DIEHARD
16-04-07, 07:59 PM
Opinion: NRL hitting back with Titans
Even the staunchest fan would have to admit that in the years following the Super League war that rugby league in south-east Queensland had given up some ground to rival football codes, particularly AFL.
Broncos crowds had shrunk since the lofty heights of the early-to-mid '90s, a couple of south-east Queensland teams had been disposed of like last week's garbage, all while the AFL was lifting its profile at a rapid rate thanks to the successful Brisbane Lions and rugby union was doing likewise on the back of the 'Super' concept and the Wallabies.
But if you were one of the 47,686 fans at Suncorp Stadium last Friday night you would have to be convinced that rugby league has fully returned to its former greatness in a heartland that had been stuffed around for various reasons since 1997.
The buzz in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast in the lead-up to the inaugural Titans-Broncos clash was State of Origin-like with all forms of media saturated with coverage of the game.
Sydney fans know all too well how popular local derbies can be and this was something Brisbane league supporters had missed out on since the axing of the Chargers in 1998.
Broncos matches against the Cowboys have certainly grown in profile over the last few seasons, but due to the immense distance of the two teams it was more of a Queensland derby rather than a truly local one.
Anyone who thought rugby league starts and ends with the Broncos in south-east Queensland would have been shocked at the number of blue jerseys at the game on Friday night, easily outnumbering the maroon and gold of the reigning premier.
It was refreshing to learn that Titans fans do not exclusively come from the Gold Coast and that many people from Brisbane have taken them on board as the team to follow. People still dirty on the tragic demise of the Crushers would most definitely fit the bill of 'Brisbanites' willing to give the Titans a go.
And from what we have seen in the opening five rounds of the competition, the Titans are a team worth backing because they play an enterprising brand of football and are committed in everything they do.
Watching them put the cleaners through the Broncos on Friday night was hardly surprising if you saw them clinically dispose of the Panthers away from home just the week before.
The bonus for the Titans is the fact that all their big names have stood up when required this season. Halfback Scott Prince has been a revelation as the team's key playmaker and prop Luke Bailey is the colossus that leads a very underrated and enthusiastic pack of forwards that have outshone more illustrious opposition several times already in 2007.
Mentor John Cartwright has done a sterling job in successfully molding a bunch of strangers together in such a short space of time ? not bad for a rookie NRL coach.
And speaking of people who deserve a wrap, managing director Michael Searle and his team have been justified in their decision to take a couple of the Titans' bigger matches against the Dragons and Broncos to the 52,500 capacity Suncorp Stadium.
Searle copped some criticism on the Coast for taking these games north so early in the club's existence, but the figures speak for themselves with an average of 44,358 attending both matches compared to the maximum 18,500 allowed at the Titans' current home base of Carrara.
Next season only the Broncos derby will be taken to Suncorp Stadium with all remaining matches to be played at the exciting new 25,000-capacity stadium currently being built at Robina.
And why wouldn't you ensure all future Titans-Broncos derbies remained at a facility capable of the holding the most number of fans ? the people of Queensland's south-east demand it such is the high volume of rugby league interest in the area these days.
Sportal
Even the staunchest fan would have to admit that in the years following the Super League war that rugby league in south-east Queensland had given up some ground to rival football codes, particularly AFL.
Broncos crowds had shrunk since the lofty heights of the early-to-mid '90s, a couple of south-east Queensland teams had been disposed of like last week's garbage, all while the AFL was lifting its profile at a rapid rate thanks to the successful Brisbane Lions and rugby union was doing likewise on the back of the 'Super' concept and the Wallabies.
But if you were one of the 47,686 fans at Suncorp Stadium last Friday night you would have to be convinced that rugby league has fully returned to its former greatness in a heartland that had been stuffed around for various reasons since 1997.
The buzz in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast in the lead-up to the inaugural Titans-Broncos clash was State of Origin-like with all forms of media saturated with coverage of the game.
Sydney fans know all too well how popular local derbies can be and this was something Brisbane league supporters had missed out on since the axing of the Chargers in 1998.
Broncos matches against the Cowboys have certainly grown in profile over the last few seasons, but due to the immense distance of the two teams it was more of a Queensland derby rather than a truly local one.
Anyone who thought rugby league starts and ends with the Broncos in south-east Queensland would have been shocked at the number of blue jerseys at the game on Friday night, easily outnumbering the maroon and gold of the reigning premier.
It was refreshing to learn that Titans fans do not exclusively come from the Gold Coast and that many people from Brisbane have taken them on board as the team to follow. People still dirty on the tragic demise of the Crushers would most definitely fit the bill of 'Brisbanites' willing to give the Titans a go.
And from what we have seen in the opening five rounds of the competition, the Titans are a team worth backing because they play an enterprising brand of football and are committed in everything they do.
Watching them put the cleaners through the Broncos on Friday night was hardly surprising if you saw them clinically dispose of the Panthers away from home just the week before.
The bonus for the Titans is the fact that all their big names have stood up when required this season. Halfback Scott Prince has been a revelation as the team's key playmaker and prop Luke Bailey is the colossus that leads a very underrated and enthusiastic pack of forwards that have outshone more illustrious opposition several times already in 2007.
Mentor John Cartwright has done a sterling job in successfully molding a bunch of strangers together in such a short space of time ? not bad for a rookie NRL coach.
And speaking of people who deserve a wrap, managing director Michael Searle and his team have been justified in their decision to take a couple of the Titans' bigger matches against the Dragons and Broncos to the 52,500 capacity Suncorp Stadium.
Searle copped some criticism on the Coast for taking these games north so early in the club's existence, but the figures speak for themselves with an average of 44,358 attending both matches compared to the maximum 18,500 allowed at the Titans' current home base of Carrara.
Next season only the Broncos derby will be taken to Suncorp Stadium with all remaining matches to be played at the exciting new 25,000-capacity stadium currently being built at Robina.
And why wouldn't you ensure all future Titans-Broncos derbies remained at a facility capable of the holding the most number of fans ? the people of Queensland's south-east demand it such is the high volume of rugby league interest in the area these days.
Sportal