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  1. #1
    Administrator DIEHARD's Avatar
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    Default Round 25: NZ WARRIORS vs TITANS

    NZ WARRIORS vs TITANS
    PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!

    Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"
    TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER

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    Both teams coming off big score line losses. I have to go against my heart for this one and say that the Warriors will win this as they are fighting for the finals. Expecting NZ by 12+ but hopefully by some slim chance the boys prove me wrong.

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    I'll be going up to this game. First Titans game I've attended. Wish we were travelling better but it's gonna be good seeing the team play anyway.

    In saying that, I'm expecting Warriors to win by 13+

  4. #4
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    Titans
    1 William Zillman
    2 Kalifa Faifai Loa
    3 James Roberts
    4 Brad Takairangi
    5 Anthony Don
    6 Aidan Sezer
    7 Daniel Mortimer
    8 Luke Bailey
    9 Beau Falloon
    10 Matthew White
    11 Mark Minichiello
    12 Paul Carter
    13 Greg Bird

    Interchange
    14 Mark Ioane
    15 Cody Nelson
    16 Tom Kingston
    17 Maurice Blair
    19 David Mead


    Coach: Neil Henry

  5. #5
    Super Moderator TITAN PETE's Avatar
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    Warriors v Titans preview
    By Corey Rosser, NZ Correspondent
    NRL.com
    2:06pm Wed 27th August, 2014

    390459-titans-v-warriors.jpg

    Warriors v Titans
    Mount Smart Stadium
    Sunday, 4pm (NZT)

    When Andrew McFadden and Neil Henry sat down to name their sides for this Sunday’s clash at Mount Smart Stadium the urge to make wholesale changes must have been hard to deny.

    The two coaches were blunt in their appraisal of their side’s performances last week following embarrassing defeats, but have made only minimal changes.

    The Warriors come into it off the back of copping their biggest defeat of the season at home to a rampant Roosters side who scored eight tries in a 46-12 victory.

    The Titans meanwhile were completely outclassed for all but the final 10 minutes of their game against the Dragons, slumping to their 14th defeat of the year in the way of a 34-6 loss.

    The New Zealanders have only one unforced change for Round 25 with Feleti Mateo, a player once on the cusp of State of Origin selection, dropped to NSW Cup for the second time in 2014.

    After suffering a dislocated shoulder inside the opening five minutes last week winger David Fusitu’a is out. That sees Ngani Laumape shift from centre to the right wing, with Dominique Peyroux named to start at centre against his former club.

    The Gold Coast receive a boost with David Mead included on an extended bench, and the speedster is tipped to be a late inclusion in the centres for the trip to New Zealand.

    Following back-to-back defeats the Warriors have slipped from top-four challenger to finals outsider, and must win on Sunday if they are any hope of playing past Round 26.

    Prior to last weekend the Titans had impressed by pushing premiership contenders the Roosters and Sea Eagles in narrow defeats, but under new coach Neil Henry they have nothing but pride to play for over the final two weeks of the season.

    Watch Out Warriors: When you miss 50 tackles in an NRL game you are never going to win. The Warriors did that last week against the Roosters and if they are to avoid a similar fate this Sunday they will probably need to halve their defensive error count.

    The Titans have a backline which can do damage if you let them get on the front foot. Last week both wingers ran for well over 100 metres, and across the season every member of this week’s backline averages over 70 metres per game. If you allow the Titans space they can cause some hurt out wide, and the Warriors right-edge, which leaked three tries and a number of line breaks last week, is always a prime target.

    Watch Out Titans: This year the Warriors don’t tend to back up a poor performance with another one, instead usually showing drastic improvement which results in them getting back in the winner’s circle. Only once this season have they lost by 19 points or more and followed it up with a loss in the next game, and they can expected to be fired up after last week’s embarrassment on home turf.

    The away form of the Titans in 2014 has been far from reassuring, having won just twice outside of Skilled Park.
    Auckland has never been a happy hunting ground for the Gold Coast either, and since their inception in 2007 they have won just two games at Mount Smart Stadium, the last of which was over four years ago.

    Plays To Watch: Both Aidan Sezer and Shaun Johnson can grab a game by the scruff of the neck and take it in the direction they want. Ultra-confident players, watch for them to take the line on late in each half, and with the abysmal defence served up by both outfits last week expect these two lads to try their luck plenty with the ball in hand.

    The sheer speed of the likes of James Roberts and William Zillman for the Titans, and Konrad Hurrell and Sam Tomkins for the Warriors, also means breaks early in the tackle count are never out of the question. They might not always be the high percentage options, but there are a number of players in both sides who love to take their marker on out wide with the hope of skipping through.

    Where It Will Be Won: The opening 10 minutes is crucial. The Warriors have scored 80 points in the first 10 minutes of game this year, more than any other team in the NRL, while the Titans concede more than any other in that period. You can’t win a game in those opening exchanges, but you can certainly go a long way to losing one.

    Both sides leaked points like they were going out of fashion last week, so the obvious focus will be on defence. We know they can score points, but the team who can limit the others’ offloads and second-phase plays will probably end up the winner.

    The History: Played 15; Warriors 9, Titans 6. With seven-straight wins against this week’s opponents, the Warriors’ record against the Titans stands up as one of their best against any current NRL team. The Kiwis haven’t gone down to the Gold Coast since way back in 2010, but their meetings tend to be close encounters. The last four games have been decided by 18 points or fewer, with two of them split by two or fewer.

    What Are The Odds: As bad as the Warriors have been going over the past few weeks, Sportsbet punters see them as specials at home, and launched into their opening price of $1.22. There’s also been strong support for over 45.5 points to be scored but it seems they think the Warriors will be scoring most of them. Latest Odds at Sportsbet.com.au.

    Match Officials: Referee – Gavin Badger; Assistant Referee – Chris James; Touch Judges; Michael Wise and Anthony Eliott; Video Referees – Alan Shortall and Ben Galea.

    The Way We See It: After what they dished up last week it is hard to endorse either side ahead of Sunday’s meeting. However the Warriors will run onto Mount Smart Stadium knowing that they are playing for their season, with a loss almost certainly spelling the end of their finals hopes. The Titans on the other hand already know they can’t make the top eight or drop into the wooden spoon zone in 2014 and have little to play for. The Kiwis will have felt the full wrath of coach McFadden this week and a significant improvement can be expected. Warriors by 10.
    Last edited by DIEHARD; 30-08-14 at 05:30 PM.
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    Rep Player ozynorts's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TITAN PETE View Post
    Warriors v Titans preview
    By Corey Rosser, NZ Correspondent
    NRL.com
    2:06pm Wed 27th August, 2014
    Plays To Watch: Both Aidan Sezer and Shaun Johnson can grab a game by the scruff of the neck and take it in the direction they want. Ultra-confident players, watch for them to take the line on late in each half, and with the abysmal defence served up by both outfits last week expect these two lads to try their luck plenty with the ball in hand.

    The sheer speed of the likes of James Roberts and William Zillman for the Titans, and Konrad Hurrell and Sam Tomkins for the Warriors, also means breaks early in the tackle count are never out of the question.
    I have yet to see Sezer take a game by the scruff of anything.
    Zillman, sheer speed? Does this guy watch our games????

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    Manu Vatuvei: Beauty of the beast

    SCCZEN_210814NZHJOMANU10_620x310.jpg

    Manu Vatuvei should have been scared.

    His heroes were bottom of the table, injury ravaged and punch-drunk after an embarrassingly meek surrender to Manly in their last game. The consensus was that a repeat would see the coach's head on a spike and the rest of the Warriors updating their CVs. It all made this away trip to the South Sydney Rabbitohs a particularly bad time to be making your debut.

    The 18-year-old giant also knew he was in for some extra special attention - every newbie is tested for cracks - and if everything turned bad his blond Sideshow Bob afro, huge frame and gold-toothed grin would give him nowhere to hide.

    With kick-off minutes away, the team folded into a huddle and promised to do everything they could to support their newest team mate: "They said they wanted it to be a day I'd never forget," recalls Vatuvei.

    As much as he was trying to keep his emotions in check, there was no ignoring how much was at stake. Mum and dad were watching. "That's what made me nervous and scared."

    Out on the field, he enjoyed a brief moment of anticipation before the reality of the game at this level struck home. He was out on his feet by the time the referee blew time. The Warriors had won 26-12 and the debutant celebrated by banging out the club's victory chant with legends like Stacey Jones.

    It was by no means a fairy tale start. He'd been tryless while South Sydney scored twice down his wing, but he'd toughed it out before taking a high ball, spinning in the tackle and launching a play that ended 55m later in a Warriors try. He was happy, coach Daniel Anderson was happy, and more importantly, his parents were ecstatic.

    If he wasn't yet "The Beast" he'd shown enough to earn re-selection.

    That was all of 10 years ago. Now, with their final home game of 2014 tomorrow against the Titans and another tilt at the club's elusive first NRL title still a possibility, Vatuvei is as elemental to Warriors' fans as the chill wind that often sweeps over Mt Smart.

    He's still only 28 - if his knees can hold together he's got plenty of tries left in him yet.

    And if he has anything to do with it they'll all be scored for the Warriors, because if family is his motivation, loyalty and stability are Vatuvei's bedrock. It's a simple formula that has produced stellar results - he is one of the top 20 try-scorers in NRL's 106-year history, is one of only two NRL players to score 10 or more tries in nine consecutive seasons, was named the inaugural international winger of the year in 2008, and has been the Warriors top try-scorer for the past seven seasons.

    What might be even more impressive is the stuff he hasn't done. For a sport often let down by the behaviour of its too-rich-too-young stars, Vatuvei has never put a foot wrong. You'll never see his name in a story about late night shenanigans and his first judicial penalty for an onfield indiscretion was as recent as June, a month after the NRL's Women in League gave him their annual Favourite Son Award which "acknowledges a player who acts as a role model for mothers and families; someone who continues to impress us on the field, however their off-field characteristics embody what it is we love about rugby league".

    The recipient is a player whose "integrity and reputation make the game more appealing to women; someone who encourages mothers to involve their families in rugby league".

    Vatuvei fits the bill; his club have even nominated him for the Ken Stephen Medal which recognises the NRL player who has made the most outstanding contribution to his community.


    New Zealand Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei at Mount Smart Stadium. Photo / Jason Oxenham

    As a kid growing up in Otara, athletics was Vatuvei's first sport. Sprinting, long jump and the odd field event - he shone at them all, until his family's influence saw him become "a hard-out rugby fan." Which isn't surprising, family is easily the biggest part of his life and he is adamant he owes everything to the work and sacrifice of his parents. Woe betide any opponent who dares use them in an onfield sledge.

    His father, Siosifa Vatuvei, emigrated from Tonga in the early 70s and worked to buy a home and then fly his wife and three children over. Manu, the fourth of five kids, was born here in 1986.

    He says their upbringing was average for the area, meaning his parents were strict, everyone did their bit to help, and with his father a minister in the Free Church of Tonga, every Sunday saw them trooping off to whatever hall the congregation could find. "Back then," he says, "church was just something I went to for the sake of it, a day-to-day thing for myself. I wasn't really connected to it." That's long since changed, as can be seen in his try celebrations, and like his father, he now takes his own family to the Life South Church in Mangere. His father also demanded nothing but Tongan be spoken at home to preserve their island connection.

    Vatuvei's first code swap came at nine after a friend convinced him to drop rugby and join the Otara Scorpions league club. Vatuvei was already taller than most other boys, and his parents began taking his birth certificate along to pre-empt the usual age queries. By the time he was 12 he'd moved to the Otahuhu Leopards and was going to his first games at Mt Smart. "I loved it, the crowd and all that, the noise, and seeing the guys playing, they were my heroes. The thought that I'd end up there myself? Nah."

    At 14, he was selected for a zonal representative side and caught the eye of 25-test Kiwi representative and Warriors coach-to-be Tony Kemp.

    "Well, you couldn't miss him, he towered over the other kids, but the thing I remember most are his tries. He'd run 100m, put the ball down, then you'd think he'd broken his leg by the way he carried on. He'd limp back to halfway, then go the bench and sit down for a bit. Then he'd come back on and score another 100m try. I think he just needed a bit of a rest."

    All the same, Vatuvei was considering a return to rugby when the deputy principal at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate got wind of it and talked him into playing for his team. A few months later he was bursting into his father's work place to share some joyful tears over an invitation to join the Warriors' development squad. Now he was facing players bigger
    and more confident than he was. "It felt really scary . . . there was no under-20 or junior team so you could warm up to it, these were guys way older than me, in their 20s, who were playing (top level club competition) Bartercard Cup. It was tough, much tougher than I expected, but it was great for me. They were really warm to me, the usual for the Warriors. I felt really grateful, but I had to earn my stripes."

    Vatuvei's dad would drive him to every training, often with both of his brothers in tow, and the family would hit the gym while he went off with the team.

    "They'd all be there with his dad on the bike in his jeans and jandals," says Kemp. "He was funny, pretty fresh, and not a word of English. It was typically Polynesian, a beautiful family environment, and it made Manu the man he is today, a real gentleman."

    Vatuvei was going on 17 when he was offered his first contract. "That first cheque, it wasn't much but I was really happy." Maybe it was the extra confidence of having a bit of cash, but it was around then that Vatuvei finally asked out Jennifer Ka, the girl he'd been admiring from afar for about five years. They've now been together for 11 years, have three girls, and married in 2010.

    This was a time for growth, partying and pushing boundaries, good times he says he got away with because he was still "a nobody; no-one knew who I was. I could just enjoy myself".

    His first appearance in the Warriors strip came in 2003 when he was selected for a pre-season warm up game against St George in Hamilton. Then in September he was selected for the Junior Kiwis to play against an Australian schoolboys side featuring Benji Marshall. Each step saw his training regime ratchet up a notch and he admits there were times it got so hard he considered dropping out. Again his father stepped in and started driving him to training earlier so he could put in some extra cardio work on the bike - a team effort that paid off when an injury created the ideal hole for a 1.89m, 110kg teenager to fill against the Rabbitohs on May 23, 2004.

    Despite making only a handful of appearances that season, it was an offhand comment from Kemp that earned Vatuvei his now famous nickname "The Beast". Kemp mentioned to Herald reporter Peter Jessup how much Vatuvei reminded him of Kiwi legend Kevin "The Beast" Iro and the comparison became a headline that became a nickname that stuck.

    Aside from his obvious bulk, Vatuvei was also the fastest in the Warriors squad and had Iro's mighty fend, but "unfortunately," Kemp told Jessup, "he has his hands as well".

    Vatuvei wasn't shy about his goals - he's big on goals - he wanted to be better than Jonah Lomu, play as many games for the Warriors as possible and "score some tries on TV". By 2005 he'd made enough progress to be called into the New Zealand tri-nations side to face England and Australia. Did anyone scare him? "They all did, the (State of) Origin heroes, the club heroes, the guys in our team, I was intimidated by everyone. You just have to deal with it, trust in your skills and remember who you're playing for."

    Vatuvei went on to score two tries in the Kiwis' unprecedented 24-0 win over Australia in the final. He has a film of the match, but has never watched it through - he just likes the end when he can see himself celebrating.

    In 2006 he missed the birth of his first daughter, Makayla, as he was playing in Wellington. That didn't sit well at all; he revels in his role as provider and protector. He even told his partner to put her career as a personal trainer on pause to focus on family life, and later rejected her suggestion of a water birth for their second girl, Savannah.

    Unfortunately he has never had similar control over his image as a player. No matter how many tries he scores, there are some who see his handling lapses as a liability and those voices grew rabid when Vatuvei cost the Warriors a game against Parramatta in 2007. On reflection, he sees that he had become complacent and forgone the extra training sessions that had worked for him in the past. But the scale and persistence of the criticism was humiliating and after a week on the bench it was an angry Beast who retook the field. His comeback became a powerful - if often forgotten - statement; his tries got the team into the finals and in their return match against the Eels he scored the first hat-trick of his NRL career.

    The critics then roared back following a 2011 qualifying finals loss featuring a succession of Vatuvei fumbles - until it became known that he'd spent the preceding night in hospital watching over two very sick daughters. He will always put his family first, as he did in 2010 when a contract extension made the then 24-year-old the highest paid player on the club's roster. The first thing he did was buy his mum a new home in old Papatoetoe: "That was one of the goals I gave myself at the start and it's something I'm really proud of, but it's still not as much of a sacrifice as they've done for me."

    Family is a highly charged concept for the big winger and it's not for show that he carries the family name along with those of his wife and children (now including 1-year-old Eva) on the strapping on his left wrist; he wears them as tattoos as well. He used to write "Brother" on the strapping for his other arm, in reference to his teammates, but since talking with his pastor he has this year changed it to Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

    It's a line that not only applies to footy and family - he's getting increasingly involved in community work and is putting his free time into promoting Kidz First and the home insulation campaign. The Vatuveis still live in the area he grew up in and he's aware how few people there share the lifestyle and income that league has given him.

    But he also knows his playing salary won't be there forever - he might be 28 but his body feels much older - and he makes no secret of his desire to eventually join the police like other Warriors, such as Tone Tatupu, before him. Vatuvei sees it as another way of giving back but it's also a dream stemming from a childhood love of superheroes and superpowers. It was either the police, the army or the SAS, and it only took one SAS training session to show him the folly of that idea.

    With an additional two-year extension to his Warriors contract it appears this one-woman man will also be a one-club player with a career mirroring his team's rollercoaster highs and lows, including the loss of his close friend and fellow player Sonny Fa'i in 2009. He says there were times when he could easily have walked away, but for the club's hardcore supporters. "I don't think they know how grateful I've been for their support. It matters and it tells me who the actual fans are; they're not the ones you only hear from when you've had a good game and everything's going well, they're the ones who hold me up when it gets bad. And I'd say to them, you don't understand how much that means to me and how much it motivates me to keep going."

    With two more games to go for the Warriors to have a chance at their first NRL title, let's hope the roar of the fans is loud and long.
    PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!

    Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"
    TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER

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    Administrator DIEHARD's Avatar
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    Lillyman points to pack for struggling side's form slump

    Prop Jacob Lillyman admits the Warriors' forwards have to take responsibility for the side's form drop.

    The Queensland State of Origin front-rower says the pack need to lift their individual and collective efforts when they come up against the Gold Coast Titans tomorrow.

    The 30-year-old has been one of the side's most consistent performers this season and was one of the few players who could be content with what he produced in last week's outing against the Roosters. In 48 minutes Lillyman contributed 19 runs for 145 metres and made 20 tackles to lead the way for his underwhelming teammates.

    "I think we've been pretty good most of the year but a couple of weeks there where we weren't at our best so we'll just have to try and aim up and try and get the job done this week. They're always tough, the Titans. They always turn up and it's always a real physical battle and we've just got to be ready for that."

    Coach Andrew McFadden agreed his forwards had struggled to match the Roosters' big men and said that had a flow-on effect of stifling the side's playmakers Shaun Johnson and Thomas Leuluai.

    "Your halves don't have much of an opportunity unless you really win that battle in the middle so I'm definitely going to challenge our forwards this weekend," McFadden said.

    Lillyman admitted it had been hard to see the team's fortunes change in a matter of weeks.

    "It's been very frustrating. But we're not out of it yet and we've just got to maintain that positive frame of mind and try and just focus on winning this game."

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/
    PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!

    Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"
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    Titans Kiwi front-rower growing as a professional

    10438973.jpg

    Mark Ioane returns to the scene of his NRL debut on Sunday with a greater appreciation of the demands placed on a professional footballer.

    A member of the Warriors inaugural under-20s' Toyota Cup-winning squad in 2010, Ioane started his first grade career at Mt Smart on the Gold Coast Titans' previous visit to Auckland in April last year, and since then his appearances have been frustratingly infrequent.

    He played seven games in his maiden season and has only managed a marginal improvement in 2014 as the relatively under-sized front rower has to bide his time behind an experienced propping rotation featuring former and current Kangaroos internationals Luke Bailey and Nate Myles.

    Luke Douglas and Matt White also boast 351 NRL games between them, leaving the Auckland-born 23-year-old as a stop gap measure.

    He fulfils that role against the Warriors due to Myles's season-ending shoulder injury and former Cronulla Shark Douglas sitting out the remainder of the Titans disappointing campaign due to a suspension imposed by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

    His responsibility then increased yesterday when 269-game veteran Bailey was unable to travel due to a neck injury.

    Ioane had to wait until White was suspended to step up from Queensland Cup duty with the Burleigh Bears in round eight, he faced the Warriors during the visitors' 24-16 win at Cbus Stadium in May but then endured a five-round block in reserve grade before embarking on his most productive spell on the interchange bench.

    ''The other guys are more experienced than me I guess,'' Ioane told Fairfax Media when quizzed ahead of his 10th appearance of the season.

    ''I wish I'd played a lot more first grade this year but I knew coming to the club I'd be faced with a lot of experienced rep footy players.''

    Ioane confronted the same scenario when he joined the Canberra Raiders in 2011, where first grade was never a realistic option for the former Junior Kiwi while David Shillington, Brett White, Dane Tilse and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs stayed fit.

    Titans foundation coach John Cartwright, who was stripped of that role earlier this month, offered Ioane an opportunity and although he has still struggled to establish himself in a struggling pack, training alongside Origin and test players has been beneficial.

    ''I've got a lot of feedback from most of those boys, they've been helping out my game and that should make me a better player.

    ''I see the one per centers they do on the field and the extras off it.

    ''Guys come in and do an extra session so I've built that into my training schedule. I've learnt a lot since my first year and the pre-season with the boys.''

    ''I'm still developing as a NRL player but I'm getting used to it.''

    Ioane has a year remaining on his three-season deal and with Bailey expected to retire after the final round clash with the Bulldogs he can anticipate more game time in 2015 should he continue to mature.

    ''He's been a massive influence on my game,'' said Ioane, putting the 34-year-old on the same pedestal as Ruben Wiki when he was at the Warriors.

    ''When you're a young bloke coming into the NRL you don't really know the expectations of being a professional footy player.

    ''That was the biggest wake up call for me, just knowing there's a lot more to footy than just playing the game."

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/
    PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!

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    TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER

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    NZ Warriors

    1. Sam Tomkins 2. Ngani Laumape 3. Konrad Hurrell 4. Dominique Peyroux 5. Manu Vatuvei
    6. Thomas Leuluai 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Jacob Lillyman 9. Nathan Friend 10. Ben Matulino 11. Ben Henry 12. Simon Mannering 13. Sione Lousi

    14. Sam Rapira 15. Suaia Matagi 16. Sebastine Ikahihifo 17. Jayson Bukuya 18. John Palavi
    PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!

    Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"
    TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER

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    Greg Bird says his lack of leadership has let his Titans teammates down

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    GOLD Coast captain Greg Bird has put the blowtorch to his own leadership to lift the Titans out of their horrific form slump and salvage some pride this year.

    With more than 1200 NRL games worth of experience retired, suspended or injured from the Titans roster, Bird (pictured) is the man who must ignite something in a squad that is limping towards the finish line.

    But the NSW and Test veteran says his leadership has been missing at crucial times in recent weeks and Bird is determined not to end the year without turning everything around for the club, starting against the Warriors.

    “(Leadership) is probably something that I don’t think I’ve been great at the last couple of weeks,” Bird said.

    “You always want to be leading your team to victories, that is what it comes down to. Attitude was definitely not there (against the Dragons) and attitude reflects leadership.

    “I think we could have done more to try to get the guys up if they weren’t up, or recognise the deficiency earlier on to try to make sure that we didn’t play the way we did.

    “But it’s been and gone now and you can only make amends on the football field. We are judged on how we play football.

    “Under duress, we’ve been in some situations and probably lacked a bit of leadership from all of us. But we’ve got a great opportunity now no one expects anything from us.

    “We’re a depleted team, we have players out of position and we’re going over there with no pressure. Hopefully we can come home with a performance, win or lose, we can be proud of.”

    The Titans have lost 12 of their past 14 games to drop from third on the ladder to 13th, and could yet plummet to 15th if results keep going against them.

    In attack they have failed to score a point in the 20 minutes after half-time in their last four outings, and they rank 15th in the NRL for points scored — only above dead-last Cronulla.

    Interim coach Neil Henry, who is likely to get the full-time job next season, is expected to make several changes to a roster that has missed the finals for four straight years.

    Despite all the on and off-field drama that has hit the club in the past few weeks, Bird insists the players would run out at Mt Smart Stadium with a strong will to win and end their season on a high.

    “You have always got your self-respect,” Bird said.

    “It doesn’t matter if it’s a grand final, State of Origin or a game of cards, you always want to win and never want to lose.

    “It’s an opportunity to play first-grade rugby league. You need to take it with both hands and play it as if it’s your last game.”
    PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!

    Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"
    TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER

  12. #12
    Administrator DIEHARD's Avatar
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    OK just tuned in. I always screwed up my times especially when its a NZ game.

    Scorelines doesnt look promising. 18-0 20mins in?!
    PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!

    Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"
    TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER

  13. #13
    QLD Cup rj62's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DIEHARD View Post
    OK just tuned in. I always screwed up my times especially when its a NZ game.

    Scorelines doesnt look promising. 18-0 20mins in?!
    Sadly........and embarrasingly

  14. #14
    Administrator DIEHARD's Avatar
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    Hear from Neil Henry following the Titans loss to the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium today.

    <script height="315px" width="558px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=fd5fc71d2bcc4b60a622cf8d3348d605&ec =NvZDAwcDp0vpyvVbQUieDzGRKEV9V0cW"></script>
    PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!

    Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"
    TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER

  15. #15

    Default

    Roberts vs Peyroux is mouth watering


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