job and this is our profession so you?ve got to get over it. I?m here at the Titans now so I?m looking forward to it,?? he said.
?I?m here for another two years so I?m going to go out there and put my best foot forward on the weekend.??

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

[hammer]

IMO Capewell should not play in this match and any remaining for that matter...not because we are sour about his move to the Broncos but because we should not be fostering his development for 2012 on behalf of the Broncos. Rankin or Walker is a better option!

[TITAN PETE]

Nice to see the Genius Joey Johns having a coaching session with Henry & Prince today just a shame it's probably 16 weeks late but better late than not at all ..

[Titanic]

1. Mead
2. Peyroux
3. O'Dwyer
4. Zillman
5. Vickory
6. Henry
7. Prince
8. Bailey
9. Srama
10. Laffranchi
11. Minichiello
12. Thompson
13. Bird

14. Lawrence
15. White
16. Ridge
17. Rankin

[amaline]

1. Mead
2. Peyroux
3. O'Dwyer
4. Zillman
5. Vickory
6. Henry
7. Prince
8. Bailey
9. Srama
10. Laffranchi
11. Minichiello
12. Thompson
13. Bird

14. Lawrence
15. White
16. Ridge
17. Rankin

Doesn't look like Ridge player for Tweed on the weekend, still injured? Not sure about Chalky in the centres either. Just been watching some of the highlights of Tweed- what about Tom Merritt? I don't know much about him, but from the clips he seems quite fast. Something along the lines of -
1. Mead
2. Vickory
3. Zillman
4. Peyroux
5. Merritt

Probably far too many new players/changes, but what have we got to lose?

[lonegull]

peyroux played well for the tweed on the weekend against easts I watched him with great interest seems to have great footwork and made a couple of hady of loads, maybe deserves a shot know Micheals may be out

[Tamwelg]

Titans to axe Luke Capewell after he signs one-year deal with Broncos

GOLD Coast Titans have reacted to Luke Capewell's defection to arch-rivals Brisbane by dumping the talented utility back to the Queensland Cup.

The Broncos yesterday confirmed they had snared 22-year-old Capewell from the Titans for the 2012 season.

Gold Coast's response was swift, with The Courier-Mail last night learning that Capewell had been dropped for the Titans' clash with Newcastle at Ausgrid Stadium on Sunday.

The Charleville product, who has played 35 NRL matches for South Sydney and Gold Coast, will instead line up for Titans feeder club Ipswich, who travel to Cairns to take on Northern Pride on Saturday in an Intrust Super Cup clash.

It's all but certain that 19-year-old Jordan Rankin will be Capewell's replacement in the Titans side for the visit to Newcastle.

"I'll discuss it with my coaching staff tomorrow but considering Jordan will be here next season and he's had a couple of blinders in the under-20s, he'll be in the selection frame," Titans coach John Cartwright said.

Cartwright expressed his disappointment with Capewell's decision to join the Broncos.

"It's all happened pretty quickly. We made an offer for him, it's a little bit of a surprise," he said.

Broncos coach Anthony Griffin said Capewell's utility value would prove vital at Brisbane.

"Luke is an elite young player," Griffin said.

"He can play anywhere from halfback to fullback so he can certainly fill plenty of positions for us."

Fears Lockyer would miss Brisbane's clash with Cronulla at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night were eased yesterday when the Broncos skipper trained at Red Hill with a heavily-bandaged hamstring. Lockyer was injured in Brisbane's 26-6 loss to Melbourne last Friday and was not expected to take part yesterday.

The Courier Mail

[Titanic]

elite turnstyle

[teke]

Who is Carty trying to kid, I can tell you now that Capes was told over 6 weeks ago that the club would not be offering him any money to stay for 2012 :boo:

[Tamwelg]

@GCTitans Gold Coast Titans (twitter)
Congratulations to Dom Peyeroux who will make his NRL debut this weekend against the @NRLKnights replacing Steve Michaels on the wing.

[Boofhead]

1 Jordan Rankin
2 Dominique Peyroux
3 William Zillman
4 Clinton Toopi
5 David Mead
6 Beau Henry
7 Scott Prince
8 Luke Bailey
9 Matt Srama
10 Anthony Laffranchi
11 Bodene Thompson
12 Mark Minichiello
13 Greg Bird

INTERCHANGE
14 Matthew White
15 Brenton Lawrence
16 Luke O'Dwyer
17 Preston Campbell

Titans.com.au


Decent looking side.

[GoldCoastTitans100]

Clinton Toopi and Beau Henry should not have made the team.

I would have selected

1 Jordan Rankin
2 Dominique Peyroux
3 William Zillman
4 Joseph Tomane
5 David Mead
6 Brad Davis
7 Luke Capewell
8 Luke Bailey
9 Matt Srama
10 Bodene Thompson
11 Greg Bird
12 Mark Minichiello
13 Ben Ridge

INTERCHANGE
14 Matthew White
15 Brenton Lawrence
16 Anthony Laffranchi
17 Preston Campbell

[Titans13]

Clinton Toopi and Beau Henry should not have made the team.

I would have selected

1 Jordan Rankin
2 Dominique Peyroux
3 William Zillman
4 Joseph Tomane
5 David Mead
6 Brad Davis
7 Luke Capewell
8 Luke Bailey
9 Matt Srama
10 Bodene Thompson
11 Greg Bird
12 Mark Minichiello
13 Ben Ridge

INTERCHANGE
14 Matthew White
15 Brenton Lawrence
16 Anthony Laffranchi
17 Preston Campbell


I disagree..

[GoldCoastTitans100]

I disagree..

Fair enough.

[Smakked]

interesting looking side, i wouldn't have picked Toopi or Rankin, don't think he is ready for the big boys

[patskE]

they drop capewell casue he aint here next year...
do they see rainkin as next years fb ahead of zillman? or do they see zillman ahead of idris or champion in the centre's?

[gotitans101]

interesting looking side, i wouldn't have picked Toopi or Rankin, don't think he is ready for the big boys

+1 on that. I have no problems with Henry being named in the side though.

[Titan_Blue]

Let's be real here...has Michaels been dropped, even with his concussion?

I'm not sure he'll make it back in...

[TITAN PETE]

Let's be real here...has Michaels been dropped, even with his concussion?

I'm not sure he'll make it back in...

Concussion can be one of the most serious injuries in sport , he hasn't been dropped :nope:

[teke]

No Michaels hasnt been dropped. It's the 3rd time this year that he has been knocked out and the team have forced him to sit it out.

[Rage]

they drop capewell casue he aint here next year...
do they see rainkin as next years fb ahead of zillman? or do they see zillman ahead of idris or champion in the centre's?

My sentiments exactly. Unless Carty is honestly planning on sticking with Zilly in the centres for next year, he should move back to fullback and stay there. However, if Carty's plan is to keep Zilly in the centres and have Idris move to the backrow then I'm happy with the team announced this week.

[Rage]

AAP Tue, Jul 26, 2011 - 3:18 PM

Cook Islands representative flyer Dominique Peyroux will make his debut for Gold Coast in Sunday's NRL clash with Newcastle at Ausgrid Stadium.

Titans coach John Cartwright named the 22-year-old on the wing in place of the injured Steve Michaels (concussion).

Peyroux has had a string of strong performances for Queensland Cup feeder club Tweed Heads Seagulls this year and was 18th man last weekend.

Cartwright was pleased to be giving Peyroux, who represented Cook Islands at the 2009 Pacific Cup, a chance at NRL level.

"He's done a good job down there at Seagulls," said Cartwright.

"(Tweed) have been in the zone down there and Dom's been an important part of that.

"He's a very enthusiastic fellow and he's eaten up everything that's been thrown at him and has improved himself to a level where we think he's ready for a chance.

"Stevie (Michaels) just had one too many knocks in the head so it's time to give him a rest. His health is the most important thing so we'll nurse him back but he'll play before the year is out."

The match will mark a special milestone for forward Anthony Laffranchi, who is set to play his 200th NRL game in his final season with the club.

Laffranchi is set to finish his rugby league career in the English Super League with St Helens.

[Ryan]

****ing milestones!!!!!!! Wish they would shutup about the ****ing milestones!

[Smakked]

AT least we are giving some of the young ones a go , all they need to do is to grab the opportunity and show they are ready for it, which i have seen none of them do so far with the exception of Srama

[teke]

Dominique Peyroux has a tough 1st up assignment taking on the NRLs best winger in Uate. Im going to go out on a limb and say Dom will win this battle :D

[patskE]

My sentiments exactly. Unless Carty is honestly planning on sticking with Zilly in the centres for next year, he should move back to fullback and stay there. However, if Carty's plan is to keep Zilly in the centres and have Idris move to the backrow then I'm happy with the team announced this week.

i was looking forward to having idris inside gordon
but going by idris form this year, maybe he is better suited to the back row due to his lazy'ness sometimes :S
dnt know. just seems odd. but iam hoping rainkin shows us something we havnt seen from him the rest of the season and makes no. 1 his own

[DIEHARD]

Knights sweating on Mullen, Gidley

Newcastle's two most influential players, captain Kurt Gidley and halfback Jarrod Mullen, will be nursed through training this week to give them every chance of playing against Gold Coast at Ausgrid Stadium on Sunday.

Knights coach Rick Stone said scans had revealed Mullen has a new pectoral muscle tear, but it was not as serious as the one that sidelined him for six weeks midway through the season, and Gidley was still being treated for an ongoing hamstring problem.

Gidley was named at fullback and is considered a probable starter but Mullen rated himself only a 50-50 chance of lining up in the halves alongside Ryan Stig against veteran Titans skipper Scott Prince and former Knights pivot Beau Henry.

Stig is being treated for a groin strain but is expected to play, and Stone said there were two options if Mullen could not prove his fitness ? promoting Tyrone Roberts from the NSW Cup side as a straight replacement, or shifting Gidley to the halves and calling Peter Mata?utia out of the NYC team to play fullback.

Mullen said yesterday that he still felt sore but ??if it settles down by Friday, I should be right??.

He suffered the injury in Newcastle?s 18-0 victory over the Sharks last Saturday, which was his third game back from the more significant tear he sustained against Parramatta on May 28.

Stone said he was prepared to give Mullen as long as possible but would like to know by Saturday?s final training session if he was going to be available.

??We?ll monitor Jarrod in the next few days and make a decision later in the week,?? he said.

Gidley participated in some of the drills at training yesterday, and Stone said he would be on light duties until later in the week.

Prop Richie Fa?aoso has been ruled out after suffering a minor hamstring tear against the Sharks and will be replaced by Evarn Tuimavave, who is returning after missing four games with a hamstring tear.

Stone said Tuimavave missed training yesterday due to a stomach virus that had affected other players in recent weeks, but it was not expected to prevent him from playing on Sunday.

??We?ve had a little bit of that through the squad in the last week or two, and it?s not ideal, but I spoke to Evarn [yesterday] and he?s hoping to be back at training [today],?? he said.

Another prop, Dan Tolar, was not named in any grade as he is still being treated for an Achilles tendon injury but Stone said he could be considered later in the week.

Stone said centre Adam MacDougall (knee) was in the same situation as Tolar.

Second-rower Neville Costigan was named to return after missing the Cronulla game with a knee problem that flared up after his premature comeback against Manly the previous week.

Costigan missed two matches after surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee and, though he conceded that he rushed back against the Sea Eagles before he was ready, said yesterday that he was confident of completing the season with no further knee problems.

??I had a bit of a run this morning and it feels a lot better than last week, so I?m pretty confident for this weekend,?? Costigan said yesterday.

??I reckon now I?ll be able to get through game after game. I just needed to give it one more week, so I think I came back a week too early last time.??

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-league/

[DIEHARD]

Stone urges Newcastle Knights not to take clash with Titans lightly

Knights coach Rick Stone has warned his players to disregard Gold Coast’s lowly ladder position and show them the required respect in the game at Ausgrid Stadium on Sunday.

A top-four team for the past two seasons, the Titans have struggled to just four wins this year to be last on 12 points – two behind the equally disappointing Roosters.

The Titans have lost their past five games, and their only win from their past 10 matches was on June 10 at Kogarah against a Dragons team missing their State of Origin representatives.

Stone said the Knights learnt a painful lesson when they took the wrong attitude into their July 11 home game against North Queensland, who were missing inspirational skipper Johnathan Thurston but still won 22-12.

‘‘Unfortunately we all look at the table and look at our position on eighth and the Titans’ position on 16th and think there’s a massive gap between the two teams, but we all know the difference between the first and last team in the NRL is not a great deal,’’ Stone said yesterday. ‘‘We can’t look at the table and think that’s going to take care of the result for you, so that’s the most important thing for us – turning up, making sure we get through the process pretty well and we’re ready to play with the right sort of energy.’’

Stone said the presence of skilful skipper Scott Prince, former Knights five-eighth Beau Henry, and representative forwards Greg Bird, Luke Bailey, Mark Minichiello and Anthony Laffranchi would ensure the Titans tested Newcastle’s defence.

‘‘They’ve still got some quality players,’’ he said.

‘‘They’ve got some blokes who can score some tries, a good forward pack, Scotty Prince is a great organising halfback, and even though he’s been a bit maligned this year about his form, obviously his kicking game ... is always important, and pretty tough to control, and they score a lot of tries out of that.’’

? Shannon McDonnell’s manager, Steve Gillis, has denied speculation linking the off-contract Knights fullback to Welsh-based English Super League club the Crusaders.

Gillis said he hoped to finalise McDonnell’s immediate future in the next few days but claimed he hadn’t spoken to the Crusaders.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc.../rugby-league/

[DIEHARD]

Peyroux to make NRL debut with Titans

BIG-hitting outside back Dom Peyroux has vowed to 'go all out' against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday after being handed his long-awaited NRL debut.

In a further show the Titans are using the final rounds to look to the future, 22-year-old Peyroux will line up on the wing in place of Steve Michaels, who looks set to miss at least a fortnight as he recovers from a serious concussion suffered against the Cowboys at the weekend.

Standing 185cm tall and weighing 96kg, Peyroux has been steadily making a name for himself in the Queensland Cup, with his take-no-prisoners approach in both attack and defence proving a highlight this season for undefeated Titans feeder club Tweed Heads

"Sometimes you need to play it safe and hold back and other times you really want to smash someone to make a point.

"I guess we will see what happens.

"I will just do what I do best, and try my hardest for the team.

"This is my first game but I will be playing as if it is my last."

The road to the NRL has not been an easy one for Peyroux.

The New Zealand-born winger-centre first came to Australia as a 17-year-old and was quickly signed by the Sydney Roosters.

He featured heavily in the Roosters' 2008 under-20s side before moving to the Gold Coast with his family and first linking with the Titans uner-20s in 2009, representing the Cook Islands that same year.

But after failing to win a first-grade contract, Peyroux refused to throw in the towel and returned to Tweed Heads to carve out his NRL dream.

A boom season in the Queensland Cup last year led to a fringe deal with the Titans in 2011 and his impressive performances this season have seen it already extended out to 2012.

He still works as a removalist and labourer in between training sessions to make ends meet.

"But at the end of the day it has been about chasing the dream and not the money," he said.

"It has been hard at times, like when you look at all these young stars like (William) Hopoate coming through the ranks and you are still playing Queensland Cup.

"But I just thought to myself that I have got to persevere until I get an opportunity to make a name for myself and my family.

"A lot of players take the opportunities they have for granted, being able to play the sport they love and being paid to do it.

"I have done it the hard way and I appreciate all the support my family have given me."

Peyroux's proud father Malcolm, who is of Cook Island/French descent, and mum Rosa, who is Samoan-Solomon Islander, are fixtures at every Tweed Heads home game.

"Dad is my No.1 supporter, he loves it," Peyroux said.

"Mum is my biggest critic.

"If I have a bad game she will always tell me that I could have played better.

"So then I would always try and prove her wrong next game.

"It has been awesome having her and dad behind me."

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

[karnage]

I was erading the on-line papers this morning and one of them has reported that Mullen will miss Sunday's game. I think it was the Daily Telegraph.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Dominique Peyroux has a tough 1st up assignment taking on the NRLs best winger in Uate. Im going to go out on a limb and say Dom will win this battle :D

Idk about Uate being the NRL's best winger, maybe second best, I'd pick Gordon over him anytime, he's faster, has an ability to create something out of nothing, and he would have been contention for the comps leading try scorers over the last couple of years if we actually passed to our wingers every now and again. But then again maybe I'm just bias lol.

[shamus]

Idk about Uate being the NRL's best winger, maybe second best, I'd pick Gordon over him anytime, he's faster, has an ability to create something out of nothing, and he would have been contention for the comps leading try scorers over the last couple of years if we actually passed to our wingers every now and again. But then again maybe I'm just bias lol.

Yeah, I would too but you can't rate Gordon when he hasn't played all year!

....and yeah, you are bias, just like the rest of us. :thumbsup:

[Rage]

The milestone curse better not strike again!!

[Rage]

Wayne Heming AAP Wed, Jul 27, 2011 - 4:15 PM

Battling cellar dwellers Gold Coast can be forgiven for wishing it wasn't popular forward Anthony Laffranchi's 200th NRL game against Newcastle on Saturday, with milestone games proving millstones around their neck this season.

With just four wins in 2011, the Titans are fighting to avoid the wooden spoon and would love to celebrate Laffranchi's special achievement with a win.

However they have reason to be concerned - the Titans have lost five of their six games in which players have celebrated career landmarks.

It's made them so paranoid about the milestone jinx that champion halfback Scott Prince went out of his way last weekend to keep the media focus off his 100th game for the club.

The hoodoo looked dead and buried with the Titans leading North Queensland 12-0 only to lose 28-20.

Preston Campbell (250 NRL games), Scott Prince (250 NRL games and 100 games for the club), Luke Bailey (200 NRL games) and Mat Rogers, who recently came out of retirement to play his 200th NRL game, all lost their milestone games this year.

The only player to celebrate a win was departing hooker Nathan Friend, the first Titan to play 100 games against the Sydney Roosters in round eight.

Laffranchi was aware of the poor run when asked about his 200th game at the weekend.

"Personally I feel good (about it) but I think we've had a few this year that haven't been on the back end of good results," said the 30-year-old forward,

Reminded that Prince didn't want to mention his milestone before the Cowboys game, Laffranchi said he regarded it as a personal achievement to be proud of.

"You wouldn't think you'd play one or 10 let alone 200," he said.

"It's a great achievement but the focus is on getting a win against Newcastle on Sunday."

Laffranchi, who will join English Super League club St Helens after this season, said the Titans needed to play for a full 80 minutes after a 10-minute lapse let the Cowboys back in the game.

The former Wests Tigers forward said he wanted to end his days with the Titans on a winning note and not leave the club without giving his best in his last few games.

"You always want to win and finish on a high," he said.

"If I look back on my career at the Titans, it's been a great five years and very successful.

"I've played all my rep footy and my best footy here at the club under Carty (John Cartwright) and the playing group here.

"I've got fond memories of the Titans and I've reached some milestones as well."

Laffranchi said while it was a disappointing end he was still enjoying training and being around the boys.

It hasn't been all lows either for Laffranchi, who won a grand final with the Tigers in 2005 and represented NSW and Australia while playing with the Titans.

"There's a few highlights I can look back on when I finish after 11 seasons in the NRL," he said.

[teke]

Idk about Uate being the NRL's best winger, maybe second best, I'd pick Gordon over him anytime, he's faster, has an ability to create something out of nothing, and he would have been contention for the comps leading try scorers over the last couple of years if we actually passed to our wingers every now and again. But then again maybe I'm just bias lol.I think it's a case of you being bias but that's ok cause I rate Mead over Gordon everyday of the week :D

Uates form has been outstanding for alot of this year and is pretty much dangerous everytime he touches the ball. I wouldnt be surprised if he has 30-40 more tackle breaks per year than every other winger out there and it's not a fact that Kev is faster...yet to be proven

[DIEHARD]

Knights hope history won't repeat

NEWCASTLE coach Rick Stone is hoping the second player the club released mid-season does not come back to bite them when the Knights host the Titans on Sunday.

Newcastle coach Rick Stone says he hopes history won't repeat when the Knights face Beau Henry

Young play maker Beau Henry made his debut for the Gold Coast last week after he was granted a release by the Knights to join the Gold Coast following the announcement super coach Wayne Bennett will take over next year.

Like Cory Paterson who was told he was not wanted for 2012, they were granted a midyear release, a move which came to haunt the club when Paterson put in a stellar performance in his side?s 22-12 victory just weeks ago.

?Let?s hope he doesn?t do a 'Patto' on us,? Stone told sportsnewsfirst.com.au.

?Patto hurt us that night for the Cowboys.

"Both those blokes, particularly Beau, I?ve always got some time for. I?ve believed in their ability.

"It was a conscious decision for the individual that we let them go we thought it was best for them and their footy career.

?I wish Beau well but I hope he plays better the following week.?

Henry played six games for Newcastle this year after he was made their first choice partner for Jarrod Mullen at the beginning of the year.

He measures 188cm and weighs 96kg, the Toyota Cup Player-of-the-Year in 2009 with the Dragons, Henry made his NRL debut in Round 1 this year for the Knights, playing six games before suffering an ankle injury.

Stone, the man who handed Henry his start, knows better than anyone what the 21-year-old is capable of producing.

?Beau is a good natural footy player that has some good natural instincts particularly in attack,? Stone said.

?He?s a good runner of the ball close to the line hes got a good kicking game and decent running game as well.

"I?ve got some confidence in him otherwise I wouldn?t have got him to the club in the first place and I still believe he can be a long term first grader.?

As much potential that the youngster possesses, former Queensland halfback Scott Prince is the man Stone is worried most about.

?Any team regardless of how they?re going with Scotty Prince is always a danger sign,? said Stone.

?The Titans probably have been down on their luck a bit, struggling for confidence but he can click in on any given day.

?Our focus has to be fairly acute to be honest.

?We?ve got an eight day turn around to make sure we?re ready to play because every time we?ve got the Titans be it at home or away it?s always been a tough battle.?

http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au

[DIEHARD]

Knights halfback Jarrod Mullen not clear for clash with Titans

Knights halfback Jarrod Mullen will err on the side of caution and withdraw from Sunday’s clash with Gold Coast in Newcastle if he suspects a torn pectoral muscle will make him a ‘‘passenger’’.

Mullen aggravated the injury in last week’s 18-0 win against Cronulla and has been on restricted duties at training.

He has to convince Knights physician Neil Halpin tomorrow that he is ready for full contact and admitted yesterday that was no sure thing.

‘‘I don’t know,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m probably still 50-50 at this stage. Impact is a big part of the game and if I can’t be out there tackling, I’ll just be a passenger ... I’ll give it every chance, but I don’t want to put a bigger tear in it and be out for the season.’’

Mullen said he had been advised that he might need to take a week or two off to allow the injury time to heal.

‘‘But I’m a bit stubborn – I like to be out there playing,’’ he said.

Knights coach Rick Stone said that if there was any doubt about Mullen’s ability to get through the game intact, ‘‘we won’t be risking him’’.

Adding to Stone’s concern, playmaking alternatives Kurt Gidley and Ryan Stig are nursing niggling injuries.

Stig did not train yesterday because of a groin strain and Gidley is struggling to shrug off a hamstring complaint.

‘‘Ryan’s been battling some ongoing groin soreness,’’ Stone said. ‘‘He’s had a light time of it early in the week and we’ve taken the opportunity with the longer turnaround to give him a little bit of a break.

‘‘He’ll be back at training on Friday and he shouldn’t have any dramas.’’

Of Gidley, Stone said: ‘‘Kurt trained lightly today ... we didn’t want to load him up.

‘‘He was a little bit tired after yesterday’s session.

‘‘He’s had a light session today and with some more physio and massage we expect him to train fully on Friday.’’

Prop Evarn Tuimavave, who has missed four games with a hamstring injury, has been named to return on Sunday but was well below full capacity at training yesterday.

‘‘He’s been crook,’’ Stone said.

‘‘He’s over his hamstring problem, which is a good thing, but he’s been sick the last couple of days.

‘‘He went out to see our doc yesterday, because he’s had a vomiting and diarrhoea bug, which has knocked him around a little bit.

‘‘He came and did some light work, just to test out his hammy, and after a day off I’m hoping he’ll be fit and healthy to train on Friday, but I might have to see on that one.’’

AAP reports: Retiring skipper Darren Lockyer says Brisbane have hit the jackpot with club legend Petero Civoniceva returning to guide the Broncos’ exciting young players next season.

Brisbane have developed several future top-line players including fullback Josh Hoffman, winger Jharal Yow Yeh, emerging centre Jack Reed and forwards Matt Gillett and Alex Glenn.

Whether Civoniceva inherits Lockyer’s captaincy during his one-year homecoming is secondary to what he can offer Brisbane’s young crop of forwards, who will learn from one of rugby league’s finest and most respected front-rowers.

Having a player such as Civoniceva during the transitional period, when they adjust to life without their champion captain and playmaker, is a big bonus for rookie coach Anthony Griffin and something Lockyer believes will be priceless.

‘‘He’ll be a wonderful asset to all those young forwards still learning the trade who’ll now get the chance to learn from one of the greats,’’ Lockyer said.

Lockyer has shrugged off fears that a hamstring twinge could sideline him from tomorrow night’s clash with Cronulla as he draws closer to another personal record of playing more games than anyone in league history.

http://bigpondnews.com/

[shamus]

Wayne Heming AAP Wed, Jul 27, 2011 - 4:15 PM

Battling cellar dwellers Gold Coast can be forgiven for wishing it wasn't popular forward Anthony Laffranchi's 200th NRL game against Newcastle on Saturday, with milestone games proving millstones around their neck this season.

With just four wins in 2011, the Titans are fighting to avoid the wooden spoon and would love to celebrate Laffranchi's special achievement with a win.

However they have reason to be concerned - the Titans have lost five of their six games in which players have celebrated career landmarks.

It's made them so paranoid about the milestone jinx that champion halfback Scott Prince went out of his way last weekend to keep the media focus off his 100th game for the club.

The hoodoo looked dead and buried with the Titans leading North Queensland 12-0 only to lose 28-20.

Preston Campbell (250 NRL games), Scott Prince (250 NRL games and 100 games for the club), Luke Bailey (200 NRL games) and Mat Rogers, who recently came out of retirement to play his 200th NRL game, all lost their milestone games this year.

The only player to celebrate a win was departing hooker Nathan Friend, the first Titan to play 100 games against the Sydney Roosters in round eight.

Laffranchi was aware of the poor run when asked about his 200th game at the weekend.

"Personally I feel good (about it) but I think we've had a few this year that haven't been on the back end of good results," said the 30-year-old forward,

Reminded that Prince didn't want to mention his milestone before the Cowboys game, Laffranchi said he regarded it as a personal achievement to be proud of.

"You wouldn't think you'd play one or 10 let alone 200," he said.

"It's a great achievement but the focus is on getting a win against Newcastle on Sunday."

Laffranchi, who will join English Super League club St Helens after this season, said the Titans needed to play for a full 80 minutes after a 10-minute lapse let the Cowboys back in the game.

The former Wests Tigers forward said he wanted to end his days with the Titans on a winning note and not leave the club without giving his best in his last few games.

"You always want to win and finish on a high," he said.

"If I look back on my career at the Titans, it's been a great five years and very successful.

"I've played all my rep footy and my best footy here at the club under Carty (John Cartwright) and the playing group here.

"I've got fond memories of the Titans and I've reached some milestones as well."

Laffranchi said while it was a disappointing end he was still enjoying training and being around the boys.

It hasn't been all lows either for Laffranchi, who won a grand final with the Tigers in 2005 and represented NSW and Australia while playing with the Titans.

"There's a few highlights I can look back on when I finish after 11 seasons in the NRL," he said.

I think you will find Lafranchi has another milestone in 2 weeks. I am pretty sure this is his 98th game for the Titans..

[DIEHARD]

Newcastle Knights v Gold Coast Titans

Ausgrid Stadium, Newcastle, Sunday 2.00pm (AEST)
Last meeting: Round 16 2010 - Knights 24 bt Titans 16 at Skilled Park
Stats: Head-to-head
Referees: Gavin Badger, Alan Shortall
TV: Live, FoxSports 2
TAB Sportsbet: Knights $1.40 Titans $3.00
FootyTab: Titans +8.5

AAP writes: In terms of entertainment, this game, on paper, has all the appeal of neat gin for breakfast. The Titans look to have one eye on their summer holidays and look a shadow of the side that finished fourth last year. The Knights' 18-0 win over Cronulla last Saturday gave a whole new meaning to dour, but Rick Stone won't mind a repeat performance from his eighth-placed side, with tough games against the Warriors and Brisbane coming up in the next month. The Knights have not scored more than 20 points in a game in 14 weeks, and with the cellar-dwelling Titans winning just twice on their travels this year, free-flowing football could be a premium at Ausgrid Stadium.

Key: Jarrod Mullen is likely to miss the game through injury, can Knights young gun Ryan Stig continue his impressive form at halfback?

KNIGHTS: Kurt Gidley (capt), James McManus, Junior Sa'u, Keith Lulia, Akuila Uate, Ryan Stig, Jarrod Mullen, Evarn Tuimavave, Isaac De Gois, Antonio Kaufusi, Chris Houston, Neville Costigan, Joel Edwards. Interchange: Matt Hilder, Mark Taufua, Cameron Ciraldo, Zane Tetevano, Marvin Karawana (one to be omitted).

TITANS: Jordan Rankin, Dominique Peyroux, William Zillman, Clinton Toopi, David Mead, Beau Henry, Scott Prince (capt), Luke Bailey (capt), Matt Srama, Anthony Laffranchi, Bodene Thompson, Mark Minichiello, Greg Bird. Interchange: Matt White, Brenton Lawrence, Luke O'Dwyer, Preston Campbell.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/

[Coaster]

First ever Video Taped Podcast, with Coaster and Kevin Gordon
On youtube click here to watch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pisVi0mDAoM&feature=player_detailpage)

[DIEHARD]

Newcastle Knights wary of former teammate Beau Henry in match against Gold Coast Titans

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2011/07/29/1226103/907026-beau-ryan.jpg

IF Newcastle coach Rick Stone had his way, Beau Henry would be lining up against Gold Coast on Sunday at Ausgrid Stadium.
Instead, the new Titans five-eighth will be plotting against his former club after being shown the door mid-season by the Knights.

Previous experience tells Stone to be more than a little wary of a player with a point to prove.

Three weeks ago, he was burnt by another Knights discard, Cory Paterson.

Less than a month after being cut loose by the club, Paterson returned to Newcastle with the North Queensland Cowboys and set up a try and scored the game sealer in an upset win.

Understandably, Stone is not looking for history to repeat itself on Sunday.

"They are both young blokes who had to leave the club through professional circumstances,"Stone said.

"The decision with both of them was not mine.

"I was the one who brought Beau to our club. I wouldn't have done that if I was going to let him go halfway through the first year of a three-year deal.

"He is a long term first grader who I'm sure will prove that at the Titans if John Cartwright is patient with him. Having Scott Prince there will be good for him too."

Clearly, Stone sees the potential in Henry that in-coming Knights coach Wayne Bennett doesn't.

Newcastle still have an injury cloud over halfback Jarrod Mullen. He's expected to be ruled out today with Stone tipped to push Kurt Gidley into a halfback showdown with rival Gold Coast skipper Scott Prince.

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

[eelectrica]

Even Bennett gets it wrong every once in a while Hope this is one of those times.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Even Bennett gets it wrong every once in a while Hope this is one of those times.

Well Bennett is only human, and he's even dropped Wally Lewis for no reason, personally I think he's a bit too media hungry with all his mind games and such. Although I can't help but think that if he was our coach, we'd be certainties for the premiership. No offense to Carty.

[DIEHARD]

Bennett also made the world's greatest 5/8th play centre and second row!!

[DIEHARD]

Match Preview Round 21: Knights v Titans
newcastleknights.com.au

VENUE AND TIME: Ausgrid Stadium, Sunday 31st July 2011
COVERAGE: Fox Sports LIVE
LAST TIME: Knights 24 d Titans 16
HISTORY: Played 7, Knights 4, Titans 3

The Coal & Allied Newcastle Knights return home on Sunday afternoon for their round 21 match against the Gold Coast Titans.
An 18 point win over the Cronulla Sharks last weekend has kept the Knights finals hopes alive with the team now sitting in 8th position.
The Titans find themselves wooden spoon contenders after struggling to find the form that saw them catapulted into the finals last year.
“There are no easy games in the NRL,” Kurt Gidley said.
“We were complacent against the Cowboys a couple of weeks ago and we can’t afford to be this weekend.”

HOW THEY LINE UP
The Knights worked extremely hard to hold out the Sharks last weekend and will be looking to do the same when they come up against the Titans on Sunday.
“I was pretty happy with the boys focus and resolve last week,” Rick Stone said.
“The team really applied themselves to the cause and we need the same kind of attitude this week”.
During round 20 the Titans were unlucky to come up with a win after performing strongly during their 20-28 loss to the Cowboys.

KEY PLAYERS
The Knights forward pack has been given a huge boost with the return of Neville Costigan and Evarn Tuimavave.
Stone may be forced to make some last minute changes to his line up if talented half back Jarrod Mullen doesn’t recover in time to take the field on Sunday.
After leaving the Knights mid-season to take up a contract with the Titans, Beau Henry will make his way back to Newcastle in the hope of getting one up on his former Club.
Henry will take his place at five-eighth alongside dynamic half back Scott Prince.

HISTORY
These two teams have not met since 2010 when the Knights defeated the Titans 16-24 at Skilled Park.

MY PICK
The Knights will not disappoint when they come up against the Titans on Sunday afternoon.

http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/

[DIEHARD]

Hopefully we can score some points early and put them on the back foot. The Knights aren't full of points.

[eelectrica]

Hopefully we can score some points early and put them on the back foot. The Knights aren't full of points.

Sadly neither of the Titans, Although last Saturday we showed more than we have in a while. Hope that continues.

[DIEHARD]

Titans sweating on Prince

THE Gold Coast Titans are sweating on the fitness of skipper Scott Prince, who is in doubt to take on Newcastle tomorrow after struggling all week with the flu.

Prince, who has been quarantined from teammates since Monday, is scheduled to have a hit-out at the Titans final training session today, where he will undergo a fitness test.

If Prince fails to front, Preston Campbell will move into halfback with Kayne Lawton drafted on to the interchange bench.

Lawton this week re-signed with the club for 2012.

In other team changes from the side that lost against the Cowboys last week, 22-year-old Dom Peyroux will make his NRL debut on the wing in place of Steve Michaels (concussion).

Departing Titan Anthony Laffranchi will play his 200th career match against the Knights, after making his debut for the Tigers in 2001.

He played 102 matches for the Tigers (2001-06) before joining the Titans.

Laffranchi needs just one more try to overtake Mat Rogers (32) as the Titans all-time leading try scorer.

For more on this story see today's Gold Coast Bulletin.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au

[DIEHARD]

Gold Coast are ready to roll, says Stone

RICK STONE believes that, sooner or later, Gold Coast are going to make someone pay. He just hopes it is not Newcastle at Ausgrid Stadium tomorrow.

A top-four team last season, the Titans are languishing in last place on the ladder after just four wins from their 18 matches this year. The wooden spoon favourites have lost five games on the spin and were dead and buried as finals contenders more than a month ago. Their attacking (259 points) and defensive (434 points) statistics are the worst in the NRL.

Yet the Gold Coast squad still features a generous sprinkling of class players such as Scott Prince, Greg Bird, Luke Bailey and Preston Campbell, and Stone has reason to be wary.

If the Knights are serious about making the finals, then games like this need to be won. Not only are the two competition points crucial to Newcastle, who are clinging to eighth place, but with six rounds left in the regular season, it is time to start building momentum.

''We've nominated this three-game block as pivotal for us, in our aspirations to playing semi-final footy,'' Stone said yesterday. ''That hasn't changed. This is an important game, absolutely … I was pretty happy with the boys' focus and resolve last week [in the 18-0 win against Cronulla] and application to the cause. We need the same sort of attitude this week.''

Knights skipper Kurt Gidley said overconfidence was ''a real trap any player can fall into'' and his teammates were guilty of that when they lost to North Queensland. ''It's a bit of a cliche, but there are no easy games in the NRL,'' he said.

''These games are possibly ones that we've dropped in the past. We need to focus as best we can and we need to win this game.''

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/

[DIEHARD]

Aiding the enemy: Joey's secret session lifts Titans for Knights clash

FORMER Newcastle captain Andrew Johns ran a secret skills session for Gold Coast's playmakers this week before their game against the Knights at Ausgrid Stadium tomorrow.

Sources on the Gold Coast told the Herald yesterday that Johns and Titans coach John Cartwright tried to keep the Monday training run with skipper Scott Prince, former Knights five-eighth Beau Henry and rookie hooker Matt Srama under wraps to avoid suggestions Newcastle's greatest player was ''sleeping with the enemy''.

Prince blew the cover yesterday in his column in the Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper, writing that he hoped the ''masterclass'' with his boyhood idol would help him regain his touch as the Titans try to end a five-game losing streak and avoid their first wooden spoon.

Advertisement: Story continues below
''It felt surreal,'' Prince wrote. ''I have played against Joey and I know him well enough to seek him out in a crowded room and sit down and have a chat with him. But this was different. This was him and me, one-on-one, working on my game.

''There is something special about working with someone who has stood where you stand, faced what you face on a weekly basis and who has done it as well as anyone in the game ever has.

''Even more amazing was that although Joey retired five years ago, he is still brilliant with ball in hand. As we progressed through the session, he didn't just tell me how a play should happen. He executed kicks and passes with incredible precision. He still has it.''

Apart from his commentary roles with Channel Nine and Triple M, Johns works as a coaching consultant with several NRL clubs including Melbourne, Manly and Canberra. He held a similar position this year at Super Rugby franchise Melbourne Rebels.

The Knights were one of his clients from the time of his retirement in April 2007 due to a neck injury until last November, when he and the club's management could not negotiate acceptable terms on a new deal.

His older brother Matthew took up that role in February, but he has been unable to continue those commitments since the end of April, when he began working full-time as a breakfast host on Triple M. That means Matthew Johns will not be part of Wayne Bennett's coaching staff next year, and it remains to be seen whether Bennett and Knights owner Nathan Tinkler will try to lure Andrew back.

Prince explained that during his formative years at North Queensland, he used to study videotapes of Andrew Johns, ''digesting every move he made''. ''This week, almost a decade-and-a-half later, again I was learning from Joey, except this time he was there, right in front of me, in the flesh,'' Prince wrote.

''Like most great mentors, the advice Joey gave me was not ground-breaking or out of left field. He just went back to basics.

''He gave me confidence my game was far from broken but could certainly be boosted with a couple of tweaks. And those tweaks were simple things that over the years you forget, or downplay their importance. It was a great session, an informative masterclass that I hope will happen on regular occasions in the future.''

During his eight months at the Knights, Henry did not train with Andrew Johns, but appreciated the opportunity with the Titans on Monday. ''We had a little run together and while it's not going to click straight away, we're very close to being where we want to be,'' Henry told the Gold Coast Bulletin. ''My position is to try and help Scotty out and if I can take a little bit of the pressure off him, that's what I'm here for.''

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/

[DIEHARD]

Wonder boy Jordan Rankin in line to replace Preston Campbell at Titans

HE was the teenage wonder boy who temporarily drifted off the NRL radar.

But tomorrow night the 19-year-old runs out to again face the Knights buoyed by a 12-month extension that gives Rankin a golden chance to cement the Titans No.1 jumper formerly occupied by Campbell.

The level-headed rookie entered the top grade as a playmaker, but a mid-season shift to the backfield this season has re-ignited Rankin's self-belief and running game.

Gold Coast football manager Scott Clark said the club was happy to reward Rankin with a new deal after his outstanding form in the under-20s this season, headlined by a man-of-the-match display against the Cowboys last week.

"With Luke Capewell moving on (to the Broncos), it gives Jordan the chance to continue to improve as a footballer and cement a spot in the NRL over the next few years," Clark said.

"We've kept it (Rankin's new deal) pretty low key, we just want Jordan to focus on his football.

"Since he's moved back to fullback in the under-20s he's been outstanding. He got left out (of the NRL) last week and went back to NYC and got man of the match so it shows the character of the bloke, he's not one to drop his bundle.

"Jordan hasn't ruled out playing five-eighth but we see him as a fullback next year.

"We've got Beau Henry and Aiden Sezer as five-eighth options next year, but with Luke Capewell leaving and Presto getting towards the end, Jordo now has the chance to cement that fullback spot."

A Burleigh junior, Rankin plays his fourth NRL match tomorrow and, despite his two-year NRL hiatus, the Titans are pleased with his development.

"Whether it was right to pick him at 16 is debatable. The expectation was huge and Jordo had to come to terms with that," Clark said.

"There was a lot of pressure on Jordo to perform, but we don't want him to worry about that and he knows he's got the ability to make it in the NRL.

"Jordan is at the stage now where if you put the last three years out of the picture, you'd say he's developing perfectly."

Titans coach John Cartwright will blood another rookie tomorrow night, with powerful winger Dom Peyroux to debut in Newcastle after Steve Michaels was concussed against the Cowboys last week.

Halfback Scott Prince will start despite a bout of the flu, while St Helens-bound backrower Anthony Laffranchi celebrates his 200th top grade game against the Knights.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/

[Titanic Believer]

Good to see Rankin re-signed but its strange that there was no mention of Zillman as the fullback in waiting. A convenient oversight to create a better article perhaps? Despite one promising game at centre it's hard to see Zillman playing anywhere but fullback or wing in next years roster.

[patskE]

yeh it seems the media always fogets zillman type thing. Unless Rankin blows my mind away for the rest of the season i cant see anoyone else getting that one jumper next year

[TITAN PETE]

Looks like we will have a stand in Coach tomorrow after Carty was rushed to hospital with suspected appendices & won't be heading to Newcastle ...

Get well soon Boss , Murphy can't coach

[Chaos]

It will be interesting to see how the team plays without Carty in Newcastle.
Hopefully Carty's support team don't over coach and allow the senior players to step up and win a game for themselves...not for the fans or anyone else...just for their own pride and help each other show the skills they already have.

I tipped the Titans this week...even though they're up against a very good team in Newcastle...I haven't tipped them in a long time but feel they are due.

I think the side will be strengthened with the new fullback and winger.

[patskE]

apprently prince said his out via twitter at 2pm, however the titans management still at 4pm where under the impression his playing :S

[eelectrica]

Oh great. If Prince is out Presto to 7?

[patskE]

yeh n lawton moves onto the bench i think it is

[Titanic]

spit-the-dummy, head ache, tummy ache, runny nose ... we are the crystal Titans :cry: it's not like we need the win.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

I guess all the adversity of Carty in hospital and Prince being out will make the win even more sweeter :D

[Titanic]

Prince playing BUT WTF Campbell starting at 9 and Srama on the bench!!!!

[MightyTitans]

I seriously cant believe srama has been benched in favour of cambell rediculous

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Mead is in!!!! :D

[Titanic]

and then he is missing ... his defence is woeful at best and Toopi/Mead = hopeless.

[DIEHARD]

Hey guys, I was going to the TBar but not feeling flash so Ill join you chatting here.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Well I personally think Tomane should be playing over Toopi, I know his defence is a little off, but he can find the line

[DIEHARD]

Do the Knights have a band? And bagpipes? Well done Knights.

We need Srama out there! Uate in! Send out Pacman.

[DIEHARD]

LOL at Gidley's kick at goal. Usually a great kicker but mercifully crap that time.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Do the Knights have a band? And bagpipes? Well done Knights.

We need Srama out there! Uate in! Send out Pacman.

I think that's just cos of McManus and his Scottish background. On the other hand, I don't why Srama was benched for Presto, no offence to him, but I would rather see Presto as an impact player.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Oh good now Srama is on the field now :)

[Titanic]

campbell starting was just a waste of an interchange

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

ABC grandstand is so frustrating to listen to, they spend so much time talking about rubbish rather than calling the game :mad:

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

And after a promising start, here we are trailing yet again :(

[Titanic]

Stay on our goddamn man Peyroux ... Minichiello penalised again ... DH turn it off - it won't make you feel any better

[Titanic]

bewdy Srama a kick and great defensive effort

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Matt White grubber lol

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

PRINCEY!!!!! :D

[DIEHARD]

Go Scott Prince! Love it that is our Princey. Runs circles around him.

I hope Rankin is ok.

We are in this.

[DIEHARD]

Looks like this will be a high scoring game. And more points to come and hopefully we can outpoint the Knights who havent had many this year.

It'll come down to defence.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Well this game last year, we came back from 18-6 down to win 38-36, hopefully history can repeat. :)

[MightyTitans]

Lawrence is a monster.. needs to be in the 17 each week

[DIEHARD]

Matt White grubber lol

Was a pretty good kick too!

Bull**** penalty to Knights for Srama being off side.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Well they'll penalise us for any reason whatsoever

[DIEHARD]

I think that's just cos of McManus and his Scottish background.

Nice touch, I guess you also have McDougall as well. If you want to streak it.

[DIEHARD]

Beau Henry now. Everyone's having a kick!

[DIEHARD]

I applaud that last play, that is why I love Rugby League!

[patskE]

scotty is looking good
henry is trying to hard i rkn with those bombs... give it to rankin, he did one b4, n it worked, should keep doing it.
hanging in there, just :S

[Titanic]

you can see where our problem starts - Laffranchi and Bailey only cart the ball up - they should not be on the field at the same time. Toopi - is he on the field (I know he is).

Rankin looks like he's ready to have a dig and Srama and Lawrence have to start. Henry looks better this week and seems to be a good foil for Prince. The less I type about Campbell the better.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

I applaud that last play, that is why I love Rugby League!

So how close did we get to scoring in that play? I hate not having Fox Sports lol

[patskE]

god knows how campbell started over srama. lawrence showed some good speed to track back sau lol

[teke]

Well I personally think Tomane should be playing over Toopi, I know his defence is a little off, but he can find the lineToops does his customary scoot out of the line leaving the overlap. How can such an experience player do it every week.

[Titanic]

So how close did we get to scoring in that play? I hate not having Fox Sports lol

I'm watching Fox online ... if Bird had picked it up then we had an overlap but I think they just ran out of steam ... was good viewing though.

[teke]

Bird just snotted it hard at Knights fan 20 rows back, it was better than a scoring play

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Well at least Newcastle break their 20 point hoodoo :rolleyes:

[Titanic]

fark - we are really embarrassing - all those older forwards are a freakin' disgraceful and it's rubbing off.

[MightyTitans]

I think its time for minichello to go back to qld cup... needs to clean up his game. Dont get me wrong he can good impact but his defence and the amount of penalties and mistakes need to be cut out of his game

[CairnsTitan]

we have the spoon wrapped up

[Boofhead]

Zillman off?

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Error after error after error :mad:

[DIEHARD]

We are getting blitzed here.... 32 to 12 kick to come. This could get embarrassing if we don't start defending. With 30mins leftg!

[Titanic]

sorry guys I just can't watch it ... can't attack = get rid of Murphy, can't defend = get rid of Gilly - to be honest somebody has to look at this and face it - we are being beaten on and off the field by lesser personnel.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

BIRDY!!!! :D, well we've scored 3 tries with 40% possession and almost no field position. I know this sounds a little optimistic, but if we do get some good field position, this game may be a lot closer than what we think

[ozynorts]

sorry guys I just can't watch it ... can't attack = get rid of Murphy, can't defend = get rid of Gilly - to be honest somebody has to look at this and face it - we are being beaten on and off the field by lesser personnel.

I have to agree. How many times this year have teams got around the outside of our defence because of players rushing in. It is a team tactic that is failing badly and they are sticking with it. Gilmeister needs to reasess his tactics or move on. As for the attack, what can you say?

[Geeman]

Can't believe how much Gidley is going on about the obstruction, you would think it had cost them the grand final!!!

[Smakked]

Yeah flicked the channel, we are getting worse. We just give up 20 m every tackle, stand back and and wait for them to come to us..........****

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Here we go, first time we lose 6 in a row, barring a mircle :mad:

[ozynorts]

what defence, another try to uate

[lonegull]

i have had enough first time ever i have turned the tv off while titans are playing, absolute disgrace my 10 year old daughter can tackle better than half the titans, our left hand side is a shocker, disgraceful

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Well maybe we can win next week, plus this Newcastle based commentary on ABC is really getting on my nerves

[Boofhead]

Fark this ****.

[eelectrica]

Listening to the game on the radio. The Titans shouldn't be getting toweled up like this.
This season and this game has to be a wake up call. What ever the source of problem within the team needs to be found and rooted out. Something has gone very rotten. Tough decisions might have to be made.

Titans deserve the spoon this year. They've quit on this game and I think accepted their fate as wooden spooners.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Well maybe we can win next week, plus this Newcastle based commentary on ABC is really getting on my nerves

Here's an example, they said they felt sorry for Uate cos he missed out on scoring his 4th :mad:

[MightyTitans]

Titans staff need to study the crap out of the defence of the storm and dragons and try their best to perfect it over the next few weeks

[patskE]

why is zillman off?
they sorta targeting henry aswell :s
mini he just trys to hard, i dnt know if u should drop or bench him...
just some very poor reads in defense, no one tursting each other.
rankin dosnt even wanna know about making a try saving tackle, always to far back so by the time he lays a hand of them, they just have to fall over to score.
prince in attack looked ok in the 1st half. 2nd half is just :| i dnt know where we gone wrong from last year to this... just no spirit. just so hard to watch

[gotitans101]

I missed the game.

How has Rankin been?

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Well at least our attack is going alright, 4 tries with 40% possession

[Titan2007DH]

These boys are playing with NO confidence at all. It is as if they have NO team spirit. WHY!!! They are not even playing for themselves. Watching this game, the players look like they can't be bothered.
The Titans hierarchy need to address this problem NOW!
Why is it we are not hearing from MS.
BT just scored but as far as I am concerned it was a token try. Newcastle let them have it because they feel sorry for them!!

[DIEHARD]

You are kidding me, not club has scored 50 points in 2011. We had better not be the victim. 8mins of defence isnt too much to ask is it?

[Geeman]

Good work to get Bodene Thompson's try - Too little too late, but nice to see us get 20 points in a game... :nope:

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

You are kidding me, not club has scored 50 points in 2011. We had better not be the victim. 8mins of defence isnt too much to ask is it?

For us it is, we have stop these 2nd half break downs

[eelectrica]

Just hope the Titans can avoid giving up 50.

[CairnsTitan]

lucky we signed carty for 5 years

[DIEHARD]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eelectrica]

And that'll be the 50 :mad:

[patskE]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Geeman]

Gold Coast Titans - Setting records for all the wrong reasons... :doh:

[eelectrica]

What the hell is Melbourne going to do to us?

[patskE]

tbh i thought rankin showed alot more then herny did.
argh its hard to put blame on anyone when they all played like they did.
bird was the only stand out.

[Rage]

At least we scored 20...

[gotitans101]

What the hell is Melbourne going to do to us?

I'm worried.

And that game will be in front of a home crowd.

[lonegull]

whats the record for missed tackles in a game the titans would have smashed it today i reckon

if beau henry is our 5/8th next year we are going to be in for a long season

players seem to be disinterested, management need to change the culture for the rest of the year

[CairnsTitan]

tbh i thought rankin showed alot more then herny did.
argh its hard to put blame on anyone when they all played like they did.
bird was the only stand out.

blame the coach and staff

[teke]

I've been waiting for a flogging for the past 10 weeks and it's finally come, I actually thought it would have been alot worse.

Everyone and I mean everyone should now know why the Titans have recruited so hard for next year and that this years squad just was never ever good enough.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Well that's 2 records we've now broken, we've lost 6 in a row for the first time, and we're the first team this year to concede the half century. I mean what did we do to deserve this?

[Tamwelg]

I am with my team the Titans 100%, win or lose, but I find it very difficult when the coaching staff make a decision like not starting Srama. He has been a shining light on what has been a forgettable season and week in week out have been the best player in the side since making his debut. I don't like to make bad comments in Campbell's direction because he is such a champion, but I will again reiterate that his best service to the club is now off the field.

[DIEHARD]

Look at our for and against, it's nearly twice as bad as our next challenger. :mad: :nope:

[GoldCoastTitans100]

Henry is just sh!t, he puts in no effort ! :mad:

Prince has put some halve decent games together in the past couple of weeks, about time !

We can't blame the refs for that game, knights got some bad calls against them as well.

You can't blame rankin at all.

Why did preston start? he done nothing.

But don't worry, Carty will just copy and paste the same team again.

[karnage]

SInce when has scoring 20 points ever been something be be proud of in the history of Rugby League?? The Tigers scored less than that on Friday night and had one of the best wins of the year.

We have absolutely no reason to be optimistic that anything will change this year - the problem is culture and now our signings are losing thier gloss as well. Myles is in a team running second last, Idris is from a team that is no chance of playing finals and DOuglas is from a team perennially in the bottom handful.

I am getting a big over-sized wooden spoon made up and I am going to give all of them both barrels at the next home game. These losers need to realise that GC people are passionate about their team and won't settle for the absolute sh!t that they have dished up this year.

Our list may not have been a grand final winning one, but neither should it be a wooden spoon certainty with more than a month to run in the comp. This team is every bit as bad as the Seagulls / Chargers teams of the 90's with ten times the resources.

Disgrace!!

[MightyTitans]

I disagree with others, i think henry is our 6.. i believe he made an effort to try control our attack and with thecorrect defensive structure would fit in without a problem. As for campbell i dont have a problem with him in the 17 but should only be used at fb...

[Tamwelg]

I disagree with others, i think henry is our 6.. i believe he made an effort to try control our attack and with thecorrect defensive structure would fit in without a problem. As for campbell i dont have a problem with him in the 17 but should only be used at fb...

I agree with you on Henry, but not...........

[eelectrica]

Presto has nothing more to prove and has had a great career...

[MightyTitans]

There is nothing wrong with campbells touches with the ball today and i think he can add another dimension in attack from FB coming in as another ball player. But is a liability in defence.. there is no way srama should be off the field for anyone else to go to dummy half.. having campbell playing front line defence is only going to draw in other defenders outside him and causes an overlap

[DIEHARD]

Gold Coast Titans handed 50-20 thrashing by Newcastle Knights

Akuila Uate of the Knights is tackled by Greg Bird. Source: Getty Images
NEWCASTLE seized the perfect opportunity to cement an NRL top eight berth at Ausgrid Stadium on Sunday, surging to a 50-20 demolition of last-placed Gold Coast.

As well as taking on a struggling opposition, the Knights went into the match knowing their main rivals for a finals spot, Penrith and Canterbury, had both lost.

The comprehensive victory means the Knights put a four-point gap on the ladder between them and the Panthers and Bulldogs - and although the job's not done yet, 24 competition points should be enough for the Novocastrians to make the playoff cut.

In a further boost, the nine tries to four demolition nullified the Wests Tigers' points-differential advantage over Newcastle, and the Knights have now slotted into seventh place on the competition table.

Flying Fijian Akuila Uate was on fire for the Knights, bagging a hat-trick, while his opposite winger James McManus also claimed a double.

Veteran centre Adam MacDougall wound the clock back for the Knights, 'Mad Dog' taking advantage of his late inclusion in the side to power over for a second half try and also pop up a magic offload for Uate to score his third.

Scott Prince scored a solo try late in the first half to get the Titans back into the game, trailing 16-12 at the break.

But Newcastle then came out firing, blowing the match apart with two tries in the first five minutes of the second half.

A sweeping backline play ended with McManus dashing 40 metres to score his second, before second-rower Cameron Ciraldo marched through some feeble defence to extend the score to 28-12.

Keith Lulia dashed away off a Jarrod Mullen ball to join in the rout, before Neville Costigan brought up the 50 off his halfback's grubber in the 79th minute.

The Knights, who have struggled to score points all season, became the first NRL side to break the half-century mark this year.

Gold Coast opened the scoring after just five minutes, with a Greg Bird strip on Uate off a kick-return, resulting in the ball being fed out for David Mead to cross in the corner.

But from there the Knights wingers ensured the home side didn't lose the lead again.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/

[Mushi]

Well after being in the game for the first 40 minutes we were an absolute shambles in the second half! What do they do at half time???? Birdy stated after the game that all they have to play for is pride now that they know the season finishes before finals time but they need to find some pride to play for because it sure isn't showing at the moment. I am with the boys through the good and bad times but that was a VERY TOUGH 40 minutes to sit through!!!!

[Smakked]

Man that was bad, like everyone has said you can see they dont want to be out there, not interested at all, season is over so why bother is the mentality. Some major things need to change or it will be the same old thing next year even with who we have signed on.

[Smakked]

Cant blame Carty he wasn't there :P

[karnage]

Well, we could be Rabbitohs fans...:laugh:

[Titanic]

Henry went ok and he's the first 5/8 we've had who even looks like 5/8.

How about the halftime pics of the forwards and backs getting coached separately ... bloody hell, it's not a training session - we are living the nightmare.

Srama doesn't start and now we'll get some "boutique, cute" ploy from the staff ... fark, how about tackle for your mates! How about play for pride! How about take a pay cut!

[borama1]

oh i can see next years premiership alright haha you naive fools you cant buy a premiership especially with a bad culture and coaching staff and average signings, the dogs bought better than us this year and 08 and didnt even get a GF birth and they had good coaching and culture

[karnage]

Went off waaaaaay too early with the Rabbitohs jibe...

[teke]

Went off waaaaaay too early with the Rabbitohs jibe...:laugh: :laugh:

I was waiting a little longer to mention your mistake

[eelectrica]

Went off waaaaaay too early with the Rabbitohs jibe...

Well at least the Titans have won a finals match this century :D

[Titans13]

Disgusting............

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Heart problems forced Zillman off
By Nathan Ryan
31 July 2011 05:17PM EST

GOLD Coast Titans centre William Zillman was forced from the field in their 50-20 loss to Newcastle on Sunday after suffering an overly high heartrate.

The*25-year-old said he has experienced the dangerously high heart beat at training before but never in a game.

?It?s something you just have to rest for a while,? Zillman said from Newcastle on Sunday.

?The doc didn?t want me to go back on just as a safety precaution. ?I just had some heart palpitations.

?It just sort of goes away after a few minutes but sort of lasted a bit longer today.?

Zillman made just two runs in the match that has cemented the Titans as wooden spoon recipients this year and forced to watch the second half of their slaughtering from the sideline.

Having had the condition medically diagnosed, Zillman has played down the severity of his condition.

?It?s not a big deal,? he said, coy of all the fuss being made about what he says is a common condition.

?I?ve had checks done on it and everything came back that it functions and my heart worked perfect.

?I don?t even know the name of it, it?s not really detrimental to your health or anything it?s pretty common I?ve been told.?

In John Cartwright's absence - who was watching the game from hospital in Queensland with appendicitis - assistant coach Steve Murphy said he was concerned for Zillman.

?It?s a bit of a worry,? he said. ?It?s something the medicos will have to monitor closely.?

http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2011/07/31/heart-problems-forced-zillman-off/

[Titanic]

heartlidge

[Steelers]

heartlidge

:laugh:

[bigjim]

Fortunately I only saw the last 8 minutes of the game and don't intend on watching the replay.
Titans have for some reason lost their heart. I don't know where it has gone but where ever that might be they have ripped the heart out of my chest.
I used to have a pride in the Titans. For some reason they feel we should keep heart and support the Titans when they have no pride in their team or feel the need to put any effort or focus in their game.
I'm over them.
I still love and support the Titans but this team of misfits are not the team I support.:boo:

[teke]

Fortunately I only saw the last 8 minutes of the game and don't intend on watching the replay.
Titans have for some reason lost their heart. I don't know where it has gone but where ever that might be they have ripped the heart out of my chest.
I used to have a pride in the Titans. For some reason they feel we should keep heart and support the Titans when they have no pride in their team or feel the need to put any effort or focus in their game.
I'm over them.
I still love and support the Titans but this team of misfits are not the team I support.:boo:There are def players out there who give alot of effort week in and week out for the team

[TITAN PETE]

The worst performance from a Titans side EVER , this is the 1st time I've felt embarrassed while watching a match:?)

What goes on at Halftime...do the guys all order a Big Mac,Fries & Chocolate shake :surprise: , because they return to field & play like they are Fat & lazy & have forgotten how to play..but if I'm not mistaken Newcastle,Cowboys &'Broncos all scored in the 1st set of the 2nd half,,,there may be more but I'm trying to forget this nightmare called 2011 :boo:

Send Mini to Burleigh he's had enough chances & he can take Murphy & Gilly with him.

Bodene isnt playing at a 1st grade standard, 7 missed tackles & 14 effective tackles From 67 minute & 4 runs for 20meters....:nope:

U would have to think something was defiantly wrong with Zilly, that just wasn't him out there today & I felt sorry for Rankin having 3 1 on 1 tackles on Uate with absolutely no chance of bringing him down , Slater would've struggled to save any of those trys.


56 missed tackles

Srama starting on bench was a joke ,WTF

We cannot possibly win another game this season & Melbourne may set a new NRL record if our defense is the same as today's effort ..

[Toads]

It sure was painful to watch. So bad, it turned me to drinking by half time (very rarely drink alcohol). Glad I got a couple of stiff drinks into me, before they ran back onto the paddock for the second half annihilation..

[Smakked]

Well they put 50 on us and the knights are not that great, not a serious finals contender, and next week we have The Storm :| scary ****, maybe 80+ on us?

[borama1]

Well they put 50 on us and the knights are not that great, not a serious finals contender, and next week we have The Storm :| scary ****, maybe 80+ on us?

the storm damn well may put 80 on us, since they are twice the team the knights are, they already put 40 on us when they were just warming up this season early and we didnt start to rot away so badly until we faced souths and got annihilated but the storm were the first to embarrass us this season

[Titanic]

We do have a chance next week. They'll all bust a gut laughing when the team runs out with that oh-so frightening game face on ... we are the only dummies who fall for it.

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

The storm won't put 80 on us, not at skilled. Maybe 60 or 70 tops lol, but tbh I'm more worried about being held to nil by the storm.

[Titanic]

I reckon that will the percentage of Storm fans to Titans fans after this week's debacle 70/30

[teke]

Storm dont have any fans or Jnrs for that matter.

Titans can help a few teams out by "injuring" a couple of targeted players :D

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Storm dont have any fans or Jnrs for that matter.

Titans can help a few teams out by "injuring" a couple of targeted players :D

Well maybe if we get Toopi to take Slater, Smith and Cronk out of the game illegally at the beginning, then not only will the Storm, be without their best players, but Toopi will also get sent off and suspended, and that kills 2 birds with one stone :laugh:

[teke]

Well maybe if we get Toopi to take Slater, Smith and Cronk out of the game illegally at the beginning, then not only will the Storm, be without their best players, but Toopi will also get sent off and suspended, and that kills 2 birds with one stone :laugh:Now you're talking. Im sure we can come up with even better "legal" plays.

[Rage]

Ben Horne AAP Sun, Jul 31, 2011 - 6:34 PM

Despondent Gold Coast players joked their 50-20 pummelling by Newcastle would extend coach John Cartwright's stay in hospital, but on a more solemn note, the Titans admit they're guilty of something far more serious.

Gold Coast have been an NRL success story since their 2007 admission. In their opening two seasons they punched above their weight and for the past two years they've been impressive finalists.

But after another humiliation and their 15th loss for the season, stand-in coach Steve Murphy said the Gold Coast had lost respect and had gone against everything they stood for as a club.

With coach Cartwright hospitalised after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix, assistants Murphy and Trevor Gillmeister took the reins.

Cartwright was sitting in his hospital bed watching the match and was on the phone giving instructions to football manager Scott Clarke for the duration, although his enthusiasm waned as the story got worse.

The coach may be out of hospital on Monday but there's no quick fix to the crisis the club faces, as they spiral towards their first wooden spoon.

"The second half is not our football team and not our club, Carty's obviously not with us, he's in hospital and supposed to be out tomorrow but after watching that he'll probably be in there a bit longer," said Murphy.

"It was an uncustomary performance from us, I thought it lacked discipline, it lacked everything we took four or five years to establish.

"We're just breaking systems and rules that have been in place since our inception ... all technical things we pride ourselves on just aren't there at the moment.

"I'm bitterly disappointed with that, not just from my point of view personally, just for our club, we lost respect today I thought."

Captain Scott Prince said rival teams are realising the Gold Coast will roll over when the going gets tough.

"It's disappointing, when we lose I take it to heart," Prince said.

AAP bh/gc/as

[Bayside Titan]

Murphys disappointed this week, Prince last week and maybe Carty the week before but do we see any accountability at all? If people in a work place performed like this week in week out would they still be in that work place ? I would think not. Maybe Serle should be talking to Cherry-Evans or Cronk and Belamy or big Mal Meninga to make Captian and Coach think that there positions are untouchable.

[patskE]

tbh i thought prince stepped up this game... but that 2nd half. argh :|
ill prob bring in walker, but then also bring in some forwards that just tackle, like ridge. we missed harrison defense.

[Titanic]

they missed everything except their pay check

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

Now you're talking. Im sure we can come up with even better "legal" plays.

We can't even come up with a way to not concede 50 points against a team who has not been able to score more than 20 points in the last 14 weeks, let alone pull off this kind of mastermind idea lol.

[Titan Dad]

tbh i thought prince stepped up this game... but that 2nd half. argh :|
ill prob bring in walker, but then also bring in some forwards that just tackle, like ridge. we missed harrison defense.

Harrison is a huge loss to any team structure as he is such a mister fix-it workaholic. RIDGE is another tackling machine with incredible ticker, I thought he was injured?

[Titan Dad]

OK.OK, we are all hurting at the moment, fans,players coaches and all others that love the Titans. Dont throw sh''t into the playing roster and coaching staffs face as they are the ones flogging themselves day in day out, not the fans. Supporters are meant to be just that, bloody well support the boys in their time of need. No doubt when they turn things around in the near future we as supporters will be heaping the praise on the wonderful crowd support we gave them to get them across the line. BOO Bloody HOO. Wake up and stand up and support your team through thick or thin otherwise piss off and go support the gay FL team.

[thelwall]

TITAN DAD THANK YOU

[SunnyCoastTitanFan]

OK.OK, we are all hurting at the moment, fans,players coaches and all others that love the Titans. Dont throw sh''t into the playing roster and coaching staffs face as they are the ones flogging themselves day in day out, not the fans. Supporters are meant to be just that, bloody well support the boys in their time of need. No doubt when they turn things around in the near future we as supporters will be heaping the praise on the wonderful crowd support we gave them to get them across the line. BOO Bloody HOO. Wake up and stand up and support your team through thick or thin otherwise piss off and go support the gay FL team.

Well said mate

[Toads]

OK.OK, we are all hurting at the moment, fans,players coaches and all others that love the Titans. Dont throw sh''t into the playing roster and coaching staffs face as they are the ones flogging themselves day in day out, not the fans. Supporters are meant to be just that, bloody well support the boys in their time of need. No doubt when they turn things around in the near future we as supporters will be heaping the praise on the wonderful crowd support we gave them to get them across the line. BOO Bloody HOO. Wake up and stand up and support your team through thick or thin otherwise piss off and go support the gay FL team.

Geez, that's a whole lot easier to say today. Because yesterday was a whole new world of hurt, lol.

But yeah, well summed up, Titan Dad. :thumbsup:

[lonegull]

Geez, that's a whole lot easier to say today. Because yesterday was a whole new world of hurt, lol.

But yeah, well summed up, Titan Dad. :thumbsup:

+1

[Titanic]

OK.OK, we are all hurting at the moment, fans,players coaches and all others that love the Titans. Dont throw sh''t into the playing roster and coaching staffs face as they are the ones flogging themselves day in day out, not the fans. Supporters are meant to be just that, bloody well support the boys in their time of need. No doubt when they turn things around in the near future we as supporters will be heaping the praise on the wonderful crowd support we gave them to get them across the line. BOO Bloody HOO. Wake up and stand up and support your team through thick or thin otherwise piss off and go support the gay FL team.

All very good sentiments to which I generally agree except nobody should be sentenced to watch gAyFL but you missed one very key point ... no, sorry, 50 of them ... losing is not the issue, throwing it in when it's your livelihood is.

[bigjim]

"It was an uncustomary performance from us, I thought it lacked discipline, it lacked everything we took four or five years to establish".

I'm sorry to disagree but this was a very customery performance and has been the case all season.

These losses have nothing to do with skill or ability. This is all about attitude. The players for some reason are pissed and refuse to put any effort in on the paddock. Maybe the answer will be known by season end. I think a lot of the effortless showings has come from Friend being shown the door and Jamal getting the big payday.

[DIEHARD]

It's really hard to say what can be done when things are all over the place. It's stunning that we put in about three good first halves over the last few weeks only to capitulate. I say we stay on the field at half time. Maybe the opposition doesn't respect us either.

You have to hand it to the Knights, they were very good. Played really above themselves.

I would like to see Scott giving the goal kicking away in 2012. As our leader and more importantly play maker, his place belongs with the team during that down period, talking tactics. Anyone have an nominations for another goal kicker?

[Tamwelg]

DIEHARD I think Henry is a goal kicker.

[Toads]

DIEHARD I think Henry is a goal kicker.
Not a bad option, Tamwelg. But if Rankin is on the paddock, I wouldn't mind seeing him given the opportunity to prove himself. As he's been pretty good from what I've seen in the NYC matches. But yeah, I tend to think Prince needs to give it away, as he's only firing from one side of the paddock (right side), and even then he's missed a few of late.

[C-Whiz]

Geez, that's a whole lot easier to say today. Because yesterday was a whole new world of hurt, lol.

But yeah, well summed up, Titan Dad. :thumbsup:+1. Good work Titan dad, just took us a few days to absorb the loss, I think.


These losses have nothing to do with skill or ability. This is all about attitude. The players for some reason are pissed and refuse to put any effort in on the paddock. Maybe the answer will be known by season end. I think a lot of the effortless showings has come from Friend being shown the door and Jamal getting the big payday.I said almost exactly the same thing a few minutes ago in a different thread, which echoes what i've been saying all season.

There is something VERY WRONG about the way Freindy was let go, after all the YEARS OF GUT-BUSTING HARD WORK he gave to the club, on the hope of securing a long-term contract worthy of his contribution.

IMO I could see how this would take away a lot of determination from other players who must be asking if they will be the next to get the chop. As it turns out we have seen some of our best UPCOMING talent walk away because they can't get game time or a contract, while they pay big bucks for outsiders.

[Rage]

If the problem does indeed lie with the way players have been handled / managed, I think it's not the way things with Friendy went down but instead the efforts to snare Cronk and Idris when we were well equipped in those positions already. However, any team in league is a business so you'd expect them to look at this as professionals and play their best anyway but whatever it is, something needs to happen because at this rate, it's not gonna go away by itself next season.

[Bayside Titan]

It's like somebody needs to stand in front of the bus and take one for the team. So to help clear the air and start healing.

[Bayside Titan]

Were we ever having discussions with Cronk at all? I must have missed it. ?

[Rage]

If you're referring to what I said, I made a mistake. I meant to say Cameron Smith, not Cronk