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  1. #1
    Star Player Titan4Life's Avatar
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    Default Cashed-up Gold Coast Titans on hunt for the NRL’s best young players

    Cashed-up Gold Coast Titans on hunt for the NRL’s best young players
    CHRIS GARRY AND TODD BALYM EXCLUSIVE
    THE COURIER-MAIL
    MARCH 23, 2015 12:00AM

    NRL clubs be warned, the Gold Coast Titans are hunting the scalps of your best young players.

    The NRL-backed Titans are going on a recruitment spree and The Courier-Mail can reveal the club’s Daly Cherry-Evans endorsed hit list.

    Coach Neil Henry and recruitment chief Jamie Mathiou are targeting players in their early 20’s who are considered future representative stars.

    Mathiou is the club’s first full time recruitment manager and he has already helped secure arguably the club’s greatest signing in Cherry-Evans.

    The Gold Coast have at least $2 million to spend in their cap even after their $1m a year splurge on Cherry-Evans.

    Their next priorities are Rabbitohs revelation Alex Johnston, St George Illawarra sensation Euan Aitken, young Broncos props Joe Ofahengaue, Francis Molo and George Fai and future Origin centre Dane Gagai.

    There will be an overhaul of the Titans roster for 2016 with Cherry-Evans to be joined by at least two more representative-quality players.

    The Titans are fighting three other clubs for the signature of Johnston, one of the most exciting talents in the NRL.

    The 20-year-old is already among the NRL’s best wingers and was selected in Australia’s Four Nations squad last year.

    Souths are nervous that Johnston’s desire to be a permanent fullback will see him leave Redfern as there is no chance of him usurping Greg Inglis.

    The Titans have met with Johnston’s manager Clinton Schifcofske regarding his client’s next contract but an offer is yet to be made.

    Any offer will depend on whether they secure the services of Gagai and Aitken as centre is the Titans’ major roster hole.

    Aitken, 19, was brilliant in his first game for the Dragons in their win over Canberra with coach Paul McGregor rating his 192 metre effort one of the best debuts he’s witnessed.

    Benji Marshall rates him the best teenager in the NRL.

    Gagai is seriously considering spurning Wayne Bennett and joining the Titans and has been impressed with their negotiations so far.

    While coach Henry would not be drawn on individual talents he revealed the club now had a youth policy and confirmed there would be further roster change.

    “We’re trying to recruit, with Jamie Mathiou, young players for the future around a nucleus of older guys we’ve got here that have got the experience,” Henry said.

    “There’s no doubt there is a changeover in players and that will continue like it does at a lot of clubs.

    “We’ve had a little bit of movement this year and there will be a little bit more next year with the nucleus of the players staying.

    “That recruitment is an ongoing process and we just get on with our footy in the meantime.”

    While Cherry-Evans is being asked for advice on potential recruits he is not making offers to his NRL brethren.

    The Knights are furious that Cherry-Evans contacted Gagai about coming to the Gold Coast but Henry said the issue had been blown out of proportion.

    “I think Dane Gagai was just something Cherry-Evans makes a call about because they know each other,” Henry said.

    “He is not recruiting on behalf of us. Players talk all the time.

    “There was a bit of publicity around it and it was motivated that way and I don’t think there is anything in it.”



    WISH LIST

    Alex Johnston

    Age: 20

    Club: Rabbitohs

    Position: Wing/fullback


    Dane Gagai

    Age: 24

    Club: Knights

    Position: Centre


    Euan Aitken

    Age: 19

    Club: Dragons

    Position: Centre


    Jo Ofahengaue

    Age: 19

    Club: Broncos

    Position: Prop


    Francis Molo

    Age: 20

    Club: Broncos

    Position: Prop


    George Fai

    Age: 18

    Club: Broncos

    Position: Prop


    http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...medium=twitter

    - - - Updated - - -

    Gagai, Johnston and Ofahengaue ... yes please!!
    Last edited by Titan4Life; 22-03-15 at 09:24 PM.
    #iwillneverwalkaway

  2. #2
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    Parra will nab Johnston IMO

    Would be happy with either Gagai or Aitken although I think Aitken will turn out to be a better overall footballer.

    Ofahengaue is the Broncos best up and coming prop, Molo is promising and Fai is even more promising IMO but is still very young. Our own props in 20s will be close to NRL training squad for next summer.

    I like the direction in which we are heading in from a recruitment perspective but I dont think we are targeting all of these players collectively, E.g. wouldn't make sense to sign 2 centres and a fullback after we've just signed Hoff.

  3. #3
    Rep Player ozynorts's Avatar
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    2 centres right now makes a lot of sense as the ones we have in first grade aren't consistent enough, although Crampton may fix one side so we could only need to sign 1.

  4. #4

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    Why haven't the Titans been able to develop their own quality juniors?? This has to be fixed.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Show and Go View Post
    Why haven't the Titans been able to develop their own quality juniors?? This has to be fixed.
    Our u20's captain was named NYC player of the year last year and we've got a quality bunch coming through the 2015 squad including huddo and coleman training with NRL over summer.

    Be patient - they're coming through. Our u18's is where the most promise is IMO. No doubt we've been poor at development in the past but things are looking a lot better for the future (next 2-5 years you'll see them coming to top grade)

  6. #6
    Immortal Titanic's Avatar
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    With you HS ... I would love our club to be the club that people don't want to leave from not the turnstile we are at the moment ... keeping them and rewarding them well is a lot better than buying them in all the time.
    Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hail Sezer View Post
    Our u20's captain was named NYC player of the year last year and we've got a quality bunch coming through the 2015 squad including huddo and coleman training with NRL over summer.

    Be patient - they're coming through. Our u18's is where the most promise is IMO. No doubt we've been poor at development in the past but things are looking a lot better for the future (next 2-5 years you'll see them coming to top grade)
    Yeah that is great but lets hope the club gets it right in regards to development. Over the course of the Titans history not enough player from the under 20's have ended up as first grade players at the club.

  8. #8
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    I agree with HS, if you notice the amount of players that are coming through the ranks at the moment then the future looks bright. Id say close to half that have played 20s have come from junior programs here on the coast in the last 2 years. The Burleigh FOGS 20s is killing their comp and they have 14 contracted Titans players eligible for 20s over the next couple years and Tweed FOGS 20s are going not bad as well and they have a few contracted. Then we look at the depth off CC and MM programs and the players that are coming through their as well.

    We keep saying we need to be patient, and I all but believe it in this case.

  9. #9
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    Aitken re-signed with Dragons. Well done to them on retaining a very good junior.

    Cross him off our list of targets

  10. #10

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    fai is the best of the 3 young props, imo. but f.molo could be a shrewd buy if micheal molo in the 18's is his brother and you can get them both.

  11. #11
    Moderator Bayside Titan's Avatar
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    It's interesting that this article says Titans and moving to a youth policy however you see in the Media that we are a possibility for Thiaday to come to us !!!!
    #TitansThruNThru #WeAreReady

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bayside Cherry-Evans View Post
    It's interesting that this article says Titans and moving to a youth policy however you see in the Media that we are a possibility for Thiaday to come to us !!!!
    Well you can't have all young players in the team. I'd prefer to not get Thaiday though.

  13. #13
    Rep Player karnage's Avatar
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    Joe Ofahengaue is a weapon. He could be the cornerstone of our pack for the next 10 years.


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