NRL takes over Titans!

[DIEHARD]

Absolutely wonderful news K2G.

Thanks to the NRL for showing faith. For Bennett for his wise and kind words.

Excellent news which I will share on our League of Titans facebook tomorrow.

[DavidBouveng]

yeah Bennet seemed sympathetic and genuinely bothered by what weve had to deal with.

he doesnt say that stuff lightly and is no ones mouth piece.

The catchment area numbers is great news...so we got the kids playing, that is the main driver of fans and crowds. i.e there IS a base of League people.

we need to cater to the supposed barriers, cost, travel yadda yadda.

I dont personally have any issues with cost or travel, but they are the recurring complaints.

[Titanic]

This is the only positive they can drag out in front of what the entire planet believes will be a flogging ... this was written in February in the climate of change ... now 6 months later the club is in a world of pain and a lot of that is meaningless without such things as a professional training base, a renewed stadium deal, a team that plays with "pride in their jersey" (how ironic).

[JunctionBlock]

Are we building anymore smaller stadiums on the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games that we could move too? I'm talking a 10,000 to 12,000 capacity or a Ballymore type place? I'd like to see the back of CBus and it's fees.

As for the catchment area, I haven't coached JRL this year but four years prior to that I did and out of an 18 kid squad none of them were Titans fans. They followed who their parents followed or only had interest in playing the game not sitting through a game. Even with the free tickets they get for playing JRL you might get two or three going to a game so a catchment area doesn't equate to putting bums on seats. It may help if the players generate interest in the game by going to training sessions for JRL clubs. Going to schools and giving away tickets. I kept getting told that we had two Titans players as patrons of the club. In four years I saw one player turn up to a training session twice.

[Titan4Life]

Wasn't sure exactly where to put this but thought I'd share..


@badel_cmail Breaking: gold coast boss graham annesley hits out at speculation NRL will re-name the club the gold coast bears. Full story @cmail_sport

[TitanSam]

Wasn't sure exactly where to put this but thought I'd share..


@badel_cmail Breaking: gold coast boss graham annesley hits out at speculation NRL will re-name the club the gold coast bears. Full story @cmail_sport

hahah what speculation? Never heard anyone say it.

[Bayside Titan]

Wasn't sure exactly where to put this but thought I'd share..


@badel_cmail Breaking: gold coast boss graham annesley hits out at speculation NRL will re-name the club the gold coast bears. Full story @cmail_sport

Can say that I have not heard this at all.

However it would not surprise me at all if this was to happen as I think that the Bears brand would give us an actual link to the coast. Also that we have been training down at Burleigh and I wonder if the Bears actually have the cash to buy the Titans or into the Titans ?? If so a great thing to happen.

[K2G]

Titans boss Graham Annesley gets NRL assurances that Bears name change won’t happen
Peter Badel | The Courier-Mail



TITANS boss Graham Annesley has scuppered rumours that the embattled NRL-controlled franchise is set to be renamed the Gold Coast Bears.

Speculation sweeping league circles in recent days suggested NRL hierarchy were considering a fresh name change following years of turbulence surrounding the Titans brand.

The innuendo became so widespread Annesley personally contacted the NRL to inquire whether the embattled organisation should brace for more upheaval.

The Central Coast Bears have been fighting to clinch an NRL licence for the past 15 years and it was speculated they were prepared to join forces with the Gold Coast.

But Annesley, who returned last week from a business trip to Singapore, said he has been given assurances by the NRL that the Titans brand will remain untouched.

“Any suggestion that we are going to change our branding to be the Gold Coast Bears is absolutely wrong,” Annesley said.

“There is no truth to that whatsoever. We are Titans through and through.

“I’ve heard the rumours and I’ve been assured by the NRL, who have control of the club, that there is no basis to the speculation whatsoever.”

Central Coast Bears CEO Greg Florimo did not return calls on Thursday night but Annesley said he has had no approach from the former North Sydney stalwart.

“We’ve had no contact from the Bears,” he said.

“I don’t know what has sparked this rumour, I don’t know where it has originated from. I am aware it is doing the rounds but we will remain as the Gold Coast Titans.

The Central Coast Bears have been fighting to clinch an NRL licence for the past 15 years and it was speculated they were prepared to join forces with the Gold Coast.

But Annesley, who returned last week from a business trip to Singapore, said he has been given assurances by the NRL that the Titans brand will remain untouched.

“Any suggestion that we are going to change our branding to be the Gold Coast Bears is absolutely wrong,” Annesley said.

“There is no truth to that whatsoever. We are Titans through and through.

“I’ve heard the rumours and I’ve been assured by the NRL, who have control of the club, that there is no basis to the speculation whatsoever.”

Central Coast Bears CEO Greg Florimo did not return calls on Thursday night but Annesley said he has had no approach from the former North Sydney stalwart.

“We’ve had no contact from the Bears,” he said.

“I don’t know what has sparked this rumour, I don’t know where it has originated from. I am aware it is doing the rounds but we will remain as the Gold Coast Titans.

“This club has been and will continue to be the Titans based on the Gold Coast. We have the full support of the NRL and we aren’t going anywhere.

“The game has invested heavily in the Titans brand ... the last time I checked there weren’t too many grizzly bears walking the Gold Coast.”

The Gold Coast were forced to change their nickname from the Dolphins to the Titans before their inception in 2007 following legal threats from Intrust Super Cup powerhouse Redcliffe Dolphins.

- - - Updated - - -

Would like to know how this rumour started.

On a separate note... I wonder how that Parkwood Deal is coming along. The sooner the better, club needs some stability with all these shady stories leaking out. Headquarters on a Golf Course and world class training facilities wouldn't hurt player negotiation either!

[Titanic]

I can't imagine what sort of business trip a rugby league club requires in Singapore but whatever. As far as rebranding is concerned a rugby league based at a golf course should be called the Sharks, Tigers, Slicers, Shanks, Hackers, Irons, Bunkers, or my favourite "the hole in ones".

[TITAN PETE]

A Fulltime move to the Bears with an established Leagues Club would be fantastic but it's not happening

The Bears name alone would have the club in court against Florimo & co who are flogging a dead horse in trying to revive their old club..

[K2G]

Gold Coast Titans CEO Graham Annesley says clubs cannot afford to rely on NRL handouts
TOM BOSWELL GOLD COAST BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 12:00AM

TITANS chief Graham Ann*esley says clubs need to take responsibility for stopping growing debt problems instead of relying on NRL handouts.

Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett joined a chorus of figures from many clubs this week to put pressure on the NRL to save them from a combined debt that exceeds $30 million.

But Annesley said while an increase in the NRL grant was natural, he put the onus on clubs to find a way to find *financial stability without *increasing assistance.

“We have to try to survive with the revenue we generate,” Annesley said.

“We can’t rely on a welfare mentality to save us and have to be out there generating our own revenue in order to make the clubs successful.

“All clubs rely on the NRL grant and all clubs would probably like to have more.

“But you also have to be careful you don’t get to a tipping point where you become so reliant on the grant that you don’t have any incentive to try to grow your own revenues and that’s what we are concentrating on.”

The Gold Coast know exactly what a crippling debt can lead to and what it takes to bring them back from the brink of collapse.

The NRL was forced to take control of the Titans this year due to their financial turmoil, but a year after boasting no sponsors on their jersey, the Gold Coast have done $4 million in business and only has the sleeve yet to fill by a brand.

The latest three sponsors to recommit to the club include Global Road Technology (GRT), TFH Hire Services and Channel 9 Queensland while Aquis signed on as the naming rights sponsor in June this year.

“Like a lot of NRL clubs we are still not in a profitable position but we are getting closer,” Annesley said.

“Certainly we are in a much more stable position than we were at the start of the year.”

The renewed stability is another step towards the financial independence the Gold Coast outlined as a key goal in the club’s strategic plan in May.

Annesley said the renewed corporate and community confidence provided the club and coach Neil Henry with the ability to become more *aggressive in the market to fill the last three positions in the team’s top 25.

“Neil is sensible about this stuff and is not going to rush out and buy the first player who becomes available because we still have three spots available,” Annesley said.

“He is going to sit back and wait and see over the next few months to see what drops out of the system.

“There are clubs that may release players between now and the start of next year and we want to get the right players with the right attributes that fit into the mix.”

■ THE Titans have denied reports that claim Wests Tigers lock Martin Taupau is seeking a release from his contract to sign with either Gold Coast or Souths Rabbitohs.

“The club has not approached Martin Taupau nor has it been made aware that he is available as he still has another year to run on his contract with the Tigers,” a spokesman said yesterday.

[TitanSam]

WOW. So we aren't after Taupau? #heartbreak

[Titan4Life]

Hope we keep our name as the Titans. This club has been through enough drama to top Home and Away but I feel like we need to move on and just make positive steps in the future. Rebuild the Titans brand rather than just start again. That's just my thoughts.

[Titanic]

A Fulltime move to the Bears with an established Leagues Club would be fantastic but it's not happening

The Bears name alone would have the club in court against Florimo & co who are flogging a dead horse in trying to revive their old club..

Yes, that's right and the mail is not about the BBears but the CBears and I certainly don't want those guys in bed with us.

Annersley says three spots left in the 25 and that is a lot more interesting, if you ask me.

[DIEHARD]

The idea that we would be the Bears is pretty ridiculous.

The Titans is a good brand.
Why bring in an old brand with nothing to do with the area?
The Bears support is far away.
We already have the Burleigh Bears on the GC.
It reminds me of the Central Coast Bears.
We dont need to inherit their Premiership curse.
We were bitter rivals for the 16th license.
Queensland deserves its own entities.

I dismiss it as a silly rumour with no substance.