2012 Titans Pre-Season Training

[DIEHARD]

Titans fit for new year battle

THE Gold Coast Titans return from a short Christmas-New Year holiday break and will resume training at their Station Reserve headquarters on Thursday.

The players stopped huffing and puffing on December 20 to recharge the batteries and get stuck into the Christmas pudding.

Prior to the break, Titans coach John Cartwright said he "couldn't be happier" with the progress being made by his squad.

"All of them are really putting in on the training paddock and they are looking a very fit unit," Cartwright said.

"But what pleases me the most is everyone's enthusiasm - all of us are really looking forward to the new season and turning around our disappointing year in 2011.

"The new recruits such as Nate Myles, Beau Champion and Jamal Idris have really settled in well and they in particular are chafing at the bit to get back in action with their new team-mates."

The Titans kick-off the new National Rugby League season with an away match against North Queensland Cowboys at Dairy Farmers Park on Saturday, March 3 and the following round play their first home fixture at Skilled Park in hosting Canberra Raiders on Saturday, March 10.

But local league fans don't have to wait until March to see the game's star players in action - many of the biggest names in the sport will take to Skilled Park on February 4 in the annual Indigenous All Stars - NRL All Stars clash.

Tickets for the match are now on sale.

http://www.cqnews.com.au/

[hammer]

Just wondering if anyone has been down to Station Reserve to watch the boys train this off-season. I am thinking about going down next week sometime to view the progress...any comments and/or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[teke]

Just wondering if anyone has been down to Station Reserve to watch the boys train this off-season. I am thinking about going down next week sometime to view the progress...any comments and/or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Been once, they do the field work at 8.30 and the gym work around midday. Thats about all I could tell you really.

[daveyk]

that is pretty much correct teke.

[hammer]

Thanks Teke and Daveyk! Where do you park?

[teke]

Thanks Teke and Daveyk! Where do you park?

I just park around the back of the hospital. Its hard to explain if you dont know the area. Tell me if you need further directions

[daveyk]

Thanks Teke and Daveyk! Where do you park?

if you head from the M1 towards the hospital, you will see a multi-level carpark, turn left down there and follow that all the way to the end.

find a park anywhere there and you will see the training fields

[DIEHARD]

Training heats up for Titans

GOLD Coast Titans coach, John Cartwright, and his training staff put the club's senior squad through their paces in their first training run after a short Christmas-New Year hiatus at Robina's Station Reserve today.

With the temperature hovering around the 34 degree mark, the squad spent just over 90 minutes going through a series of football skills drills and fitness regimes - breaking regularly to quench their thirsts and shower their heads with cups of water.

All the players did it tough under the conditions in their first team hit-out in three weeks and there's little doubt steam would have sizzled from their bodies when they hit the indoor pool at the club's Centre of Excellence at the completion of training.

"They did OK and all of them put-in for the full duration of the session," said coach Cartwright.

"It was tough going for all of them in the heat but none of them shirked their work - you can't ask much more than that."

Cartwright says he couldn't have be happier with the level of the players' fitness prior to the holiday break.

"Just about all of them were doing personal bests across all aspects of training," he said.

"We give them regular tests on the (stationary) bike - they pedal for 2.5kms - and then they are put through a 2km run time trial.

"Nearly all of them were pulling in PBs and the others were giving their best performances a nudge as well.

"They'll be pretty fit by the time of the first trial game against the Warriors on February 4."

That game will be over in Auckland but the Titans will be in action on the Gold Coast the following week, hosting Brisbane Broncos at Pizzey Park, Miami.

http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/

[Titan Dad]

I have noticed that all the boys are looking very fit and seem to have again bulked up a bit from last year.
It seems having all the boys healthy for a preseason has greatly benefited as they all seem to look as though they have stacked on a couple of extra kilos in muscle, they also seem to be carrying the extra bulk with a greater fitness level than at this stage last year.
Can't wait for the season to start, and by seeing the squad all fit and healthy has me chomping at the bit. We will do a lot better this year as a result of this.
Keep up the hard work boys you are looking real strong.

[teke]

A few of them have cut a little bit of weight and gained a fair bit of fitness. The squad is in a much better position than this time last year.

Easy Premiership material

[DIEHARD]

Love to head down to training when I get a chance.

[hammer]

I was at Titans training earlier this week and the boys looked fit and sharp despite it being about 33 degrees on the morning that I was there...no one shirked the work and it was a very hard session. Boys hung around and signed autographs for my two sons and my nephew and some photos taken...really nice!
Jamal Idris worked hard and never stopped giving in...he struggled but IMO I do not expect him to be the fittest on the park. My point being that with Idris I would expect him to smash players in defense and to break the line...with the tackling drills we observed he was such a intimidatory figure and we have never had that element in our team and he definitely brings that element to our game. He is never going to make 30+ tackles in a game because the opposition will avoid him as much as possible.
Greg Bird, Ashley Harrison, Luke Bailey, Scott Prince, David Mead all looked very fit which is very promising.

[Princey's Titanz]

I was at Titans training earlier this week and the boys looked fit and sharp despite it being about 33 degrees on the morning that I was there...no one shirked the work and it was a very hard session. Boys hung around and signed autographs for my two sons and my nephew and some photos taken...really nice!
Jamal Idris worked hard and never stopped giving in...he struggled but IMO I do not expect him to be the fittest on the park. My point being that with Idris I would expect him to smash players in defense and to break the line...with the tackling drills we observed he was such a intimidatory figure and we have never had that element in our team and he definitely brings that element to our game. He is never going to make 30+ tackles in a game because the opposition will avoid him as much as possible.
Greg Bird, Ashley Harrison, Luke Bailey, Scott Prince, David Mead all looked very fit which is very promising.

Greatly appreciate the update on how the team is going.

I have to say that Idris definitely doesnt need to be the fittest in the park and doesnt need to make tackles because we have Harro, Bird, Srama, Myles, Bailey, Douglas, Mini to do all tht work for us.

Idris just needs to break the defensive line for us so tht we can make more trying scoring opportunities and we also need to make him a threatening figure on the field.

[DIEHARD]

Titans stirring

IN Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities who ruled during the so-called Golden Age.

Could a new golden age be coming for the Gold Coast Titans as they head into the new National Rugby League season?

Last season the Titans had their worst year since entering the NRL, winding up with the proverbial wooden spoon which in turn stirred the club into initiating an astute recruitment drive during the off-season.

Injuries to key forwards which badly depleted the up-front firepower plus a distinct lack of attacking weaponry in the backs all contributed to coach, John Cartwright's "annus horribilis".

But a visit last Monday to the Titans' first training run after a short yuletide season break and a browse through the player roster gives every indication the Titans will be a force in the 2012 competition - belying their rank outsider odds in betting markets.

The Titans are $34 to win the premiership, $11 to make the grand final and a nice juicy $3.25 to figure in the final eight.

Titans supporters are certain to snap up the $3.25 and also have a slash at the $34 for Gold Coast to hoist aloft the Provan-Summons Trophy come October.

The Titans really are huge 'overs' in all aspects of the betting markets - not that betting is the be-all-end-all of supporting a rugby league team.

There's just so much to like about Cartwright's 2012 squad.

The sun scorched down on Robina's Station Reserve last Monday when the Titans regrouped to get rid of the Christmas pud and begin the countdown to the start of the season.

The mercury hovered around the 34-degree mark throughout the 90-minute training session - crikey, the players did it tougher than Lawrence of Arabia when he crossed the desert to Aqaba.

Cartwright was over the moon with how the squad members 'put in' in their first hit-out since before Christmas.

"Not one of them shirked their work despite the oppressive conditions," Cartwright said.

"A terrific indication of their fitness and enthusiasm came at the end of the session when the players formed two lines facing each other - they linked arms with the blokes beside them and then proceeded to do 50 sit-ups in unison with one of the trainers calling out the numbers.

"They went hard at it and it was only over the final seven or so sit-ups that they got a bit ragged - it was a great piece of work and I was proud of 'em all."

The Titans will be a much more formidable line-up in 2012 thanks to a shrewd recruitment drive which has bolstered the pack and ensured there'll be plenty of tries chalked up out wide.

Beau Champion, Phil Graham, Jamal Idris, Beau Faloon and Aidan Sezer are all capable of not only creating scoring chances but plonking the pill over the tryline themselves.

Creative skipper and halfback Scott Prince is going to have an exciting time of it this season with those men on his outside.

But since time immemorial, it is forwards that win matches and the Titans this season will field a tough, skilful pack which also boasts plenty of depth.

Cartwright has so much talent to call on in the likes of Nate Myles, Luke Bailey, Michael Henderson, Luke Douglas, Brenton Lawrence, Greg Bird, Ashley Harrison, Ben Ridge, Ryan James and Mark Minichiello.

That $3.25 about making the top eight is looking increasingly attractive!

The Titans start the season with a trial match against the Warriors in Auckland on February 4 and the following week they will tackle Brisbane Broncos at Miami's Pizzey Park.

http://www.coolum-news.com.au

[Titanic]

How refreshing to read an article without the mention of Zillman, Henry, Rankin, Mead or Gordon. Don't know how Srama, White or Thompson missed though but still that makes a pretty fair 24 or so and 26 if you add Peyroux and Michaels.