Gold Coast Titans CEO admits club is facing difficult times but says the season is

[Bayside Titan]

Gold Coast Titans CEO admits club is facing difficult times but says the season is far from over.



I READ with interest Travis Meyn’s article yesterday in which he was critical of the *Titans results, crowd numbers and recruitment.

Firstly, I don’t disagree with his assessment that the club is facing a difficult challenge and fans should expect better results if we want them to turn out in force. I would be deluding myself if I wasn’t prepared to admit that the team’s results have slipped recently regardless of the reasons for it.

COMMENT: TITANS NEED TO BREAK FREE OF RUT

ARE WE GIVING UP ON THE TITANS?

After a promising start in the first eight rounds during which, not coincidentally, our top halves Aidan Sezer and *Albert Kelly played together in six games and were outstanding, we now find ourselves in a position where a quick improvement is required if we are to keep the hope of a finals berth alive.


Titans CEO Graham Annesley says the club’s season is far from over, but improvement is needed. Picture: Regi Varghese Source: News Corp Australia
However, I don’t think any fair-minded fan could ignore a horrific injury toll we have been confronted with which has seen the club use five different halves combinations in the last six games — and see us with more than 40 per cent of our salary cap on the sidelines when we lost to both the *Warriors and the Storm.

In relation to our past *recruitment, it is worth noting we had three players in last night’s Origin clash.

We also had three players in this year’s City-Country *Origin clash, and Kelly would have no doubt been a fourth if not injured.

One of our latest recruits James Roberts is a potential match winner and showed real glimpses of his attacking potency against the Storm. Paul Carter has already been cited as one of the rookies of this season. And after Beau Henry became our third injured half, we have responded immediately by recruiting Daniel Mortimer who has played in two grand finals.

Yes, the attendance on Monday night was obviously a major concern, even though it would be easy to dismiss the poor turnout as a one-off glitch given circumstances beyond our control such as three consecutive home games including a Monday night during the Origin period (historically the toughest crowd-drawing stretch of every season) with key players from both teams required to stand down.

Our fans have already shown in 2014 they are prepared to turn out in good *numbers given the right circumstances. Our games against the Broncos, Rabbitohs and Warriors were in good timeslots with our team in good form, resulting in crowds of 20,524, 19,107 and 18,753.

Of course we are not happy with the past five weeks, nor would we expect our fans to be. However the season is a long way from over so I implore all our members, supporters, commercial partners and sponsors to turn out on Sunday for the Dragons clash to give the boys the support they need to start a midseason charge towards the finals.

[mup23]

At least he didn't call the dragons game an "epic blockbuster"

And how much of the Storm's salary cap was missing?

[Titanic]

No but he did call it "a mid season charge to the finals" … he's been reading the Cartwright book of inanities.

[DIEHARD]

The smokescreen has been activated again. Parramatta have the Hayne Train, the Titans have the Blame Game.

[teke]

He's right the recruitment isnt the problem.

[5 Year Contract]

Until a major shakeup happens it will be the same 'mid season charge' as every year. We will win a few games, lose the many crucial as well as a few very winnable games and finish around 10th-12th. We should change our name to the Gold Coast Carl Webb's with the amount of rhetoric about how 'this year is our year' and then never deliver. New coach, new gameplan, best 17 picked week in week out and I guarantee the crowds improve

[Geeman]

Our fans have already shown in 2014 they are prepared to turn out in good *numbers given the right circumstances. Our games against the Broncos, Rabbitohs and Warriors were in good timeslots with our team in good form, resulting in crowds of 20,524, 19,107 and 18,753.

Watching on tv, it looked like our supporters were hugely outnumbered in the Souths and Warriors game, so while numbers were up, it probably didn't help the team much...

[Boonarga]

Watching on tv, it looked like our supporters were hugely outnumbered in the Souths and Warriors game, so while numbers were up, it probably didn't help the team much...

The ONLY game I've been to (about 4-5 per year) where the opposition supporters weren't louder than ours was the first game at Skilled.

[karnage]

"We also had three players in this year’s City-Country *Origin clash, and Kelly would have no doubt been a fourth if not injured."

Perhaps Mr Annersley cuold explain to us why the player we had represent the club in the City-Country representative game at FULLBACK does not have a permanent position in our own backline. He has been moved between right and left centre and wing. Until he addresses the way the team is being managed on the field the stands will remain empty.

And spare me talk of the finals. IF we make it, we will be doing nothing more than making up the numbers.

[TITAN PETE]

"We also had three players in this year’s City-Country *Origin clash, and Kelly would have no doubt been a fourth if not injured."

Perhaps Mr Annersley cuold explain to us why the player we had represent the club in the City-Country representative game at FULLBACK does not have a permanent position in our own backline. He has been moved between right and left centre and wing. Until he addresses the way the team is being managed on the field the stands will remain empty.

And spare me talk of the finals. IF we make it, we will be doing nothing more than making up the numbers.

That number will be about 13th or 14th

[Numbers]

"Gold Coast Titans CEO admits club is facing difficult times but says the season is far from over."

So, on the back of a record equalling run of losses (with 5 out of those 6 games at home!) we now have 10 games left in the season. 6 of those games are away from home - can't see us being favoured to win any of those, even against the Knights in round 19. The 4 home games are Canberra, Parramatta, Manly and Canterbury. Should be favourites against the Raiders but not against the Sea Eagles or Bulldogs. So, favoured to win 1 or 2 of our last 10 - certainly looks a long way over from where I'm sitting.

In fact, while still being highly unlikely - as surely we'll jag a win or two somewhere - there must be some chance at this stage that we will finish the season 0-16!