View Full Version : Titans Sign Donnelly!
Titans sign Storm forward Donnelly
June 06, 2007
GOLD Coast Titans have signed Melbourne forward Ian Donnelly in a mid-season transfer to help solve the NRL club's front-row crisis.
The 26-year-old Donnelly will fill a hole left by season-ending injuries to Titans props Michael Henderson and Brad Meyers.
Donnelly will join Titans immediately and he's also contracted to the club for the 2008 season.
AAP
Now HE is a front rower!!!! 6'1" and 110kg. Have not seen alot of him to be honest but anyone with that size can only be a welcome addition to the squad especially under the current circumstances. :clap:
Dirtydog
06-06-07, 01:37 PM
Excellent buy, I agree anyone that size should do well, hopefully we can now get Carlaw from the brocos and we would have a very good forward pack.
DIEHARD
06-06-07, 02:49 PM
http://www.titans.com.au/images/articles/cropped/070606023734-Donnelly,I6050634M.jpg
Donnelly does if for the Jetstar Titans!!
Powerhouse Melbourne Front Rower Ian Donnelly has signed a two year contract with the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans effective immediately.
At 185cm and 110kgs, Donnelly is a powerful, disciplined Prop with a huge appetite for doing the hard yards.
An instrumental member of the Melbourne Storms successful forward pack last season, Ian will commence training with the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans tomorrow morning and will be available to play in the side's next match against West Tigers.
For Coach John Cartwright, Donnelly's arrival can't come quick enough following season ending injuries to Michael Henderson and Brad Myers.
Cartwright said. "We had actually looked at the possibility of signing Ian during the early stages of assembling our team because we recognised that his size and strength would be a huge asset to the side, so to get him at this stage of the season and know that he is also on the books for 2008 is a real bonus."
"Ian was an important player during Melbourne's charge towards the grand final last year, he has played very well for them so far this season, and I am confident he will slot straight into our system and provide Luke Bailey with some much needed assistance up front."
For Ian the move to the Gold Coast is the home coming he has been waiting for.
Donnelly said "I am a North Coast boy from Ballina, so this is a dream come true for me to come up and play Rugby League with the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans right in my families' back yard."
"The Titans look to be a very ambitious club, they have already established a first class roster and I can't wait to get there and make a contribution."
Ian Donnelly Profile:
D.O.B 28/01/1981
Position Front Row
Height 185cm
Weight 110kgs
NRL Debut 2003
Previous NRL Clubs St George, Manly, Melbourne.
Ian has played 61 NRL matches scoring two tries.
Ian was a member of the St George 2001 first division Premiership winning team.
Wow this came out of the blue! Ian Donnelly will be a great addition to the team. He will help soothe our front row crisis which threatens to derails our finals dream.
Source: http://www.titans.com.au
DIEHARD
06-06-07, 02:52 PM
Wow what a suprise. Ian will be a great addition to our team that is suffering a front row crisis that threatens to derail our dream of making the finals.
Great to see someone who grew up in our catchment area joining the club as well!
He is from your way Dakink!
Capital_Shark
06-06-07, 03:05 PM
A much needed mid season pick up. Surprised the Storm were willing to let him go mid season though due to their own injury problems in the pack.
DIEHARD
06-06-07, 03:16 PM
A much needed mid season pick up. Surprised the Storm were willing to let him go mid season though due to their own injury problems in the pack.
Yea I thought the same thing. After they lost Kaufusi.
Massive_Weno
06-06-07, 03:17 PM
Great signing by the Coast. I've been a fan of the work Donnelly does since his days at Manly. Will be very useful and when Stosic is at full fitness gives us Bailey, Stosic and Donnelly. A more than usefyl frontrow.
Great signing by the Coast. I've been a fan of the work Donnelly does since his days at Manly. Will be very useful and when Stosic is at full fitness gives us Bailey, Stosic and Donnelly. A more than usefyl frontrow.
Absolutely. Add to that Cannings next year and a hopefully fully fit Hodgson, Myers and Henderson and we have some serious options. Will also give everyone on the forums favourite player a chance to have a crack in the back row where he belongs!!!!!
havnt seen him b4 but jeez looks like a good signing!
Cowboy Titan
06-06-07, 03:32 PM
Yea I thought the same thing. After they lost Kaufusi.
Plus they released Matthew Bartlett last week & he's lining up for the Cowboys on Saturday.
They must have plenty of backup forwards if they can have Kaufusi out and still release 2 players mid season.
Wow what a suprise. Ian will be a great addition to our team that is suffering a front row crisis that threatens to derail our dream of making the finals.
Great to see someone who grew up in our catchment area joining the club as well!
He is from your way Dakink!
Damn straight he is!!
I would put some more money on a few more players coming from down this way. The Ballina club especially has an excellent junior program - as do MArist Brothers (Lismore). Both have a history of finishing high in the 18's.
http://www.sportingpulse.com/club_info.cgi?c=7-2456-21899-0-0&sID=26179 The Ballina Club.
The first grade team have a young no 6 in Ben Crawford who for mine is one to watch.
man melb have so many good players dieing to get on the 1st grade team
they can offord this n still have depth
he was named on the bench for the sotmr this week, guessing he wont be playing?
coldhardbitch
06-06-07, 04:56 PM
Probably released him and Bartlett to make Salary cap space for Newton.
I don't know how we can afford to buy 2 players mid-season though. Surely we must be over the salary cap.
we did release 3 players b4 the season started
He is listed in the Storm line up this week, so is he coming now or after the Storm vs. Warriors game?
well it says 1 to be dropped
so maybe he told em there was a chance he was going, so yeh
League Lover
06-06-07, 06:35 PM
that is good news he is a great playa
philstorm
06-06-07, 06:56 PM
He's a good kid.
Served us very well last year. I think that, like Barlett, he saw that he had limited opportunities at the club both in the short and long term with the likes of Anderson, Blair, Lima, Tagataese, Pale Ale, Rua etc ahead of him.
All the best, Ian - I happened to meet him personally a while back and he's an absolutely top bloke.
He'll be a great get for the Titans for the remainder of the season.
Coaster
06-06-07, 06:59 PM
What a great name Pale Ale.
I need to now more about Donnelly, i cant remember him playing but i remember the name from somewhere
Titanium_BD1103
06-06-07, 07:36 PM
Was a great asset for the Storm in 2006... and will be a fantastic asset for the Titans in 2007/2008... :)
I am very happy to hear about this, another solid forward who is committed and will help the team to move even further.
Wishing Ian all the best and Congrats to the Titans on another sensational signing... :D :D
Tamwelg
06-06-07, 07:53 PM
Woot, it was looking a bit worrying there at one point, nice work titans management, great signing.
Coaster
06-06-07, 09:58 PM
How many weeks suspension has he served in the NRL?
Probably released him and Bartlett to make Salary cap space for Newton.
I don't know how we can afford to buy 2 players mid-season though. Surely we must be over the salary cap.
Well, apparently the Storm will still be paying for him this year and next.
We can probably still afford a few good players yet, I'm guessing Carney and Turner had big contracts.
philstorm
07-06-07, 09:17 AM
Well, apparently the Storm will still be paying for him this year and next.
We can probably still afford a few good players yet, I'm guessing Carney and Turner had big contracts.
Who said that?
I really doubt we'd consider release a player if he was going to be considered under our cap anyway.
Who said that?
I really doubt we'd consider release a player if he was going to be considered under our cap anyway.
Article in the Gold Coast Bulletin said that.
http://www.gcbulletin.com.au/article/2007/06/07/5605_titans.html
It is understood the deal will see Melbourne pay a significant amount of Donnelly's contract with the Titans for the remainder of this season and also next year.
Good of the Storm to release him,looks like the relationship between both clubs is okay now.
Smart way to pick up a player
Panthers Wolf
07-06-07, 05:57 PM
A great solid addition to the Titans, Ian will give his all for the team no doubt about that! :clap:
Storms' loss in my opinion.
PW
Good stuff by the Titans on bringing him North. Being only 26 or so, he still has his best footy to come. Hopefully it will be at the Coast!
TITAN PETE
07-06-07, 08:47 PM
It will be great to have a big Boppa to had some starch to our pack :argue: .
Excellent work.
Looks good for the rest of the season, but can you imagine what a titanic team we will have when all players are on deck.:test:
Handy player but when Titans are at full strength Donnelly will be a depth player only.
Old Diehard
09-06-07, 09:32 AM
Excellent pick up- I've seen play Qld Cup a few times this year. He's a big boy! Probably needs a little more aggro in him - but running full pelt into the oppostion he will take a bit of stopping.
Must have been a fustrating season for him todate. He spends all week in Melbourne training only to be sent back to Norths Devils quite often at the last moment each week-end.
I hope that fustration makes him fire up! for the Titans. Very good new for GC Titans.
Panthers Wolf
11-06-07, 11:09 AM
I don't think anyone is going to be disappointed in his signing or performance. I also believe this is where he really wants to be. The climate, lifestyle and people are what he has grown up with and in.
He is a beast just waiting to be unleashed! Boppa? More like Bulldozer!!!
I think this young man thinks like a chess player.
PW
what u guys think of his 1st game for us?
lonegull
18-06-07, 01:45 PM
he went well i tohught ran very strongly, altough he did drop the ball at a couple of crucial times, but he will only get better, very solid debut, made good yardage
Coaster
18-06-07, 04:49 PM
Extremely well
Very good signs from him, as mentioned a couple of handling errors, but thats only minor, his running was outstanding, great partnership with Stosic
Titanz01
19-06-07, 07:04 PM
made too many errors in the game against the tigers.. his a better player in rugby league 2 on ps2 in my mind..
great game vs knights
him n bull are looking like a good front row combo!
just get rid of kahlar n our pack is sweet i rkn
Panthers Wolf
24-06-07, 06:06 PM
made too many errors in the game against the tigers.. his a better player in rugby league 2 on ps2 in my mind..
Well despite this comment I think Donnelly played very well in the Knights game and almost was over the line for a try. I think he has done well for just his second game and a mid season move.
PW
Hoppy2007Dragons
25-06-07, 01:37 AM
his offload led to matt peterson's third try.
if peterson didn't score that the titans and knights could have drawn and if rogers didn't pull of the tackle of the year the titans could have lost, so you could say ian won the game :woot:
ozynorts
25-06-07, 03:08 PM
Well despite this comment I think Donnelly played very well in the Knights game and almost was over the line for a try. I think he has done well for just his second game and a mid season move.
PW
too true. moving mid season can't be easy. he will be good support for Bailey this year and with an off season with Billy Johnstone he should be very good next year. Cannings will also be a huge help.
I thought he played well in his first game, really hit the ball up hard. Sure, one or two mistakes, but no one plays an error free game.
His enthusiasm really stood out, and my, is he a big lad.
Didn't get to see the Knights game, but his stats were right up there.
I'm definitely happy to have him on board.
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