Fotuaika creates history by winning Titans' Paul Broughton Medal

Gold Coast prop Moeaki Fotuaika has created history as the youngest ever winner of the Titans Player of the Year Award after taking home the prestigious Paul Broughton Medal at the club’s 2019 presentation night at The Star on the Gold Coast.

Fotuaika stormed to victory in the Titans’ Player of the Year Award, beating out fellow forwards Jarrod Wallace, Kevin Proctor and Jai Arrow to take home the coveted title of the Titans’ best player in 2019.

After a breakout season in the NRL in 2018, Fotuaika has established himself as one of the most promising props in the game in 2019, despite being one of the NRL’s youngest front-rowers, and having to play through the pain barrier for most of the season with long-term wrist, knee and ankle injuries.

Although still being a teenager, Fotuaika is a natural leader who will inspire the players around him.

He will do that as a Titan until at least the end of the 2022 season, after recently extending his stay with the Club.

A local junior who always plays with tremendous heart, Fotuaika will be a foundation stone for new Titans coach Justin Holbrook in the years ahead.

The Paul Brought Medal recognizes the achievements of the Titans Inaugural Chairman Paul Broughton and identifies outstanding individual playing performances round-by-round throughout the NRL season.

Votes are awarded after each game by the Titans coaching staff on a 3-2-1 basis, with the highest scorer across the season deemed to be our best and fairest.

Previous winners include, Preston Campbell, Anthony Laffranchi, Luke Bailey Nathan Friend, Nate Myles, Greg Bird, Ryan James and Anthony Don.

Paul Broughton Medal voting 2019 (Top 5):

Fotuaika – 22

Wallace – 14

Proctor – 14

Arrow – 12

Roberts – 12

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/09/13/...oughton-medal/

Also...

High-quality performances and consistency saw Jai Whitbread move from the fringe of first grade to become a mainstay of the middle for the Titans in 2019, resulting in the hulking 21-year-old being named the Gold Coast’s Rookie of the Year.

The Rookie of the Year Award is presented to an outstanding debutant who has shown considerable promise in his inaugural season in the NRL.

Whitbread played one NRL game in 2018, but went to a new level in 2019 as injuries ravaged playing stocks in the Titans forward pack.

Whitbread made the most of his opportunity, reveling in the extra responsibility to play 18 games in the NRL this season to entrench himself as one of the young bulls new Titans coach Justin Holbrook will build his playing squad around.

Jai was presented with his award by inaugural Titan, Hall of Fame member and current Titans Football Manager Anthony Laffranchi.

Congratulations Jai!

And...

In a season punctuated by serious injury that caused him to lose his Queensland State of Origin series, Jai Arrow’s strength and determination still made it a year to remember after being presented with the Coaches Award at the Titan annual presentation night.

The Coaches award is presented to a player who has a positive attitude towards every game and who performed above average in effort and determination. This award is voted on by the Titans coaching staff, and was presented by outgoing Senior Coach Craig Hodges.

The Coaches Award was Arrow’s second major win of the evening, coming after picking up the gong as Titans Members Most Valuable Player.

Congratulations again to Jai!

Plus...

Retiring fullback Michael Gordon may not have got the win he was chasing in his final game in the NRL, but the classy veteran signed off his career as a Gold Coast Titan by winning one of the Club’s major awards, The Preston.

This award is named after rugby league icon, former Dally M Medal winner, Premiership winner, and Titans Hall of Fame recipient Preston Campbell.

“The Preston” is presented to the Titans player who shows several standout qualities such as consistent work ethic and a positive attitude towards every game along with a strong commitment to effort and determination.

He is well respected, by his peers and opposition alike, not only because of what he says, but what he does. He is a leader in every way.

Gordon, not surprisingly, was a popular choice.

A wonderful player, Gordon’s abilities on the football field were only surpassed by his extreme professionalism and dedication to his community, which saw him named as the Titans’ nominee for the NRL’s Ken Stephen Medal.

Congratulations to “Flash” Gordon, and all the very best in retirement!

And this happened as well...

Preston Campbell, the first player signed by the Gold Coast Titans two years before the Club played a game, has created history again after becoming the first Life Member of the Gold Coast Titans.

The ever-humble Campbell was taken by surprise at being awarded the honour, which was presented by Titans co-owner Darry Kelly at the Club’s annual awards night held at The Star at Broadbeach.

The awarding of a Life Membership is a significant moment for any organisation, but to be the very first person to receive this honour is a very rare and distinguished accolade.

There is no more deserving or fitting recipient of this historic moment in the history of the Gold Coast Titans than Preston Campbell.

Campbell is frequently referred to as the Titans’ “spiritual leader”, and is one of that rare breed in rugby league to prove himself a champion on both fronts.

Preston ultimately played 103 NRL games for the Titans, invariably among our best players in every one of those 103, before retiring in 2011 – completing the full circle in a career that had begun with the Gold Coast Chargers in 1998.

It capped a remarkable playing career that saw him win a premiership with Penrith in 2003, a Dally M Medal as the best player in the game – beating out Newcastle’s Andrew Johns – in 2001, and the Paul Broughton Medal as the Titans Player of the Year in 2008.

The only thing that surpassed his brilliance as a player was his commitment and selflessness off the field.

The same year he won the Paul Broughton Medal as the best player at the Titans, Preston was awarded the NRL’s Ken Stephen Medal for his outstanding contribution to his local community.

Preston’s dedication to his community set the example for other Titans to follow, and set this Club on the path to its current role as a loyal servant to the people of the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers region.

His dedication to his community continues with the excellent work he does through the Preston Campbell Foundation.

His legacy to the Titans is on-going, with his role as an official club ambassador, and in lending his name to our prestigious “Preston” award, which recognises the person in our organisation that personifies what it means to be a Titan.

Titans Executive Chairman Dennis Watt said Campbell personifies what it means to be a Titan, and as such was an obvious choice as the Club’s inaugural Life Member.

“As intrinsically entwined as Preston is to the Titans’ past, he is just as important to our Club’s future,” Watt said.

“Preston exemplifies everything that we want the people in our organisation to be. He will be the template that every new Titan must measure up to.

“Moving forward, every player asked to become a Titan must exhibit Preston’s qualities of toughness, resilience, pride, courage and a willingness to give everything they have – on and off the field.

“He is the benchmark against which everybody that calls themselves a Titan will be judged.”

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2019/...s-life-member/

“Preston exemplifies everything that we want the people in our organisation to be. He will be the template that every new Titan must measure up to.

“Moving forward, every player asked to become a Titan must exhibit Preston’s qualities of toughness, resilience, pride, courage and a willingness to give everything they have – on and off the field.“He is the benchmark against which everybody that calls themselves a Titan will be judged.”

Imagine us fans displaying nothing but these qualities!

Really happy for Mo. Well deserved.

Well done to MO thoroughly deserved

Well done MoFo, well deserved and glad he got the recognition that he deserved after an incredible year for him. Glad we have him locked down for the next few years.

MoFo thoroughly deserved and PC what a legend ... sometimes the Club gets it very right. Congrats to them all. I can't argue with any of the selections.