not atkins, i rather tongia/tomane/tonga
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It's not your call mate, so don't dwell on it, just get behind the players that are picked.
Atkins is a solid defender on the wing, can leap, and is a genuine winger.
Considering as you have been telling us for weeks he won't see the ball, we need a defender and a good leaper.
LOL @ Ryan.
I don't want to see Rogers moved and Im sure Carty won't, as Coaster says, we have the core team, only replace because of injuries.
Laffranchi happy to prop up Gold Coast
Gold Coast star Anthony Laffranchi admits he'd rather stay at second row, but says he's prepared to move to prop if it means accommodating Greg Bird in the NRL club's starting side.
The Test and NSW State of Origin representative is one of the game's best back-rowers, however Laffranchi was moved up front for the Wests Tigers under similar circumstances in the 2005 grand final.
Coach John Cartwright, whose finals-bound Titans face the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium on Monday night, faces a selection headache over how to combine his strongest side.
Advertisement: Story continues belowBird is expected to make his return from a hamstring injury against the Roosters, and named on the bench.
Before his month-long layout Bird was playing five-eighth, but the superb form of Mat Rogers in his absence has almost guaranteed the retiring veteran won't be moved out of the halves.
This could see for the former Cronulla star to move to lock where he starred for NSW in the third Origin match.
However, for that to happen Cartwright would have to break apart his tried and tested backrow of Laffranchi, Mark Minichiello and Ashley Harrison.
Laffranchi said he doesn't envy the position Cartwright is in, and happy to give his coach some advice on what to do with Bird.
"I'm sure the water bottles might need to be filled every now and then so Birdy might find a job there, or I keep telling him (to move) up into the front row!" joked Laffranchi.
"We have got a pretty stable back row there with Mini, Harro and myself and we've got a really good combination going, and Matty is playing too good to move him out of No.6 ... but it's a good position to be in.
"When you've got the calibre of Birdy trying to force his way into the team, it's only going to put pressure on guys like myself and bring the best out of everyone."
Laffranchi said he'll do whatever's best for the team and can take confidence from having previous big-time experience at prop.
"It's exactly the same position I was in with the Tigers. We had Mark O'Neill injured and he came back and to make way for him I moved up to the front row.
"I've done it before and my role hasn't changed too much and if that was the case and for the best of the team, then definitely.
"I'd prefer to stay in the No.11 and keep doing what I've been doing in my career here on the Coast, but if I move up the beauty is you bring an Origin player like Greg Bird into the back row which is only going to help."
http://news.smh.com.au/
Six weeks to win test jersey
ANDREW Johns has thrown up Roosters star Todd Carney as the Kangaroos' halfback wildcard for this year's Four Nations campaign.
With doubts over North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston, who is sidelined with foot and shoulder injuries, Carney could be one strong finals campaign from winning his first Australian jumper.
Johns says the Kangaroos No. 7 jersey could come down to a finals shootout between Roosters team-mates Mitchell Pearce and Carney and Gold Coast's Scott Prince.
The first shots in that battle will come tomorrow night when the Roosters face the Titans at the Sydney Football Stadium.
"In normal circumstances, Cooper Cronk would be next cab off the rank and will still be strongly considered," Johns said.
"But he has the disadvantage of not playing during the finals.
"If the likes of the Roosters or the Titans go on a big run during the finals series, you'd have to think it will be because their halfbacks will be really firing.
"Who is in form during the finals always counts for a lot when they're picking these sides.
"If the Roosters were to go all the way to the grand final, Pearce or even Carney could really put themselves in the picture. The same goes for Scotty Prince with the Titans if they can get on a roll.
"But JT [Thurston] is one of the toughest players around. If he says he is going to be right by then, I wouldn't be ruling him out."
Carney and Pearce refuse to let the lure of a Test jumper derail their finals focus with the Roosters.
But Carney has attracted the attention of the right people for the right reasons this year.
"The thing with Carney is that he's shown he can play one, six and seven. He's an asset," one national selector told The Sunday Telegraph.
Carney admits a Test spot would be a dream come true. "I'd love to be a part of it, but there's a long way to go," he said.
Pearce, who played game three for NSW this year, claims it would be selfish of him to even consider the notion of a Test jumper.
"My mind is on this week and working hard with these boys to make the finals," he said.
"It's selfish to be thinking about anything but your team's finals chances."
Pearce said the 10-day turnaround from last week's shock loss to Cronulla has allowed the Roosters to reset their focus.
"I want to make these last couple of weeks and into the finals my best part of the season, because that's when your team needs you and that's why you get picked in first grade, to play well in these games," he said.
"I'm taking that as a little challenge. The last two losses have been disappointing, but it makes you get those nerves back in your guts again."
Pearce said he was eagerly awaiting the contest against Prince, which could be an entree to another head-to-head battle in the finals.
"I'm looking forward to playing Scotty Prince," he said. "Scott Prince is a great player and has been for a long time. I always liked watching him at the Tigers and obviously the Titans. They're always great attacking sides and he's one that we have to stop this week."
Source: The Daily Telegraph
Presto is having an MRI tomorrow & could be out for a few weeks
raiders beat dragons like i thought, so now if we win against roosters we are 2 points behind, and the knights @ energy australia with everything to play for against the dragons could see us go level
We really need you on deck for the Finals Preston! Hope you are ok.
What reserves do you pick if Lafrancri moves to the front row?
You have nearly all 80 min players in the side.
Interesting, nearly want some short stint thug, like Moi Moi, Myers maybe and Bodine, Tagatese, and another front rower
The salary cap forces semi final type of matches earlier, every year in the NRL and this will be an interesting game to watch...and it's not only for positions on the ladder.
If Titans drop one of their last three...it's a good chance these two teams may meet each other come first semi final.
Presto out as Titans prepare for Chooks
TITANS fullback Preston Campbell has been ruled out of the Gold Coast's big away clash against the Sydney Roosters tomorrow night with a hamstring injury.
Campbell suffered the injury at a team training session on Friday and had not recovered in time to fly out of Coolangatta with the rest of the side this afternoon.
Winger William Zillman will shift to fullback, with off-contract leaper Jordan Atkins to line up on the flank for just his second first grade game of the season.
Big back rower Sam Tagataese will travel as 18th man.
Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au
Prince set for battle royale on two fronts
THE race is on for a top-four berth in the NRL, and Scott Prince is ready to lead the way as the Gold Coast Titans tackle the Sydney Roosters tonight in a game which could have a huge bearing on finals positions.
For Prince, the race to the finals is only part of the picture, the Gold Coast skipper also bidding for a return to the Test arena remains on the cards at the end of the season.
With doubts over North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston, who is sidelined with foot and shoulder injuries, Prince is well placed to make a play for the Kangaroos No.7 jumper.
But he is facing direct competition from Roosters halves Mitchell Pearce and even Todd Carney, who was tossed up as a possible bolter by former Australian halfback Andrew Johns at the weekend.
Titans spiritual leader Chris 'Choppy' Close believes Prince has proved he is the man to lead the Gold Coast all the way to the grand final after rediscovering his dominant best.
The form halfback of the competition, Prince has put a sluggish start to the season behind him with sensational performances against the Eels and Cowboys over the past fortnight as the club bears down on its second-consecutive finals berth.
''To be a good leader, the first thing you have to do is be prepared to roll your sleeves up and get involved yourself,'' said Maroons great Close.
''At the moment that is what Scotty is doing.
''There has probably been times where he has tried to lead from afar but that doesn't work.
''It doesn't give confidence to the players and they don't want to follow you.
''But at this point in time, his leadership is spot on.''
Maroons great Close believes Prince has returned to the scintillating style that saw him win the last of his representative jerseys for Queensland and Australia in 2008.
''There are a couple of things that have happened,'' said Close.
''His kicking game has become spot on and he is running the ball, which creates a lot of doubt in the minds of the opposition.
''With everything that has happened to him this year, there have been some major distractions off the field and it is a credit to him that he has got himself into the position he has to be leading the team the way he is.''
As part of his role with the Titans, foundation Gold Coast Giants player Close is the man charged with bringing a sense of pride and history to the fresh NRL franchise.
He is a fixture in the dressing sheds before every game, using his passion to fire up players, instilling confidence and offering words of wisdom.
''I was involved with the team at this stage last year and I felt that they needed to improve by about 25 per cent to be a grand final contender,'' said Close.
''This year there is no doubt in my mind that they can win this competition.
''There is not a team in the NRL that they can't beat.
''One thing different this year to last year is that they are a much tougher outfit.
''It comes from John Cartwright's coaching and is a culmination of his four years in the job and bringing that culture to the team and refining it to the stage it is.
''When you start to believe in yourself, your level of performance really skyrockets and I think this team this year really believes in themselves and each other.
''They are great things to have as a team going into a grand final situation.''
Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au
Roosters star runs a fine line
IN FOOTYSPEAK it's known as the courage line.
The tunnel-vision charge that nine times out of 10 ends with a crunching blindside tackle.
But, as Mitchell Aubusson knows, there's nothing sweeter than popping out the other side.
And when it comes to splitting NRL defences, the lightweight Roosters back-rower has emerged as one of the most potent attacking weapons in the NRL this year.
Forget the Eels' Jarryd Hayne and the Panthers' Michael Jennings, no one can match Aubusson's strike rate at splitting the line, with the 22-year-old involved in a linebreak less than every nine touches of the ball.
It's a forward strike rate that puts the Ballina junior in the rarefied company of Manly great Steve Menzies.
And as Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce raves, it all comes down to his willingness to put his 94kg frame on the chopping block - and a freakish ability to read his ballplayers.
"For a back-rower he's not a massive guy, but the amount of tries he's scored running that hard line ... I don't think there's any other player that's done that," Pearce said.
"He's always hit that great hole so maybe for him it comes natural, but it takes a lot of toughness to put your body on the line and Aubbo does it constantly.
"As a ball player Toddy [Carney] and I love going to him."
Switched from centre to the back-row this year, Aubusson has been a revelation for Roosters coach Brian Smith, leading the NRL with the most linebreaks for a forward (14).
His combination with Pearce, Carney and Shaun Kenny-Dowall has been a feature of the Roosters' free-wheeling attack.
And the blond flyer admits he's relishing the chance to feed off the playmakers, as well as Roosters captain Braith Anasta.
"These guys are freaks and just to be a part of that is unreal," he said. "They are doing a lot of the hard work for me and I'm just sort of feeding off the back of it a bit."
A back-rower as a junior, Aubusson played 56 NRL games at centre or off the bench before Smith spoke to him in the pre-season about a move to the forwards this year.
And although he is again back at centre to cover for the loss of rookie Kane Linnett for tonight's clash with the Gold Coast Titans, he's adamant the Roosters can end the two-game losing streak that threatens to derail their top-four aspirations.
The match will play a pivotal role in deciding the final make-up of the eight, with the Titans and Roosters both gunning for a home final.
For Aubusson, it means making up for the "embarrassment" of last year's wooden spoon and also another shot at finals football after being bundled out in 2008 with back-to-back defeats.
And the Ballina Seagulls junior says the roller-coaster of the past two seasons has been a factor behind the Roosters' revival - along with the obvious factors of Todd Carney's signing and Brian Smiths appointment.
"Smithy has come in and given the boys a lot of self-confidence and you can just see by the way they are playing," he said. "But after last year I think a lot of the boys had a good look in the mirror at themselves and said, 'We can't do that again because it's just not acceptable'. And to our credit we've bounced back and some of the boys are playing the best footy of their life."
Quizzed about his own form and ability to crack the defence, Aubusson says he has tried to model his game on Menzies.
But he's also quick to deflect the accolades to Pearce, Carney and Anasta - even if means a barrage of body-jarring hits.
"You've got to have a bit of guts to run that line because half the time you are going to get hit pretty hard and blindsided too so there's a bit of that that comes into it," he said.
"But if you can get your head around that, then the pros definitely outweigh the cons."
Source: http://www.thedailytelegraph.com.au
Kenny-Dowall determined to put Titans to the sword again
THE reinvention of Shaun Kenny-Dowall from winger to world-class centre started in round 12 this year against Gold Coast Titans, who the Roosters face again tonight.
Kenny-Dowall's brilliant performances in the latter half of the season have made him a firm contender to partner Steve Matai in the centres for New Zealand later this year, and can be traced back to a breakthrough match at Skilled Park in May - also on a Monday night.
He scored two tries and broke eight tackles as the Roosters won 30-16 and was instantly a new player.
''In the latter half of the season I have been really happy with my form and I have learned from my mistakes in the early games,'' said Kenny-Dowall, who had played on the wing for most of his NRL career.
For the first 10 games of the season Kenny-Dowall had scored three tries. Following a round 11 bye and some home truths on the video screen, he began his impressive charge against the Titans.
From that match to date, Kenny-Dowall has crossed for 11 tries, made nine line breaks, and run for more than 100 metres in seven games - twice breaching 200 metres in 80 minutes.
''It is definitely a lot different to the wing, in defence and attack,'' he said. ''I just try to do my best for the Roosters and see what happens at the end of the year [with Test selection].
''I worked really hard on my transition to centre; I've had to do a lot of work to adjust to it.
''I want to stand up in the games coming up and really perform well.''
The Titans will be looking to contain Kenny-Dowall more effectively tonight at the Sydney Football Stadium than they did 12 weeks ago but have already suffered a blow with fullback Preston Campbell ruled out through injury. Jordan Atkins will come into the side on the wing, with William Zillman reverting to fullback.
Greg Bird will come off the bench as Titans coach John Cartwright retains his halves pairing of Scott Prince and Mat Rogers, and said he had not decided how to use Bird for the rest of the season.
Cartwright dismissed the lack of interest from punters in his team.
Bookmakers have revealed that although the side is a contender for the minor premiership, to date they have fielded nearly double the money on Melbourne winning the title as the Titans - and no bets have been taken on the Storm since their salary cap cheating was exposed in April.
''I can't control any betting or what people think of our chances,'' Cartwright said. ''We know if we get all our little systems right it will be hard for any team to beat us.
''Form is a week-to-week thing; no one can time when they have a good run. You have got to believe in what you are doing.
''We are pretty well at full-strength; we believe in ourselves.''
The Roosters have lost two matches in a row and are at risk of missing out on the home semi-final they looked assured of a fortnight ago.
''We did create a fair few chances in those games - we just did not execute well,'' Kenny-Dowall said. ''That is what we have focused on this week and hopefully we can execute on the day.''
Cartwright's troops are well aware of the Roosters' desperation.
''They have lost a couple; no one wants to lose three games in a row going into the semi-finals,'' Cartwright said.
Source: http://www.leaguehq.com.au
Campbell out, Atkins in against Roosters
Adam Gardini
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...rsvstitans.jpg
Jetstar Gold Coast Titans livewire Preston Campbell has been ruled out of tonight's clash against the Sydney Roosters with a hamstring injury.
Campbell suffered the injury at training on Friday and was unable to take the field for the team's final training run at Robina yesterday morning.
The loss of Campbell will see a re-shuffle of the Titans line-up with winger William Zillman shifting to fullback and Jordan Atkins promoted to the wing.
The Titans will be looking for their fifth straight win, which would help the club move one step closer towards sealing a top-four spot and guaranteeing their place in the finals.
Source: http://www.titans.com.au
Mini v Mini
Jason Sintome
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It’s the ultimate in sibling rivalry, and feathers could fly as Mark Minichiello targets his older brother Anthony during tonight’s round 24 clash between the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans and the Sydney Roosters.
In scintillating form this season for the Titans scoring nine tries, Mark knows his brother will be there, trying his best to protect the Roosters try line from full back tonight should the Titans second rower break clear at any stage.
It’s the clash both families brace themselves for, a game when backyard rivalries are relived, but this time there are premiership points on the line.
Source: http://www.titans.com.au
I have little doubt that Zilly will rise for the occasion tonight. Playing some consistent football has been doing him the world of good.
I wish I felt more confident going into this game, surely the boys want some revenge on the chickens after the drumming they put on us at Skilled.
Zillman has also got his speed back. Which is great to see.
the wing did zilly good, he caught some hard bombs against NZ, taga is 18th man but i think he would do ok again at centre and michaels at wing.
Michaels is the best centre we have when Rogers is in the 6. No way I'd be moving him to the wing.
Roosters are pretty firm favourites for this but I think our forward pack can more than match it with them, and if we do dish it up to them up front for the full 80 minutes Prince can play them a turne and put it on for the fast men to put them away.
Their danger men are their hard running back rowers and centres but the key men for us are Bull, White, Hendo, Red, Mini and Boof. If those 6 lay the platform and get the go forward we can stay with them early and grind them out of it late as we have against the likes of Melbourne, Manly, NZ, Parra and St. George.
Any win would see us back in 2nd and any win by more than 2 points would see us increase our tiny margin on the Wests for and against.
I'm on the Titans to win at $2.45!
Whatever the combo they still should have that fire. S'posed to go out tonight but wouldn't concentrate away from the game. Canberra has helped get the minor prem in GCT sights too though St G fans say not possible. Have to stay positive, they are gonna win tonight.
Time for a little respect. Titans by 13. We beat the Roosters and we become a true finalist prospect.
How was Anasta not offside there?
Roosters first try was forward
What about that Mini intercept and then the Toopi counter attack! WOW
Goal line drop out for us! Let's go boys!
Looking good. Respect.
Fantastic try to Bodene Thompson scooping up the ball from 10 out. The Southern Legion goes mad! Scott Prince converts 16-10! 58th minute.
Zillman with a streaking 80m run, next play we go wide to Toopi who scores.
Toopi has been amazing for us tonight.
22-10!
Love the Scott Prince field goal!
But... sad to see the Roosters get in off a freaky passage of play. Anthony Minichello's 100th try.
Yee haa ... bloody great - had to listen to the radio online in China ... bring on the Sharkies :-)
FULL TIME @ THE SFS: Titans reclaim 2nd spot in the Premiership! 23-14! Titans 50th win ever! Tries to Toopi (2), Gordon, Thompson. Scott Prince 3 goals, 1 field goal