Round 9 2013: TITANS vs DRAGONS

[DIEHARD]

Been keen for quite a while to make some new big Titans flags. Love to use them against the Dragons. I'll see what I can do, even just one would be a start

[DIEHARD]

[DIEHARD]

Mead's jaw-dropping return to Titans

TITANS flyer David Mead will have a mouthguard custom-made so he can return to NRL action just four weeks after breaking his jaw.

Mead, Kevin Gordon (hamstring) and Ben Ridge (pectoral) were yesterday named to return from injury in the clash against St George Illawarra at Skilled Park on Sunday.

And Mead is expected to return with confidence after making a similar comeback from a broken jaw almost exactly one year ago.

``The surgeon's given him the all-clear. It's four weeks, so he's right to go and he's very keen,'' Titans coach John Cartwright said of Mead.

``He's probably a bit fortunate in that he's had the same injury before and he knows that he was able to play within four weeks, so he's confident.''

Mead broke his jaw last month, playing through the pain to help the Titans to a courageous comeback win against Parramatta before having surgery later that night.

``He'll have a special mouthguard made up but nothing over-the-top. It's more of a mental thing now,'' Cartwright said. ``The reality is, the bone is as strong as it ever was.

``He'll be confident he can get through it.''

The return of Gordon from a hamstring injury means the Titans will have their first-choice backline on the park for the first time in more than a month.

``Kevvie (Gordon) and Dave (Mead) are only young but they've got plenty of first grade under their belt and I see them as future representative players,'' Cartwright said.

``So to get them back in the side is a bonus.''

Cartwright conceded Ridge was on the fringe of selection last week but the Titans are wary of taking players less than 100 per cent fit into games.

``We're at that stage where we get them right then probably give them one more week to make sure,'' Cartwright said.

``He had a good tough week of full training last week and another one this week and he'll be right.''

The return of Mead and Gordon has forced Anthony Don and Steve Michaels out of the side, while forward Mark Ioane, who made his debut against the Warriors last week, has been named on an extended bench.

``I was really impressed with how he went ... he didn't look out of place,'' Cartwright said of Ioane.

``He's very physical, his body language was good, he did everything that was asked of him.

``Mark's only a young fella and I do see a career for him in first grade but like most guys in that position, they've got to bide their time, get time when they can and in coming years I see a future first-grader in him.''

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

[Titan Fanatic]

Dugan officially to St George on a video at nrl.com

[DavidBouveng]

But not playing this week I heard.

I think that's good. He's unpredictable enough to make me uncomfortable, but I do wonder what condition he is in.

[Titan Fanatic]

On the video he did look bigger around the face, but who knows

[Titanic]

On the video he did look bigger around the face, but who knows

His boyfriend b1tch-slapped him a few times.

[TITAN PETE]

His boyfriend b1tch-slapped him a few times.

I didn't think Sandor was violent

[DIEHARD]

Why would he be signed but not play?

[TITAN PETE]

Why would he be signed but not play?

Got to wait for the drugs to pass through his system

[Titan Fanatic]

nrl.com has an article about dugan playing this weekend. Or at least available to play if the coach wants

[Nick]

Dugan will play for sure, Morris is out so Dugan to Fb and nightingale on wing.

The dragons were decent against manly, I think this will be a good tough game.

[Supergoose]

Will have to see who gets on the plane. Adam Quinlan is tipped to play as is Nathan Green who was pretty good last week. I won't be surprised to see Dugan play, he's just one of those guys who doesn't need much time to get up to speed.

[DIEHARD]

Coach Steve Price is leaving the door open for Dugan

St George Illawarra coach Steve Price will consider rushing star recruit Josh Dugan into his starting side to face Gold Coast on Sunday, less than 48 hours after securing the former Canberra bad boy's signature.

Dugan, who was sacked by the Raiders for breaching club rules in March, signed a short-term deal with the Dragons for the remainder of the 2013 campaign on Friday.

The former NSW full-back hasn't played a single game this season and told a large media contingent he doesn't deserve to be rushed straight into first-grade.

But Price is leaving the door open for Dugan, who turned 23 on Friday, to face the Titans this weekend.

"That's a good question," Price said when asked when Dugan will make his debut for the Red V.

"We'll just have to wait and see, we've got our captain's run tomorrow before we go to the Gold Coast so I'll make a decision after the captain's run.

"I'm not writing it off, I just have to get a gauge on where Josh is at.

"He's in a really good head space as you saw this morning and he has been doing a little bit of training behind the scenes by himself, so we'll just make a decision after tomorrow and go from there."

Dugan's inclusion would be a major boost for the Dragons who have lost NSW winger Brett Morris for two to four weeks with a knee injury.

New Zealand international Jason Nightingale has been filling in at full-back but will shift back to the wing if Dugan is selected.

"No disrespect to Jase (Jason Nightingale), he's doing a hell of a job there but he (Dugan) has played Origin and he knows what it takes," Price said.

"It's important that he's got to earn the right within our player group and our club culture, which I'm very confident he will do that and then he can let his football do the talking.

"He's an outstanding support player, he's got great awareness to space and he's just going give us that extra ball playing ability out the back."

Price described Dugan as a '10-out-of-10 guy' and is confident he can control the serial off-field offender.

"Everyone deserves a second chance and he hasn't come out and committed a crime and been charged with a crime," Price said.

"It's just off-field issues which have been well speculated and he's working really hard to improve that and we have a strong brand within out footy club and we'll be doing all we can to help him.

"He's been honest and up front with me from the outset and that's all I expect from my players and I've always got their backs if they're honest and up front with me.

"So the dealings and meetings I've had with Josh, I can only go off that and he's been a 10-out-of-10 so that's all I expect."

A remorseful Dugan revealed he regrets 'the way things went down' at Canberra and thanked the Dragons for giving him what he believes is his 'final chance' in the NRL.

He says a stint working as a labourer made him appreciate life as a professional sportsman and is confident he can stay out of trouble.

http://www.triplem.com.au/sydney/sport/nrl/

[Hail Sezer]

Just read that Ash Harrison is playing..so Ridge has been dropped to Q cup. Whaaat.