Both of these are good posts. Rankin has done absolutely ZERO whenever called up (unless you count the day he failed to get a kick off in the 79th minute and gifted a win to the Wests Tigers!!) and our U/20's are a heartless bunch of powder puffs who should not have their poor play endorsed by 'earning' spots in the 1st Grade side.
It's a tough call for the coach to make, but if I know Carty I am sure he will pull the wrong rein!!
THIS IS FUNNY!!
I swore I would back down from my Cartwright criticism and I feel I have done a pretty good job of that. But in fairness the team has been winning so it is hard to be too critical. But the quality of a leader is measured in times of adversity, such as we are facing now. By scanning through the posts on this thread it is clear that there is little faith in Carty.
First of all i'd leave Alby at halfback because there is no one else worthy of playing halfback at the club other than him and his understudy Beau Henry. Im pissed as well but i always thought Alby at fullback might not be a bad thing. The only thing he would be doing extra is catching bombs and will be standing in a different position in the defensive line but in attack he will the exact same Alby we all know and love.
You never know he might be even better at fullback then he is at halfback. Everytime I watch him play i feel like he kinda plays like a fullback the way he backs up the ball carrier everytime and they way he makes his linebreaks. I'm curious to know how he would go at fullback but yes he is our halfback and should stay there for the whole season. If he moves to fullback it will screw up our spine.
Last edited by Julius Sezer; 04-07-13 at 11:58 AM.
2013 - Sezer's breakout year
Just watched a clip of the side doing an open training session in Darwin on Titans TV and was surprised to see Dave Taylor training in the back row. I also noted Jahrome was running fullback with Alby at 7.
Is it true he also asked the coach after the first Newcatle debacle that the coach not play him at fullback because he doesn't like it. And doesn't feel comfortable there.
If they start with him there it will be the last game for me until this bludger of a coach gets fired.
Irwin emerges as Top End hero
Travis Meyn | 12:01am July 6, 2013
PINT-sized hooker Sam Irwin has vowed to help turn things around for the Titans when he runs out to a chorus of applause in Darwin tonight.
Irwin will step on to his home soil for the first time as an NRL player. Earlier this year he became the 10th Northern Territory product to crack first grade.
He has been the home town hero in Darwin this week, meeting the territory's chief minister, Adam Giles, and being plastered as the poster boy of the city.
And, while the 21-year-old has been chuffed with his reception, he'd trade it all for a victory lap after beating the Panthers at TIO Stadium tonight.
''We've got a lot to prove from last week (46-16 loss to Newcastle). That was a bit of a towel-up,'' he said.
''We've got to bounce back from that. We'll be all right.
''It was a bit of a trip down memory lane being around here. It'll be a buzz playing in front of friends and family.''
It's been a dramatic rise to the NRL for Irwin who is still completing his electrician's apprenticeship.
He was the Gold Coast's under-20s player of the year and players' player in 2012, five years after being scouted at a national championships carnival.
Irwin's family relocated to the Gold Coast to help him chase his NRL dream and it was a move that paid off.
There is just a handful of Darwin-raised players in the NRL with Knights winger James McManus, who scored four tries against the Titans last week, Melbourne's Will Chambers and Bulldog Joel Romelo the only others.
''Deep down I knew I could make it but I was just stoked to get a contract,'' Irwin said.
''Not many people get to go through a development system.
''It was a bit daunting when I first came into first grade but they've turned out to be good blokes and have made me feel welcome. I just want to see out a long career here.''
Irwin will be joined by former under-20s teammates Hymel Hunt and Jahrome Hughes tonight who will make their NRL debuts.
But prop Ryan James is set to be dropped with Mark Ioane in line to unseat him for the final bench spot.
''I'm stoked for them. They have been going really well,'' Irwin said of Hunt and Hughes.
''They'll bring plenty of enthusiasm to the team. Hymel will be all right. He's a big boy and will handle himself.''
Titans co-captain Greg Bird said the team was determined to turn around their form after last week's drubbing by the Knights.
''You try not to think about it but it's always there until you have another run so we've got the perfect opportunity tomorrow to make amends on that one,'' he said.
#itaintweaktospeak
Don't really get how we're favourites in this one after last week's performance and also injuries to some crucial players of our squad. Also the Panthers are playing much better footy than they were at the beginning of the season. Should be a close game but I'm not very confident of a win here.
Last edited by gotitans101_; 06-07-13 at 01:17 PM.