Titans pre-season guide

[TITAN PETE]

TITANS
Return to training: November 4
Key ins: Maurice Blair, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Siuatonga Likiliki
Key outs: Luke O'Dwyer, Hymel Hunt
Key focus for 2014: With a great forward back and one of the best young halves combinations in the game – not to mention the talents of human wrecking ball Jamal Idris – the Titans have the potential to be contenders but have struggled to fulfil that potential in recent years. Maurice Blair adds another strike weapon in the outside backs, and if Idris can stay fit all season the Gold Coast should be finals-bound.

[DIEHARD]

Jamal. He was having a great year. I was at Newcastle when he went down. Was sad to see. I wish the man an amazing 2014. Hopefully our team can reach its potential. Have a decent run with injuries and bring consistency to the table. I think we are lucky to have a good halves pairing who will be even better in 2014.

[Skyfire]

Where was this from Pete?

[Titanic]

nrl.com.au from memory

[C-Whiz]

Dave to prove he's worth the weight

Emma Greenwood | 06:15am November 6, 2013

Dave Taylor has returned to Titans pre-season training as a lean, mean league machine.
IT'S the early Christmas present John Cartwright would have been wishing for.

A streamlined Dave Taylor has turned up for pre-season training almost 5kg lighter than this time last year in a show that he is serious about returning to the red-hot form with which he finished the season.

In the strongest sign yet he's ready to match his undeniable talent with commitment to training, Taylor was among the Titans' better performers at yesterday's first session back on the road to redemption in 2014.

Taylor was among the leading forwards in the dreaded beep test, beating fellow big men Ryan James and Mark Ioane as well as whippet Steve Michaels in the timed shuttle run.

"I worked really hard over the off-season just watching what I was eating, staying in shape, doing a little bit of training and it's brought me back in a good frame," Taylor said.

"I have lost about 4kg from when I started pre-season training last year.

"Last year I came back at about 128kg and this year I have come back at 123kg.

"I have kept myself in shape and I felt good out there."

Taylor will never be a lean beanpole but the Titans wouldn't want him to be, either.

The 185cm man-mountain's size is one of his greatest assets as long as he's at peak fitness.

And after an off-season regimen that included two-hour longboard paddles and marathon surfing sessions, Taylor returns refreshed both mentally and physically.

And he's determined to start next season the way he finished the last - in the type of form that had him ranked among the most potent forwards in the game.

"I tried playing too structurally and I get a bit lost when I do that," he said.

"The best games I've played, I've always just played my own game and I did that in the last couple of weeks of last year and that's the mindset I'm going to try to go out with next year."

Cartwright used Taylor as an effective weapon off the bench at the back end of last season.

While the man affectionately known as the Coal Train would like to regain a starting spot, Origin is off his radar.

"I'm not even worrying about it this year,"' he said.

"I just want to go out and have fun for the Titans.

"I've always been a little bit wanting to play as hard as I can for Origin, and Origin's always been on my mind, but this year I'm not going to worry about it.

"I didn't make it last year, so I won't be too bummed if I don't make it this year. I just want to go out and have fun."

The Titans have been keeping a low profile in the player market, so far picking up just two main signings for next season.

Storm recruit Maurice Blair will arrive at the club within the week while Newcastle forward Siuatonga Likiliki will join new Gold Coast teammates after finishing up representative duties with Tonga at the World Cup.

I am very happy with this report.