View Full Version : Titans: Richie Mathers is now a Titan
Queenslander
23-05-06, 04:14 PM
Titans sign UK fullback Mathers to NRL
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 4:12 PM
The Gold Coast Titans have signed England fullback Richie Mathers to a two-year NRL deal following six months of negotiations.
The 22-year-old Leeds player requires a knee reconstruction but is expected to be fit to start training with the NRL's new franchise in November.
Mathers will join Great Britain winger Brian Carney as the Titans' second player recruited from the English Super League.
Carney has been in tremendous form for Newcastle during his one-year stint before he heads to south-east Queensland.
Gold Coast coach John Cartwright and chief executive Michael Searle have been monitoring Mathers' form at Leeds since June last year.
Cartwright said Mathers was a naturally talented footballer who could cover several positions for the Titans.
"He has risen through the ranks at Leeds and has been consistently one of their best," added Cartwright.
"We are not signing and hoping he's a great footballer. We've signed him as a very capable first grader. He knows his way to the tryline and he will be good for us."
The Titans' roster also includes Australian internationals Scott Prince and Luke Bailey and Penrith's livewire five-eighth Preston Campbell.
"I am hugely honoured to be given an opportunity that very few British players get and I am looking forward to getting out there and being part of making the Gold Coast Titans a success," Mathers said in a club statement.
Searle said the club's medical team would monitor Mathers' surgery and rehabilitation program over coming months to ensure he's ready for the Gold Coast's inaugural season.
The off-contract Mathers injured his knee in Leeds' 44-28 loss to Hull earlier this month.
The Titans recently withdrew an offer to Great Britain winger Chev Walker.
Source: AAP
Yea Baby!!!
Did the Titans get him cheaper because of the injury??
Queenslander
23-05-06, 04:18 PM
Great news for the Titans :clap: Not sure if they would have got a discount due to injury, however it would be interesting to see how much he is getting for his two year deal.
Super Cronk
23-05-06, 04:19 PM
What a massive surprise!!!!................not.
I dont know anything about Mathers but he has some pretty good wraps on him.
Titanium_BD1103
23-05-06, 04:20 PM
Hang on.. Why didn't Deegs give us any inside info before this occured... I am use to the Deegan inside word and then the deal.. ;)
Abosolutely AWESOME NEWS for the Titans... CONGRATS ALL ROUND TO MICHAEL and the boys... this is a great get and he will serve us well in the future.. :)
GO THE TITANS... that is a massive signing.. :D :D
DIEHARD
23-05-06, 04:23 PM
Fantastic news. I love the international flavour of the Titans. It is really something fresh and different, it's exciting.
I think Mathers is a fantastic signing. Looking forward to him being tested in the NRL.
The Original Idiot
23-05-06, 04:25 PM
And so disappears all hope of signing Clint Greenshields. That said, Mathers is better.
Titanium_BD1103
23-05-06, 04:26 PM
The Leeds Rhinos Message board is down at the moment.. :(... I wanted to see what they had to say about this... I will post up some of the best responses when it comes back up.. :)
Ok from the unofficial Leeds Rhinos boards.. check these out... :)
http://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=213055&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
The posts almost state that Leeds fans had resigned a few weeks back to Mathers being at the Titans... we should read the Leeds boards more often heh...:laugh: :laugh:
MonaroMan
23-05-06, 04:33 PM
That's awesome news! What about Greenshields? Will they still be interested in him? Maybe under the new cap they could sign him as well and put him on the wing and Petersen in the reserves ;)
Titanium_BD1103
23-05-06, 04:38 PM
Unfortunately... I think Greenshields is out of the equation now... we have just bought a marquee signing and unless he can play centre and is slightly cheaper than before... we have Mathers... :)
The Original Idiot
23-05-06, 04:39 PM
I wondr if the signing of Toopi forced Mathers out of Leeds?
Unfortunately... I think Greenshields is out of the equation now... we have just bought a marquee signing and unless he can play centre and is slightly cheaper than before... we have Mathers... :)
Well the article said Mathers can play in several positions so maybe he might play centre or wing.
Anyway Great signing by the Titans i think mather will work well with Prince and Campbell.
Greenshields is capable of playing just about anywhere n the backline...
im not sure about him i haven't seen much of him but i hope he is not another Chris Thorman. Greenshields would have been better IMO but lets hope im wrong
Titanium_BD1103
23-05-06, 05:02 PM
Nah don't worry Teegy.. I can assure you that Richie Mathers is not ANOTHER Chris Thorman. Richie is a very talented player who like Brian Carney will hopefully make a huge splash come 2007 for the Titans.. :)
As for Greenshields, if the price is right I say we buy him, but how much would he command is the big question.. ;)
Oh and finally for your reading... From the Southstander Forum- Unofficial Leeds Site... what they had to say about Richie Leaving, well when the rumours first began.. ;)
http://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=211008
And here is the one started just 4 mins ago about the recent loss of Richie Mathers to the Gold Coast
http://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=213838
Enjoy.. :)
Social Loafer
23-05-06, 05:25 PM
hmm maybe this will help us in retaining Chalky :D
I've been watching Richie since he was 16 and he is a fantastic player, well done on signing him.
A lot of people wouldn't realise that although he is an established fullback he also excelled and starred for England Academy playing at five-eighth against Australia when England beat them 2 tests to nil in 2002. Very skilful player.
DIEHARD
23-05-06, 05:49 PM
I've been watching Richie since he was 16 and he is a fantastic player, well done on signing him.
A lot of people wouldn't realise that although he is an established fullback he also excelled and starred for England Academy playing at five-eighth against Australia when England beat them 2 tests to nil in 2002. Very skilful player.
Huge wraps from a man who'd know.
Good to see you over here JasonE and great to have signed Mathers.
This is great news for the titans!!! They are looking good.
I've been watching Richie since he was 16 and he is a fantastic player, well done on signing him.
A lot of people wouldn't realise that although he is an established fullback he also excelled and starred for England Academy playing at five-eighth against Australia when England beat them 2 tests to nil in 2002. Very skilful player.
Thats what I like to hear - a player with adaptability is never a bad signing.
Queenslander
23-05-06, 06:25 PM
Another story about the signing
Titans sign England fullback
May 23, 2006
GOLD Coast coach John Cartwright has rejected any suggestion the Titans are taking a huge gamble in recruiting England fullback Richie Mathers, who will miss the rest of the Super League season because of a serious knee injury.
The NRL's new franchise has signed the 22-year-old Leeds player on a two-year deal following six months of negotiations, despite the fact he requires a knee reconstruction.
Cartwright said today he expected a fit and healthy Mathers to start training with the Titans in November.
"It is a knee reconstruction but there's no cartilage damage and in four to six months he should be back to 100 per cent," Cartwright explained.
"We did all our homework on him before he injured his knee and our medical advice is that he'll be fine to start full training come the middle of November."
Mathers injured his knee during Leeds' 44-28 loss to Hull earlier this month.
Cartwright said he was impressed with Mathers' attitude and pointed out the fullback could have rejected the challenge of playing in the NRL for bigger money in England.
"I knew of his interest in coming to Australia," the former NSW and Test forward said.
"He didn't want to wait until the end of his career to come over.
"He's a young fella who could've earned a lot more money over in England but he wanted to prove himself in the NRL. I really like that kind of attitude.
"I've watched him quite a bit last year and most of his games this year. He's a very fast player and I think the higher level he plays, the better he'll go.
"The beauty of him is that he can cover a lot of positions."
Another NRL player here for the challenge of bettering himself is Great Britain winger Brian Carney, who scored a hat-trick of tries for Newcastle in its victory over Canberra last weekend to bring his season tally to nine tries from 11 games.
The Titans are naturally delighted with the form of Carney, who will shift to the Gold Coast at the end of this season following his short stint for the table-topping Knights.
The Titans' roster also includes Australian internationals Scott Prince and Luke Bailey and Penrith's livewire five-eighth Preston Campbell.
"I am hugely honoured to be given an opportunity that very few British players get and I am looking forward to getting out there and being part of making the Gold Coast Titans a success," Mathers said in a club statement today.
Titans chief executive Michael Searle said the club's medical team would monitor Mathers' surgery and rehabilitation program over coming months to ensure he's ready for the Gold Coast's inaugural season.
The fledgling club recently withdrew an offer to Great Britain winger Chev Walker.
AAP
maroon man
23-05-06, 06:30 PM
Great work to the Titans team!! A great buy.
Steelers
23-05-06, 06:37 PM
It is awesome to see more and more of the British boys coming over and having a go in the NRL :D
Great News for the Titans!
said the club's medical team would monitor Mathers' surgery
Any idea who is the clubs medical team?
Coaster
23-05-06, 07:45 PM
Any idea who is the clubs medical team?
I think it is Satts and a pack of Band-aids :beer: And Gilly saying "getup ya sook"
Titanium_BD1103
23-05-06, 07:46 PM
nah that would be Billy Johnstone and his words would be Coaster...
"get up ya ain't in England no more.. drop and give me 20" Just Kidding.. :laugh: :laugh:
man great signing
i am pump for next season!
titans vs dragons will be the biggest for me cause i live in the dragon area
HOO HOO
the carney and mathers combo will be something to look forward to i rkn
now all we need are some centers and some good go forward
"The fledgling club recently withdrew an offer to Great Britain winger Chev Walker. "
how come i didnt know about this offer, i watched this guy and his pretty good, y the withdraw? dont want 2 many english ppl in the team i spose
update players page on site :D
MonaroMan
23-05-06, 08:11 PM
update players page on site :D
And the sticky at the top - we gotta make it formal :D
Super Cronk
23-05-06, 08:19 PM
I dont think its that important that it needs to be stickied. If there was a sticky everytime somone signed with the titans the forum would be full of em. lol.
There will be plenty of talk in this thread for weeks....so it wont be hard to find ;)
MonaroMan
23-05-06, 08:22 PM
I dont think its that important that it needs to be stickied. If there was a sticky everytime somone signed with the titans the forum would be full of em. lol.
There will be plenty of talk in this thread for weeks....so it wont be hard to find ;)
I don't mean that, I mean that sticky that's titles "Your 2007 Gold Coast Titans" :D
Supergoose
23-05-06, 08:24 PM
Haven't seen Richie at all but I hope to see a lot of him next year - scoring tries and diffusing bombs ;)
Titanium_BD1103
23-05-06, 10:30 PM
Well here is the word from the man himself... Leeds Rhinos Website finally has details.. oh and Chev Walker wants to play here in the NRL as well.. ;)
From: www.leedsrugby.com
RHINOS CONFIRM DEPARTURES
Leeds Rhinos have today confirmed that Chev Walker, 23, and Richard Mathers, 22, have both declined new offers at the club in order to pursue opportunities to play in the Australian NRL from next season.
Richard Mathers has agreed a two year contract with new side Gold Coast Titans, who will make their debut in the NRL in 2007. Chev Walker, who made his debut for the Rhinos in 1999, is also keen to pursue an opportunity Down Under.
Commenting on the announcement, Walker, who has played six times for Great Britain, said, ?Leeds Rhinos have been a big part of my life and it?s a big decision to leave. The Rhinos offer was a good one and I?ve no interest in playing for another Super League club but I am keen to play in the NRL and for that reason I wanted to keep my options open.?
Mathers, who last week was ruled out for the remainder of this season with a knee injury, added, ?It has been without doubt the biggest decision I have ever had to make. The Rhinos is a special place and it will be a big wrench to leave the club but it may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and my partner to sample a new lifestyle and challenge. I?m only 22 and I would like to think it may not be the end of my time at the Rhinos.?
Whilst Head Coach Tony Smith, who is preparing his side to face local rivals Bradford Bulls this Friday at Odsal, is disappointed to be losing both players he fully understands their reasons. He added, ?I?ve enjoyed coaching Chev and he has a big part to play in our quest for honours until the end of the season when he will leave with our best wishes. I understand Richard?s decision to challenge himself and the NRL will certainly be a good test. He has been a pleasure to coach.?
Chief Executive Gary Hetherington will now focus on recruiting players to replace those departing for next season. He commented, ?It is important for the club that we had a decision from both Richard and Chev and we are naturally disappointed to be losing two players who have graduated through our system to play key roles. We will now turn our attention to finding suitable replacements.?
Chev Walker has made 168 appearances for the Rhinos and scored 82 tries in the process. He featured in the Challenge Cup Finals in 2003 and 2005, winning the Grand Final in 2004 and the Carnegie World Club Challenge in 2005. He made his debut whilst still only 16 and made his Test debut in the 2004 Tri Nations.
Richard Mathers has made 95 appearances for the Rhinos scoring 30 tries. He made his debut in 2002 against St Helens at Headingley Carnegie after a successful loan spell at Warrington. He made his debut for England last Autumn against France at Headingley Carnegie.
Hang on.. Why didn't Deegs give us any inside info before this occured... I am use to the Deegan inside word and then the deal.. ;)
Not part of the job description, signings like this are best announced first and foremost by the team and THEN the forum ;) Hard to keep the lid on such a signing, though that is part of the job description as well.
Leeds Rhino fans - As most know, I follow the Rhinos and have done since 1994 so the signing is bitter sweet. I can appreciate the Rhinos fans expressing their distain for the Titans today, Mathers is one of the best young players in the UK, he is one of their best players. This is a bitter pill to swallow for all fans of the Rhinos.
Wearing both caps, I am obviously over the moon to see him as a Titan and I would like to think the majority of the Rhinos fans will wish him well given he will further develope into a very good player in this competition. I don't think Mathers has finished his career as a Rhino, he will head back to the UK one day and sign with Leeds.
Welcome aboard to Richie, he will ensure we have a rep calibre player at the back who will give us some utility value if the need arises.
lonegull
24-05-06, 08:10 AM
One of the worst kept secrets, what a great player will be a sensation this kid can play and we now have a fullback what a great signing
whitehaven rlfc
24-05-06, 09:09 AM
mathers at the minute i would say is the 5th best full back in england
1.wellens (st.helens)
2.briscoe (hull fc)
3.ashton (wigan)
4.platt (castleford)
Im taking it as a quality fullback has been signed, i dont know anything about him but im hoping he's good.
lonegull
24-05-06, 11:48 AM
as i said earlier from what i have seen of this bloke he is a real talented kid
they have got some big raps on him
SMH
Gold Coast rugby league coach John Cartwright has rejected any suggestion the Titans are taking a huge gamble in recruiting England fullback Richie Mathers, who will miss the rest of the Super League season because of a serious knee injury.
The NRL's new franchise has signed the 22-year-old Leeds player on a two-year deal following six months of negotiations, despite the fact he requires a knee reconstruction.
Cartwright said he expected a fit and healthy Mathers to start training with the Titans in November.
"It is a knee reconstruction but there's no cartilage damage and in four to six months he should be back to 100 per cent," Cartwright explained.
"We did all our homework on him before he injured his knee and our medical advice is that he'll be fine to start full training come the middle of November."
Mathers injured his knee during Leeds' 44-28 loss to Hull earlier this month.
Cartwright said he was impressed with Mathers' attitude and pointed out the fullback could have rejected the challenge of playing in the NRL for bigger money in England.
"I knew of his interest in coming to Australia," the former NSW and Test forward said.
"He didn't want to wait until the end of his career to come over.
"He's a young fella who could've earned a lot more money over in England but he wanted to prove himself in the NRL. I really like that kind of attitude.
"I've watched him quite a bit last year and most of his games this year. He's a very fast player and I think the higher level he plays, the better he'll go.
"The beauty of him is that he can cover a lot of positions."
Another NRL player in Australia for the challenge of bettering himself is Great Britain winger Brian Carney, who scored a hat-trick of tries for Newcastle in its victory over Canberra last weekend to bring his season tally to nine tries from 11 games.
The Titans are naturally delighted with the form of Carney, who will shift to the Gold Coast at the end of this season following his short stint for the table-topping Knights.
The Titans' roster also includes Australian internationals Scott Prince and Luke Bailey and Penrith's livewire five-eighth Preston Campbell.
"I am hugely honoured to be given an opportunity that very few British players get and I am looking forward to getting out there and being part of making the Gold Coast Titans a success," Mathers said in a club statement.
Titans chief executive Michael Searle said the club's medical team would monitor Mathers' surgery and rehabilitation program over coming months to ensure he's ready for the Gold Coast's inaugural season.
The fledgling club recently withdrew an offer to Great Britain winger Chev Walker.
shavenjas
24-05-06, 12:55 PM
Richie who
lonegull
24-05-06, 01:39 PM
Richie who
richie mathers the great britian fullback you will eat humble pie shaven because this kid can play
shavenjas
24-05-06, 01:47 PM
richie mathers the great britian fullback you will eat humble pie shaven because this kid can play
Hey why are you attacking me i have said nothing bad about him, so ill eat nothing but my lunch thanx. I don't know to much about this kid although he is injuried which is a bit of a worry.
I think Mather will do great at the Titans he will suit the attacking style prince and campbell have.
The Original Idiot
24-05-06, 05:19 PM
Mathers is a bigger gamble than Greenshields, but has a greater payout.
The Original Idiot
24-05-06, 05:29 PM
*edited* Queenslander posted this several hours ago in GRL.
Have watched Richie for the past 3 or 4 seasons since he made the breakthrough into first team rugby. He is a top player, great under the bomb and links well into the line. In the past he has had some defensive lapses (positioning etc) and is still prone to the one on one high shot! Nothing a good coach and more experience wont sort out
His enthusiasm for the game is fantastic.
He will be a great signing as long as his knee is ok.
By the way - opposition fans hate him for some reason, so I wouldnt take too much notice of non Rhinos fans slating him!
As for the guy who said he was 5th choice uk full back - maybe 2nd at a push. (Chris Ashton - thats the guy whop has played what 12 games, at least 4 of these on the wing and who is currently residing at the bottom of superleague yes?)
lonegull
25-05-06, 07:32 AM
Hey why are you attacking me i have said nothing bad about him, so ill eat nothing but my lunch thanx. I don't know to much about this kid although he is injuried which is a bit of a worry.
I wasnt attacking you it just the way you put it richie who seems pretty smart way , have you seen this bloke play?
Rhinos and Richie Fan
26-05-06, 05:47 AM
Richie will do a fantastic job for you guys. I have watched him play since he broke into the Leeds team in 2004 and he really is one of the top young talents in rugby league. He has so much enthusiasm and is a real team player. I am a bit gutted he is leaving the Rhinos, but I hope he does well for The Titans and I think nearly every rhino fan will now follow the Titans too.
Queenslander
26-05-06, 09:30 AM
Richie will do a fantastic job for you guys. I have watched him play since he broke into the Leeds team in 2004 and he really is one of the top young talents in rugby league. He has so much enthusiasm and is a real team player. I am a bit gutted he is leaving the Rhinos, but I hope he does well for The Titans and I think nearly every rhino fan will now follow the Titans too.
Its good to hear that we have the support of the Rhino's fans. And welcome to the forums Rhinos and Richie Fan :)
Im with the Big Qld'er
Good to hear from the UK fans that have seen more of him than us - from all reports it sounds like he is an ethusiastic player - that should bode well for his ability to recover frm his injury. The benefit being he will be fit for a full Australian off season.
He's so slow, you basicly should put him as a front rower
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