Laine Clark AAP Mon, May 28, 2012 - 6:57 PM
Back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2010 NRL finals have provided a spring in the step of the Gold Coast Titans.
But fullback William Zillman believes they will have to pull off something they haven't managed all season in order to down top-four outfit North Queensland at Skilled Park on Friday night.
"You have to play 80 minutes to beat them and we haven't really done that this year - consistency for the full 80 minutes is something we need to do (to be contenders)," he said on Monday.
"But winning can become contagious, as can losing.
"Hopefully this is a stepping stone to a good second half of the season."
Titans coach John Cartwright certainly liked what he saw as his side not only clinched consecutive wins with last round's 24-14 victory over Newcastle but also back-to-back triumphs on the road.
It seemed an unlikely scenario after they slumped to 1-5 earlier this season.
Since then they have won three out of five games.
"I don't think we've been going all that bad," Cartwright said.
"There's been games that were there for the taking and it's just been a bad option or decision and the game was gone.
"I can't talk high enough of the attitude of the group.
"They've knuckled down.
"We've had some tough wins away against quality opposition - it's very pleasing."
But Zillman believed the Cowboys would provide their most accurate form gauge to date.
"They are definitely one of the form sides at the moment," he said.
"We are going to have to lift a few steps if we want to beat them - but the guys can do it."
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Titans' Bird confident of further victory
FORWARD warrior Greg Bird says the Titans' gritty win against Newcastle has built a platform from which the club can launch an assault on the NRL finals.
Backing up just three days after Origin, Bird scored a try and made 154m from 16 hit-ups to be among the Titans' best in Saturday night's 24-14 win.
The backrower said the refusal to yield when the Knights mounted pressure would bolster the Titans' confidence heading into Friday's derby against the North Queensland Cowboys.
"You get a lot more confidence out of grinding out wins and having confidence in your defensive line than scoring a massive amount of points," Bird said.
"Hopefully that's something that can build a platform for a few wins for us."
The Titans are just a win outside the eight and Bird said there was an opportunity to storm up the points ladder.
"Look at what the Tigers have done.
"They were right down the bottom of the ladder and now they're right up there with six straight (wins).
"There's no reason we can't get ourselves in a similar position.
"We'll just keep chipping away and hopefully keep improving."
Bird said there was plenty to work on if the Titans were to make it three straight against North Queensland.
"We've played a lot better and lost games. It's good to get the win but we have a lot of building to do, a lot of improvement if we expect to beat the Cows this weekend."
The win over the Knights brought up back-to-back wins for the Titans for the first time since the 2010 finals series.
The talk in the aftermath, however, has been about Newcastle's lacklustre display rather than the Titans' dominance.
Bird did not take that approach as a lack of respect though, saying he enjoyed the fact the Titans may slip under the radar.
"It doesn't matter how many times we beat teams, it's always the other team's played bad, not us playing good.
"It doesn't really worry me ... we just need to keep ticking them off.
"It wasn't long ago that people were calling us wooden spoon favourites. I think we're a long way from that."
The Titans' new mix of players was always going to take time to gel, though Bird said they had made things harder than necessary for themselves.
"I think we've shot ourselves in the foot a few times.
"We've dropped too much pill and haven't played consistent football.
"Although we probably didn't play a consistent 80 minutes at the weekend, we held the ball in the right areas and the pressure times when we were under the pump and the Knights were trying to build dominance."
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Titans unchanged for Queensland derby
Adam Gardini | Tuesday 29 May 2012
The Jetstar Gold Coast Titans will stick with a winning formula for this week’s Queensland Derby after today naming an unchanged 18-man squad for Friday night's clash against the North Queensland Cowboys.
Jetstar Titans Coach John Cartwright today named the same 18-man squad that proved too strong for the Knights in an authoritative 24-14 victory in Newcastle last Saturday night.
The full strength Jetstar Titans will be shooting for their third straight win on Friday night in what marks the club's first Friday night match at Skilled Park this year at the exact half way point in the season.
The Titans have won two of four previous clashes against the Cowboys at Skilled Park since the two teams opened the stadium in Round 1, 2008.
Jetstar Titans vs North Queensland Cowboys
7.30pm – Skilled Park Friday, June 1
1. William Zillman
2. Kevin Gordon
3. Jamal Idris
4. Beau Champion
5. David Mead
6. Aidan Sezer
7. Scott Prince (c)
8. Luke Bailey
9. Matt Srama
10. Nate Myles
11. Greg Bird
12. Mark Minichiello
13. Ashley Harrison
14. Luke Douglas
15. Matthew White
16. Ben Ridge
17. Luke O’Dwyer
18. Brenton Lawrence
Coach: John Cartwright
http://www.titans.com.au/news-displa...nd-derby/56067
Great looking team. Shift Myles to the back row and bring Lawrence into the forward rotation and then we are perfect!
The predictable selection and the usual wait for who gets the short straw. This is going to be a measure of how much confidence the team has taken from the last few weeks.
I dearly hope that we have lost the need to have first tackle plays within our own 40 but I am looking forward to watching the development of our halves combo and am equally intrigued by what Cartwright will do to tighten-up our left side defence. Titans x 3
Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.
what sort of crowd is everyone expecting this week for the cows?
our crowds have risen each game this year with 14,500 or so at the tigers game.
a few wins lately, a few young guys to cheer for and feel optimistic about and a good friday night timeslot...any ideas what this adds up to?
I was going to sneak my league staff out home for a bbq but since we stopped that we have been winning so I don't want to put a hoodoo on the team so my answer to the question is 3.
Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.
There should be absolutely no doubt over who will play. If you seriously think O'Dwyer won't get the nod you need your head read.
When the team is winning - Carty sticks with the same players who are getting the job done. When the team is losing - Carty sticks with the same team because they are working hard and a win has to be just around the corner.
The Cowgirls are already crying foul over the scheduling for this game having to play 3 games in 9 days - but it is exactly the same task that is presented to Bird, Myles, Harro. Except that they get to sleep in their own beds. NQ travelled straight to the coast after their loss to the Tigers. This game will be pretty close I reckon.
I think the Titans right side defence is as vulnerable as the left if not more. Every game this year the opposition has had a one man overlap attacking our right side and I am just waiting for someone like Thurston to get it right and really put us to the sword down that side.