2012 Squad, Signings & Rumours Thread

[TitansFan2020]

YAY! every new specialised coach is usually a good coach so im happy.

[Titanic]

one very small step for mankind

[DIEHARD]

Seagulls crash into Queensland Cup final

TWEED Heads Seagulls are through to the grand final of the Queensland Cup after a 26-10 win over defending premiers Northern Pride today, but there are question marks over key players after a bruising and controversial game.

Top of the worry list for coach Ben Anderson is 21-year-old star back rower Ryan Simpkins who hobbled off 15 minutes into the second half with what looked to be a high hamstring or gluteal strain.

Also under a cloud is veteran Rod Griffin who was on the receiving end of a biting complaint.

But for now the Seagulls can take pride in a game they had won by halftime.

They posted four tries in the first half, including a double from nippy halfback Tim Maccan, and singles from Tom Merritt and winger Nathaniel Barnes.

Skipper Brad Davis was as accurate as ever with the boot, landing all four conversions to give the Seagulls a 24-0 lead at the break.

It took until the 42nd minute of the game for the Northern Pride to win an attacking set inside the Tweed 20m zone but their own handling errors continued to haunt them, as frustration built.

Things fell apart in the 52nd minute when Pride's Joel Riethmuller was sent off by the referee for attacking Tweed defender Matt King in a tackle.

King was sin-binned for 10 minutes for retaliating but the Pride's chances disappeared with Riethmuller for an early shower.

A penalty to the Seagulls in the 53rd minute allowed Davis to slot another two points.

Winger Hezron Murgha put the Pride's first points on the board in the 63rd minute when he connected with a crossfield kick from his halfback to score in the left corner.

Chey Bird, who was easily the Cairns-based team's best on the day, converted for a 26-6 scoreline.

Ten minutes later some soft Tweed defence on their right allowed Pride lock Noel Underwood through for another four-pointer, but in a rare miss, Bird hooked the kick to the right.

Tweed must wait for the result of tomorrow's other preliminary final -- an all-peninsular match-up between Redcliffe and Wynnum-Manly -- to find out who they will meet in next Sunday's grand final at Suncorp Stadium.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au

[Boofhead]

Penrith-bound Simpkins faces surgery
Emma Greenwood | October 4th, 2011

RYAN Simpkins will have surgery on his injured right knee tomorrow in a bid to salvage his NRL dream.

Simpkins, who is due to head to Penrith at the end of next month to start pre-season training after signing a two-year-deal with the Panthers, suffered ligament damage to his right knee in Tweed's Queensland Cup grand final loss to Wynnum.

An MRI last week showed damage to the lateral collateral ligament and a possible problem with the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

But the 23-year-old is hoping renowned orthopedic surgeon Peter Myers is spot on with his opinion the ACL is not completely torn an will not require reconstruction.

A reconstruction would put the workhorse back-rower out of action for up to nine months.

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Simpkins will have surgery to reattach the lateral ligament and an arthroscope to investigate whether further treatment is required on the ACL.

"He was pretty confident the ACL was OK," Simpkins said of Myers, one of the top sports medicos in Queensland.

The Titans' inaugural Toyota Cup captain, Simpkins has been unable to break into the Coast's NRL ranks and has taken the opportunity to link with the Panthers on a two-year deal.

His injury has not put that deal in jeopardy but surgery would put Simpkins on the back foot as he chases his first-grade dream.

But if the problem is only with the lateral ligament, Simpkins faces just eight weeks on the sidelines, a period that would not seriously disrupt his season.

"It would be great if I could go down there and not miss too much training and game time," he said.

"I was resigned to the fact the ACL might be gone as well but hopefully when he looks on Wednesday it's OK and it's just the lateral that needs to be done."

The news his injury may not be as bad as first thought has been a ray of sunshine in a disappointing 10 days for Coast product Simpkins, who had hoped to celebrate a premiership with his Seagulls teammates before heading south.

Instead, he was forced off the ground in the grand final after his knee buckled when a defender joined a tackle from the side to bring him to ground.

"It's not a day that I really want to relive," Simpkins said of Tweed's heartbreaking 16-10 grand final loss to Wynnum Manly after a dominant season.

"I'll try to block that one out for the rest of my career.

"It would have been great to finish with a premiership but just to make the grand final was good.

"It's not the way I wanted to finish or the way I wanted to go down (to Penrith) either but I can't do anything about it."

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...st-titans.html

[TitansFan2020]

Anthony watts has been signed to ESL ......... YAY!

[justin19]

I feel for Ryan I tore my LCL and ACL a month ago they are so so slow to heal

[Boofhead]

Anthony watts has been signed to ESL ......... YAY!

Updated.

Anyone know Brenton Lawrence and Joe Vickery's contract lengths?

[Titanic]

Anthony watts has been signed to ESL ......... YAY!

I have mixed feelings about that, to be honest.

[Boofhead]

JETSTAR TITANS IN 2012: JAMAL IDRIS
Adam Gardini | 4/10/2011 1:42:43 PM

The Jetstar Gold Coast Titans will field a new look squad in 2012 and over the next month we begin to take an early sneak peak at the playing roster for next season.

New recruit Jamal Idris is set to bring a new dimension to the Jetstar Titans playing squad in 2012 as he commences a significant five-year contract with the club.

At 194cm and 115kg, Idris is literally larger than life. Although the former Bulldogs centre is still only 21 years of age, he has already benefitted from four seasons in the NRL having made his first grade debut in August 2008.

Since that breakthrough season, Idris has gone on to represent Australia (2011) as well as NSW (2010), Country Origin (2010) and the Indigenous All Stars (2010).

The fact he has been able to establish such an impressive track record in a short space of time leaves the impression that the sky could be the limit for the Forster-Tuncurry Hawks junior if he is able to realise his full potential in the coming years.

Despite the youngster?s continued physical development in recent years, Idris has shown great durability over the past three seasons having played 65 out of a possible 74 games for the Bulldogs ? missing just nine matches in that time.

He also knows his way to the try line, having crossed for 24 tries in 68 career matches since his NRL debut in 2008 at the tender age of 18.

Off the field, Idris has also proven to be a hit with fans and his love of community work, particularly with the indigenous community, was cited as one of his main reasons in deciding to join the Titans.

Upon announcing Idris? signing in April, Jetstar Titans Managing Director Michael Searle said he had no doubts Idris would be a big hit with the Gold Coast community on and off the field.

?I think he?s a wonderful ambassador for rugby league, he?s a big man, all the kids revere him for what he does on the football field and I think he?s got a great personality,?? said Searle.

?We look forward to be able to use him as a marketing tool but I think he?s far more than that, he also links into our community programs and he?ll obviously do wonderful things for the football team.??

At the Titans, Idris will re-establish links with former Australian Schoolboys teammates Ryan James and Jordan Rankin as well as former Bulldogs NYC Under-20s five-eighth Aidan Sezer, who is also one of the club?s new recruits for season 2012.

While some judges have speculated that his long-term future may lie in the back row rather than the centres, he will certainly bring a new dimension to the side wherever he takes the field under new coach John Cartwright, who has hinted that he will initially consider Idris in the centres.

?At this stage I think he?s best suited in the centres,?? said Cartwright at the Idris signing announcement.

?Once you go to the forwards it?s a long way back to the outside backs so I see his short term future in the outside backs but a man of his size will probably end up in the forwards one day.??

JAMAL IDRIS FACT FILE
Date of Birth: 6/7/1990
Birthplace: Auburn, NSW
Junior club: Forster-Tuncurry Hawks
Position: Centre
Height: 194cm Weight: 115kg
Representative Honours: Australia (1 Test, 2011), NSW (1 Origin, 2010), Country Origin (2010), Indigenous All Star (2010)

NRL CAREER
2008: 3 games for Bulldogs
2009: 20 games (7 tries) for Bulldogs
2010: 22 games (10 tries) for Bulldogs
2011: 23 games (6 tries) for Bulldogs

http://www.titans.com.au/default.asp...12-jamal-idris

[Boofhead]

JETSTAR TITANS IN 2012: NATE MYLES
Adam Gardini | 5/10/2011 11:37:55 AM

The Jetstar Gold Coast Titans will field a new look squad in 2012 and over the next month we begin to take an early sneak peak at the playing roster for next season.

A tough uncompromising forward who has been a key part of Queensland?s last six successive State of Origin series victories, Nate Myles is set to add further steel to the Jetstar Titans forward pack for 2012.

Myles comes to the club on a four-year contract until the end of 2015 having established himself as a regular representative player in 129 NRL appearances for both the Sydney Roosters (2007-2011) and the Bulldogs (2005-06).

Since making his Origin debut for Queensland at the start of the 2006 series in what was just his second season in the NRL, Myles has been involved in 17 of 18 possible matches for the Maroons ? an impressive record in any sense but particularly considering Queensland?s domination at Origin level.

He has also played three Tests for Australia and was also chosen by the game?s fans to represent the NRL All Stars in the inaugural All Stars match in 2010.

The 26-year-old, who hails from North Queensland?s Atherton Tablelands, has been a consistent performer on the NRL stage since arriving on the scene at the Bulldogs, playing on average 18 matches per season over the past seven years.

Myles? stature and style of play also allows him to play in the backrow as well as up front ? a similar trait possessed by departing Titans forward Anthony Laffranchi.

His addition to a Jetstar Titans forward pack which already includes the likes of representative players Ashley Harrison, Greg Bird, Luke Bailey and Mark Minichiello is sure to help the Titans bounce back to form in 2012.

While he has already achieved a lot in the game to date, Jetstar Titans Coach John Cartwright said Myles was the type of player who was only going to get better in the coming seasons.

"It's great to be able to sign a current State of Origin player and I believe he's at a stage of his career where his best football is in front of him,'' said Cartwright.

"With the loss of Nathan Friend, Anthony Laffranchi and Brad Meyers for next season, it leaves a bit of hole there experience wise but to add a player of his talent and potential will really add to our squad.''

Myles has already established a combination with Harrison for Queensland and in joining the Jetstar Titans, will link with his old Sydney Roosters teammate Phil Graham, who also joins the club for 2012.

NATE MYLES
Date of Birth: 24/6/1985
Birthplace: Cairns, QLD
Junior club: Southern Suburbs, Gordonvale
Position: Second row/prop
Height: 188cm Weight: 106kg
Representative Honours: Australia (3 Test, 2010), QLD (17 Origins, 2006-2011), NRL All Star (2010)

NRL CAREER
2005: 19 games for Bulldogs 19
2006: 20 games for Bulldogs
2007: 15 games for Sydney Roosters
2008: 17 games for Sydney Roosters
2009: 17 games for Sydney Roosters
2010: 24 games for Sydney Roosters
2011: 17 games for Sydney Roosters

http://www.titans.com.au/default.asp...012-nate-myles

[lonegull]

whisper has it Andrew Johns will be on board as a consultant with a view to coaching and mentoring the titans halves

[teke]

whisper has it Andrew Johns will be on board as a consultant with a view to coaching and mentoring the titans halves

That's a pretty sexy whisper

[Princey's Titanz]

All we need from Johns is his skill and experience to mentor the halves. NOTHING ELSE IS NEEDED FROM HIM.

[Smakked]

whisper has it Andrew Johns will be on board as a consultant with a view to coaching and mentoring the titans halves

Thats farkin great news if true, any confirmation?

[Ryan]

That whisper just gave me a semi.....