Round 20: Gold Coast Titans vs Brisbane Broncos

[Ryan]

There is a good reason why we don't get talked about as a serious finals contender, just watch the last 12 minutes.

Geez it was a flat feeling at the end of that game...

I second that...........

[TITAN PETE]

It was a good win but it looked like Carty put the cue in the rack with 20 to go , resting Friend,Mini (looked like a cork) & Harrison

Welcome back Scott Prince , his best game in 3 months

The stats tell the story
1st half Titans missed tackles 10
2nd half Titans missed tackles 34

Still plenty of work to be done there but atleast we still got the 2 points..

[Paul]

Welcome back Scott Prince , his best game in 3 months

He looked awesome running at the line,side stepping and dancing around defenders

and also good man Princey for spending a good 20 minutes at the northern end signing stuff and having your pics taken with all the kids

[Tamwelg]

There is a good reason why we don't get talked about as a serious finals contender, just watch the last 12 minutes.

Geez it was a flat feeling at the end of that game...

Yep, you got my vote as well. We killed the Ponnies, but I felt very flat at the end of the game because of the last 15mins.

[Tamwelg]

Scott Prince was brilliant. Zillman was in great position all night and was involved in a nice set play with Princey to put Mini for the first try. Ash and Laffranchi player really well and Mini was starting to get his strong running back. All the bench did there job, especially big red . Delaney was very ordinary, he's just not a centre IMO, Rogers to Centre and Delaney bench or Qcup.

[TITAN PETE]

Rogers to Centre and Delaney bench or Qcup.

I vote Tam to become a selector for next week

[Steve]

Our best win against the donkeys, but yeah, they took the foot off their throat and let them back into the game when we should have finished them off.

It was a decent crowd considering both the cold and the trains breaking down!

[Coaster]

Players should only get 65% of there match payments as far as I'm concerned. Someone remind me why delenay is playing for us again?

[TITAN PETE]

Someone remind me why delenay is playing for us again?

I'm sure there must be a video involved

[heidstar]

What a great win...We all left pretty excited after an awesome game.However when we got to Springbrook road in mudgeeraba,all traffic stopped.Very unusual for a quiet road.The roads are still shut(nearly 2 hrs) and we are (approx 20 cars) are all titans fans still all decked in our supporters gear outside our cars waiting to get through.we are talking positively about the legion supporters how awesome you are and even though not great circumstances looks like you may get a few members next year.What great human beings titans supporters are that i am with right now,chating about the game,supporters and the g.c locals .we are aware that the accident is very serious and lets hope (we have been told they are titans supporters)that they will be ok.But it does not look good.But you legions really stood out tonight more than ever.It was a pleasure to watch and can not wait to join you all next year too!!!

[Paul]

awesome,thanks for the kind words.We were all pretty chuffed tonight that the rest of the crowd seemed to join in when we started a chant.It was very noticable to us for pretty much the first time and we loved it.

Feel free to come say hello to all of us in sec 30 (if you haven't already) at the next home game

[heidstar]

Thanks...we really need to do the victory song at the end of a victorious match like the cronula sharks do.Over a loud speaker the song goes off and the crowd just sing so loud, part of the words still in my head even after one match watching them 5yrs ago.Its not their sheds song just a supporters song,easy to remember and gets stuck in your head when you are bored at work!!!

[Tamwelg]

Titans need a `Friendly' attitude

Daniel Meers

July 25th, 2009

NATHAN Friend. Words simply can't describe the bravery and unrivalled attitude he takes into a footy game.

For 60 minutes Friend carved out 29 tackles and looked one of the best players on the field.

In reality he was playing on one leg, probably shouldnt have been there, and in a hell of a lot of pain.

After he got dressed late last night his injured ankle was black and blue, swollen and back in a pressure bandage and boot.

Walking was a big effort.

Few if any players would have taken the field last night.

His summation was simple.

"I always wanted to play. Some people take it for granted to play NRL and I certainly love being out there in the contest," he said.

"We can't really hurt it too much structurally so we'll just have to put up with a bit of pain."

Friend hobbled out of Skilled Park on one leg last night, but said he'd be back for more next week.

"I was happy with how it felt out there, it started to hurt a bit after 60 odd minutes, just after we come out at half time it cooled down a bit."

Looking at Friend last night you'd say he would be 1000-1 to play next Friday night, but it's odds-on he will.

Coach John Cartwright said nothing Friend did surprised him any more.

"He's very strong willed, as soon as he came off and took his boot off he had a bad limp, when it really counted he never showed any sign of pain or discomfort," he said.

"I didn't think he was any chance of playing when I saw his leg on Tuesday."

Call it coincidence, but when Friend went off about the 60th minute the Titans switched off.

Three tries followed and the Titans yet again failed to run out a full 80 minutes.

For 60 minutes the Titans had set up the perfect 40-2 victory, even 50-2 victory, yet the plucky big brothers put respectability on the scoreboard.

Gaps opened, the Titans went into auto-pilot, perhaps because they knew the game was over.

The Titans looked like scoring their biggest ever winning margin, that went out the window.

Gold Coast will play semi final footy this year, they'll need to be playing the full 80 by then.

The Nathan Friend attitude of playing 80 minutes in fifth gear and going into a sixth if needed has to be found.

That's the only thing stopping the Titans from being the total package in 2009.

Having 17 with the Nathan Friend attitude.

www.goldocast.com.au

[Tamwelg]

Prince just magic

Luke Turgeon

July 25th, 2009

THE Gold Coast Titans unleashed their ruthless streak with a 34-18 demolition of the Brisbane Broncos last night.

In a convincing display, the Titans flexed their premiership muscle by putting the battling Broncos to the sword in front of 26,336 fans to maintain their unbeaten run at their Skilled Park fortress this season.

Miracle man Nathan Friend completed an incredible recovery from an ankle injury to take his place in the No.9 jumper while skipper Scott Prince was simply marvellous, scoring one try, having a hand in his sides five others and kicking five conversions from six attempts.

The Broncos travelled to Skilled Park with nothing more than pride on the line.

By the time they left, they barely had that.

A flurry of three quick tries in the dying minutes was the only positives the Broncos could draw out of what was for the most part a hugely lopsided encounter.

"I thought the first 40 minutes was as good as we have put together all year, said Cartwright.

"But the back 20 minutes was very disappointing.

"We missed a lot of tackles and a lot offloads and probably gave them some points they didnt deserve.

"I think there is still a mile of improvement in us.

Missing seven top liners in skipper Darren Lockyer, Karmichael Hunt, Sam Thaiday, Peter Wallace, Israel Folau, Nick Kenny and Tonie Carroll, Brisbane were always going to struggle.

But nothing could have prepared them for the blue and gold bloodbath.

Or for that matter, the sizzling performance from playmaker Prince.

The struggling Broncos, who have lost six of their past seven games, must now win four from their remaining six games to make the finals, while the high-flying Titans only need one more victory to cement a spot in September.

The Broncos got on the scoreboard first with a penalty goal to stand-in captain Corey Parker in the opening minutes, but from then on it was all the Titans.

Showing superb touch, Prince set up three tries in nine minutes, first sending back rower Mark Minichiello, Origin star Ashley Harrison over with clever passes and then putting in a grubber kick for prop Michael Henderson to pounce.

The Sultan of Skilled Park struck again before the half was out, this time shifting the play to the blindside at the last minute and finding the chest of winger Kevin Gordon with a bullet-like pass to stretch the home sides lead out to 22-2 heading into the sheds.

Not content just adding to his teammates try tallies, Prince scored the best four-pointer of the match five minutes into the second half, when he pulled in a Preston Campbell grubber from under the nose of rookie Broncos trio Josh Hoffman, Antonio Winterstein and Dale Copley to touch down without so much as a hand laid on him.

Gold Coast centre Esi Tonga then followed the procession of Titans try scorers, before the Broncos, to their credit dug in refused to let the Titans crack the elusive 40-point barrier, which they are yet to do since entering the competition in 2007.

Back rowers Harrison (rib cartilage) and Minichiello (cork) are the main injury concerns for the Titans, while Friend's ankle pulled up sore but is expected to take on the Cowboys next Friday.

www.goldcoast.com.au

[Paul]

What an absolute champ Friend is