Round 16: Newcastle Knights vs Gold Coast Titans

[teke]

Taylor ruled out , hope Myles backs up

im surprised Taylor played on last week as he got dumped hard on the ball getting tackled. Both him and taka looked like their souls had been stripped from them

[Julius Sezer]

Good chance I can make this game, Im in Canberra at the moment.

Tell Rudd JS says hi.

[DavidBouveng]

Good chance I can make this game, Im in Canberra at the moment.

For the Ruddster? Wednesday must have been night of your life.

[Titanic]

Gee DH that's a week of contrasts ... Fitzy's passing and Rudd reincarnation.

[gotitans101_]

Looks like it's gonna be a pretty wet track on Sunday:

Newcastle area
Cloudy. Rain, easing to scattered showers at night. The chance of thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening.

[Julius Sezer]

Preston Campbell lauds cousin Gold Coast Titan Albert Kelly

TITANS legend Preston Campbell has anointed Albert Kelly as the halfback to lead the club to its maiden premiership.
Kelly has drawn comparisons to the diminutive Campbell, who created a legacy for being one of the most courageous and skilful players despite his tiny frame.

The Titans hall of famer revealed for the first time the comparisons were warranted, with the indigenous excitement machines sharing bloodlines.

"His great grandmother and my grandmother are sisters. Not many people know that," Campbell said.

"We're cousins. With indigenous people, we don't really have first, second, third cousins. We're either cousins or brothers and sisters."

Kelly arrived on the Gold Coast late last year with no guarantees but has fought his way to the No.7 jersey.

The 22-year-old is the club's leading try-scorer (10) this year and Campbell said his success was the result of hard work.

"I knew him when he was a young fella. He used to travel across to Kempsey and the coast. My old man is from that way," he said.

"I always knew he was a good footballer but we're really seeing it now. It was just a matter of how he was going to be as a person and he's really come along.

"He's a very confident young man. He says it's only going to get better for the team and him so I'm looking forward to seeing that."

Kelly will face off against one of the clubs that sacked him, Newcastle, tomorrow.

It'll be a bitter-sweet return to Hunter Stadium, a venue he never got to play at under the masterful Wayne Bennett. Kelly has since formed a slick scrum-base combination with Aidan Sezer and Campbell said the youngsters were the Jekyll and Hyde combination the Gold Coast needed.

"They've managed to stay under the radar and I don't know how they've been doing it," he said.

"Apart from Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney, their combination is probably the best, considering it's the first time they've played alongside each other.

"They're completely different players. Opposites attract.

"Alby's that kind of x-factor. He brings the surprise element to the team.

"Aidan is straight up and down. He steers the team around, doesn't do anything wrong and has a great kicking game.

"The longer you can keep the same team together the more they grow."

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/pre...-1226671667155

[Julius Sezer]

The Gaz Man: Gold Coast half Albert Kelly made me eat my words with a big season for the Titans

Former St George Illawarra Dragons superstar Mark Gasnier looks back on NRL round 15 and singles out his player of the week to be awarded the Gaz Man.

And the award, for sustained excellence after getting a second chance at the Titans goes to...

Albert Kelly

This week he wasn't as spectacular, from a flamboyant point of view, compared to what he was against South Sydney but what was a standout on Monday night was his defence.

When Ben Hampton ran off a kick, Albert just snapped him.

There was another example when Tohu Harris and Kevin Proctor swept down the left-hand side and I think Jamal and Albert have formed a really formidable partnership.

Originally, you associate them with something flamboyant - making something out of nothing - and you didn't think of them doing the little things.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
In fact it has been the opposite and they've been amazing.

Defensively, the Titans' edge is one of the best in the competition ... Jamal is still looking to do things in attack and Albert's been sensational. If he's not creating it, he's on the end of it.

He has what a lot of indigenous kids have, and that's a knack of being there to score a try.

Nathan Merritt's got it, Nathan Blacklock had it, they can just sniff out a try and it's instinctive football.

Albert's last month of football has led me to giving him the player of the week.

I've got to give a special mention to Sonny Bill Williams and Daniel Mortimer but Albert Kelly in particular has been outstanding, and he hasn't had a shocker either.

He's set a really high bar this year, in consistency, and that's really hard to do as a footballer.

I'm the first to admit I had the Titans in the bottom four on the ladder, just for that reason.

Kelly and Aiden Sezer are so young and inexperienced.

I thought they had a good forward pack but just lacked in the halves and didn't have the creativity to get through the season.

I'm happy to eat my own words.

I think Sezer has been outstanding and Albert Kelly has been just as good, if not better.

The best thing about it, from a fans point of view, is he is exciting.

I love watching guys play on instinct and take the initiative.

I love watching Albert Kelly.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/n...-1226670255102

[Julius Sezer]

Kelly getting solid recognition. Great to see

[Julius Sezer]

Mead to test metal against Knights

HE is the Gold Coast's man of steel but Titans speedster David Mead has declared he holds no fear of further injury as he prepares for a comeback.

As the scans on our back page show, the Papua New Guinea international has five plates and 20 screws permanently in his mouth after suffering three broken jaws in the past year.

Mead will make his return to the NRL in Newcastle tomorrow with a face full of metal.

It has been six weeks since he suffered the third fracture, against the Broncos in round 10, and Mead said once he ran on to Hunter Stadium he wouldn't hold back.

''I'm never worried about it. Once I run out on the field nothing else matters,'' he said.

''I don't think anyone goes into a game trying to hurt a guy specifically. There's guys who are going to try to hurt me when I'm running the ball anyway but I'm not worried at all. I'm confident.''

Mead's confidence in his metal mouth comes after he bravely played through both breaks this year.

He pushed out the final 15 minutes of the Gold Coast's comeback win over Parramatta in round 6 and battled for 25 against the Broncos.

''When I got hit (against the Broncos) I knew it was done again because it was the same feeling,'' he said. ''It was the same as what I did last year and again earlier this year. It's just unlucky.

''At the time I was a bit frustrated during the game but about an hour or so after the game I was grateful I'd be back in six weeks.''

Mead only has to look at some of his teammates to see what some injuries can entail.

Matt White, Beau Henry and Cody Nelson are undergoing rehabilitation after knee reconstructions that have ruled them out for the season.

''There's guys in the gym doing hard work who aren't going to be playing all year. At least I still can,'' Mead said.

''Because I've been in the gym training with Matt White, Cody Nelson and Beau Henry, I put it into perspective.''

Titans coach John Cartwright has thrust Mead into the team at centre, a position he has played once in the NRL.

He will partner fellow flyer Kevin Gordon for the first time in more than three years and the duo will try to contain try-scoring wizards Dane Gagai and Akuila Uate who have scored 11 times for the Knights this year.

Mead said this could be the week he and Gordon finally race off to decide who's the quickest at the club.

''I feel good that Carty has thrown me there to replace (Brad) Takairangi who's been going well,'' Mead said.

''My fitness is up but I still need to get in there and get my match fitness up. It's a bit different to training.

''We (Mead and Gordon) played in an under-20s trial together. That was the last time.

''We'll have to build a combination there for the next couple of weeks. It'll be nice to get some space out there and see if Gordon's backing me up.

''He's (Gordon) hungry for some tries this year so he'll be there.

''He won't have any problems keeping up.''

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

[Julius Sezer]

Another article on Meady

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...-1226671664979

[thelwall]

didnt realise henry was having a reco - poor bloke

[TITAN PETE]

Top 4

[Coaster]

I dont hold much hope for today's game I'm afraid.

[teke]

I dont hold much hope for today's game I'm afraid.

understandable but let's not forget its the knights we are playing. They have the ability to play like premiers or q cup wooden spooners

[Boonarga]

Bloody hell it's wet! Watching the 20's on telly and I haven't seen a game played in rain like that for decades.