Titans kick off with colourful vision

[DIEHARD]

To the booming voice of Freddie Mercury's One Vision, the Gold Coast's rugby league team was officially branded the Titans last night.

"This is an important milestone for the Gold Coast and I am sure the Titans name will become a catchcry for thousands of fans," said NRL boss David Gallop as more than 1200 passionate supporters became the first to chant it at a special unveiling ceremony at the Robina Town Centre.

As exclusively revealed by The Gold Coast Bulletin on Wednesday, Titans was the runaway favourite among the city's league fans.

"It's a winner and so is the process we used to get us this result," said Titans managing director Michael Searle.

"It has been arguably the most exhaustive and transparent naming process in the history of Australian sport.

"The thing I like about it most is that it has been inclusive in the involvement of the community every step of the way."

Titans has always been a popular choice for Gold Coasters, right back to when The Bulletin conducted the first naming survey in August 2003.

The latest poll, conducted last month, asked league fans to choose between Stingers, Titans and Pirates.

Out of the 49,224 votes cast, Titans polled 45 per cent, in front of Pirates on 29 per cent and Stingers 26 per cent.

Also released yesterday was the Titans' logo a super hero-type, mythological gladiator coloured in shades of the Gold Coast with sea (blue), sun (yellow) and sand (fawn).

According to Steve Burns, the Titans' marketing and commercial manager and the man behind the naming project: "We wanted to ensure the colours represented the Gold Coast and that the logo, when lined up against the other 15 clubs in the NRL, is worthy of inclusion among what are some of the best and most successful brands in Australian sport."

The unveiling ceremony last night attracted senior rugby league officials, local politicians, corporate heavyweights and hundreds of grassroots league fans.

A highlight was a high-energy video production including big-name signings Preston Campbell and Luke Bailey and local product Anthony Laffranchi, who will be part of the Titans when they make their NRL debut in 2007.

The video was followed by the unfurling of a giant banner revealing the Titans' name, and a stirring rendition of Born to Win, penned by song-writing duo Brian Sutton and Lee Conway especially for the occasion.

Today the entire Gold Coast can check out the new name and logo when a helicopter flies a giant Titans banner around the city from 8am to 9.30am. Editorial, Page 22
Source: http://www.gcbulletin.com.au

[DIEHARD]

Titanic night for club


John Cartwright arrived on the Gold Coast last night to a titanic welcome.

"This is great, but imagine what it will be like for that first home game," said Cartwright amid the celebrations at Robina Town Centre as the Gold Coast's new NRL team was officially christened the Titans.

The club's inaugural coach had only driven into the city yesterday afternoon from Sydney with his wife and three children.

"We are all a bit emotionally drained, but this is fantastic, this is very exciting," he said.

Cartwright, the former Australian, NSW and Penrith player and more recently assistant coach at the Sydney Roosters, said he expected 'Titans' to have universal appeal.

"Actually, I really liked Dolphins. It was a good fit for where we are positioned on the coast," he said. "It will be interesting to see the reaction tomorrow.

"This is the way the game is heading, making it universally appealing ... to the women and kids and I think Titans will appeal to them especially when they see the logo."

Titans was last night branded as the Coast team's name after an exhaustive public polling process that came down to a three-way tussle between Titans, Stingers and Pirates.

Of the 49,224 votes cast by rugby league fans Titans pooled 45 per cent, Pirates 29 per cent and Stingers 26 per cent.

About 1200 people including NRL boss David Gallop, local politicians, corporate heavyweights and grassroots league fans cheered the unveiling of the Titans last night.

For Cartwright it was another major step on the road to producing a competitive team on debut in 2007.

However he said the passion that was oozing at last night's launch would be a vital ingredient for the Titan's success.

"The importance of this sort of feeling (from the fans) is huge," he said. "I have spoken to Searley (Titans managing director Michael Searle) about this. We really want this to be a people's team and we will be out in the community and the schools to create that feeling.

"In Penrith it has worked really well with the community behind the team and we want that here as well.

"There it has been the hard work in the community that has created that. You go to a home game in Penrith and it is just such an event."

Cartwright said it was also important to keep the momentum rolling sparking continued excitement surrounding the team.

"The (Titans) chant that you can hear tonight means it is a bit closer for us," he said.

"People are saying it is two years away, but for us it is 12 months and events like tonight and others we have planned will keep the vibe going."

Cartwright said his initial work on the Gold Coast would be largely 'meet and greet'.

"I just want to get out into the community and get a feel from the people and what their expectations are. I want to talk to as many people as possible."

He would not speculate on how soon the Titans would add to the seven signings the club has to date.

"It is the semis now and nobody wants to have pressure on people at that time."

But Cartwright said interest remained high in former Parramatta centre Jamie Lyon, who is playing with St Helens in the English Super league, but who remains an untouchable until the June 30, 2006, anti-tampering deadline.

"We would be interested in him," he said. "But it will come down to what Jamie wants."

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

[Storm]

I thought the One Vision video for the Titans launch was fantastic and the comments made by Mr.Searle were significant and spot on as were John Cartwright's but to be honest the rest of the launch lacked a bit.

Being 20 minutes late for the start time for no apparent reason as all parties concerned were already present left a lot of people wondering what was going on.

Then the embarrasment of Paul Gale and his "professional" antics made me cringe and lead to the guy next to me saying "What is this crap?"
Hopefully David Gallop didnt see and hear his show, especially the John from Miami bit, as it didnt have any entertainment value whatsoever and again Paul seemed to put the centre of attention on himself again at yet another function.

Lets hope the Titans can improve in this department and we can find a better crowd announcer/entertainer.

And lastly the sound, the audio for the One Vision presentation was great but the microphone audio for when people spoke was extremely hard to hear sitting down the back.
The area size of the crowd wasnt that big and it was disappointing that a lot of the conversation on the podium couldnt be heard.

But it was still a great night, we now have an identity and we now can call our team by name and say it with pride.

GO THE TITANS !!!!!!

[footyfan09]

i wish i could of gone but i forgot devoed!!

[DIEHARD]

http://www.titans.com.au/images/pictures/large/release2-0561.0059.jpg

Another one for the scrapbook!