Luke Bailey pleads with no-show Gold Coast Titans fans to not give up on the team

LUKE Bailey admits he was stunned by the empty seats at Skilled Park but has pleaded with Gold Coast Titans fans not to turn their backs on the struggling side despite their barren start to the season.

The Titans' on-field woes, with three successive losses, are being matched by dramas in the stands with only 20,226 fans turning up to watch the home side get beaten 14-8 by fierce rivals the Brisbane Broncos.

There were more than 7000 empty seats and if the Titans could not pack the stadium with a capacity 27,400 fans for the derby grudge clash, it begs the question of how they will ever fill the ground.

To put even more heat in the kitchen, the Titans will face an increased battle for the hearts and minds of sports fans on the tourist strip when the Gold Coast Suns make their AFL debut this week.

Bailey maintained he was encouraged by an improved performance against the Broncos, following the thumping by the Melbourne Storm a week earlier, but conceded crowd numbers were a concern.

"I was surprised that more of our fans didn't turn up ... it was a local derby," Bailey said. "There were quite a few empty seats and the boys certainly noticed them.

"We would really like to get some extra fans here, that could be the difference if we got 27,000 screaming fans.

"It was very tight in those last 20 minutes against the Broncos and maybe an extra few thousand fans could have got us over the line.

"We would certainly like them to get on board."

Things do not get any easier for the Titans with two tough road trips in the next fortnight, to Canberra and Townsville, before returning to their home ground for a Round 6 clash against the Wests Tigers.

The Titans' season is already on life support and the team that many pundits tipped to finish in the top four will be virtually out of finals contention if they do not win at least one of their next two away games.

Bailey admits the best way to get the fans flocking through the turnstiles is for the team to start winning and surging up the NRL ladder.

Gold Coast sports fans can be fickle and there are plenty of examples of national teams that have died an agonising death after their performances have faltered on the tourist strip. Quite simply, the Titans need to get back to their winning ways.

And quickly.

"Everyone likes a winner so maybe that is the reason (for the below-par crowd)," Bailey said.

"The people that did come did get their money's worth - we tried to put on a positive show. But I guess we could not expect 27,000 fans to come after a borderline disgusting performance against Melbourne the week before."

The Titans regard their loss to the Broncos as the one that got away - as not many sides lose after commanding 60 per cent of the possession.

The main worry for pack leader Bailey was a drop-off in intensity in the second half when the game was there to be won. We could hang our heads with three losses, but for me I still feel confident we can improve a whole lot more," Bailey said.

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