2016 Titans Captain

[NSW Titan]

Nathan friend for captain but is it really worth putting him there if he's only gonna be here one year...

[Mexican titan]

He had his chance and pissed it up against the gutter, literally, so no thanks to Bird. He has had more chances than anybody at this club to sort his ****e out but has proven time and again that he is not smart enough to realise his opportunities.
His on field leadership is not the best either. He flat out abuses referees and then can't understand why we lose the penalty count, he is a play killing ball hog and over calls plays that stifle those around him.

Spot on with everything you say Ozy....but who do you suggest. I also agree with the posts of JB, Toads and Pete.
I hadn't thought of Friend until Toads raised it and reckon he would do well. However it is his first year back and although players are supposedly tough, they seem to get easily offended when it comes to management issues. So to keep the peace I would probably lean towards the co- captain option of Douglas/LG, not that I like the idea of co-captains.
Ozy is right with his comments about Bird. In addition to the drugs thing (and he should be out buying lottery tickets for getting off that) the other things should rule him out.

[JunctionBlock]

I just don't see Douglas as Captain material. He's very quiet and goes about his own business on the field. LG as a vice or co-captain would be good considering we are building around him and he will hopefully be around for longer than two years. If Mead was at fullback then I would feel comfortable with that but realistically he's going to be on the wing. James had the captaincy for a portion of last season and didn't inspire me to say give it to him full time, he also seemed to have lost it to Birdy in the latter part of the season.

Goes to show how good we are going when no one is a stand out for captain material.

Zillman?

[Toads]

Nathan friend for captain but is it really worth putting him there if he's only gonna be here one year...

I think so, because there'd be every chance Elgey would probably take it over from 2017. Friendy would hopefully be a mentor/seat warmer of the Captaincy for next year alone. But still, a bit early to call like mentioned in the article on the previous page.

[ozynorts]

Spot on with everything you say Ozy....but who do you suggest. I also agree with the posts of JB, Toads and Pete.
I hadn't thought of Friend until Toads raised it and reckon he would do well. However it is his first year back and although players are supposedly tough, they seem to get easily offended when it comes to management issues. So to keep the peace I would probably lean towards the co- captain option of Douglas/LG, not that I like the idea of co-captains.
Ozy is right with his comments about Bird. In addition to the drugs thing (and he should be out buying lottery tickets for getting off that) the other things should rule him out.

That is really the problem here isn't it. We haven't had real leadership in the playing group for years and now we have no stand out as captain for next year.
Bird was given the job after "showing" he had come good after the whole glassing thing. He repaid that faith by committing another off field unsavoury incident and has forfeited any claims he thinks he might have.
Friend is the only realistic option for me. Those that say he is only here for one year seem to forget that he is a foundation member of this club and has served his dues and this would be the perfect way to send him off. Hodges was only captain of the Bronco's for one year.......
At this stage I wouldn't give Elgey a VC role purely to remove that pressure from him and allow him to mature as a first grader. 2nd year syndrome anyone... He would be in the leadership group though learning from Friend about the standards required to be a professional footballer and captain.
We would need a VC and to me that is the harder one to pick. No to Bird, Zillman, and James.(needs to get his aggression under control first and get more consistency)

[gcboyz]

The selection of captain must be part of our rebuilding process. We need to make a statement to the NRL, our sponsors, our fans, and the wider Rugby League community. This is an area where we must employ a "no ********s" policy.

For me, I would be delighted to see Friendy given the honour. We have him signed for a year, but that might extend to two.

Mead, Zillman and James as candidates for VC.

Let us not pile any pressure on the young guns yet, their time will come.

[K2G]

I think, whether we like it or not, the players themselves should determine who the leaders and captains are amongst the group - not us, or the coach. Making that call based on what we see just isn't enough. Who do the young blokes look up to in terms of their footy careers? who stands up during the countless hours of gruelling pre season training, who does the young bloke call when he has some off field issues and needs to talk to an old head, or who puts an arm around the young bloke / pulls him aside to give him advice or push him forward with a few words of experience? - they're things we're not privy to that are ultimately crucial in such a decision. The players will respond better to some than they do to others. I can see Bird beating Friendy out in this capacity.

I agree with ozynorts that LG should be given at least another year without the responsibility - but it's only natural that the team will start looking to him to lead them, perhaps before he is ready to do it. Without a doubt, the heir apparent.

Should Bird be re-appointed (which I personally have no qualms with), he definitely needs to spend some time watching vision of blokes like Cam Smith communicating with the reffs though. Deadset liability in that regard.

[IpswichTitans]

Give it to LG so he doesn't leave!

[shamus]

Wouldn't get my vote if he was the last man standing.

Well you could but he wouldn't have anyone to bark orders at..

[ozynorts]

I think, whether we like it or not, the players themselves should determine who the leaders and captains are amongst the group

Hmmm I see what you are saying but don't know if I agree. The coaches see these guys every day and see who "leads" the team around BUT they must also have as captain someone who can see the bigger picture.You may have a guy that the team looks up to and follow anywhere, but he might not be the right candidate because he only thinks of himself. Wests Tigers anyone?

[Titanic]

I certainly can see Friend or even Friend/Mead getting the big (c) and Elgey as primary playmaker gets the calls anyway without having the added responsibility thrust onto a player who is still a rookie.

What I can't see is Bird ever taking instructions from anyone, certainly not Elgey, and that will be our biggest issue in 2016. I like James 50% of the time and he hasn't demonstrated any of the requisite attributes to be a captain except being local which is just not enough.

Well you could but he wouldn't have anyone to bark orders at..

So absolutely correct but I still wouldn't, he's just an aging dill who didn't have coke at his bucks party nor pee on police car ... bwahahahaha.

[DIEHARD]

Make Friend captain.

[DIEHARD]

Gold Coast Titans founding father Paul Broughton sees Greg Bird as club leader
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/

TITANS founding father Paul Broughton says this year’s drug saga won’t define Greg Bird and that the Origin enforcer can return to a leadership role at the club.

Bird’s drug supply charges were thrown out in court yesterday along with those of former player Ashley Harrison and 2015 Titans Kal*ifa Faifai Loa and Beau Falloon.

The prosecution’s case was built on text and phone conversations between alleged cocaine kingpin John Touma and Bird last year, in which he referred to an order of “Grange”.

The order for the expensive red wine was alleged to be a code for a cocaine order.

But Chief Magistrate Chris Callaghan yesterday said he did not believe the prosecution would be able to convince a jury in “any way, shape or form” based on the evidence presented.

Other former Titans Dave Taylor, Joe Vickery and Jamie Dowling have been committed to stand trial.

It ended a tortuous year for the 31-year-old Bird, who was stood down for two NRL games after being caught up in the alleged drug ring.

Bird then missed club games and the Origin series due to an eight-match suspension for a lifting tackle on Kiwi winger Jason Nightingale while playing for Australia.

But Broughton said the drug saga that has plagued Bird this year would only make the back-rower better.

“I actually believe it won’t define him and he will go on to do great things from here,” Broughton said.

“I’m sure that he will emerge from it as a much stronger person.”

Broughton said not only did Bird deserve to play out the remaining two years on his contract, which the club has said he will do, but backed him to be the Titans leading man next season after the departure of Nate Myles to Manly.

“He is a born leader and I think he should be captain,” Broughton said.

“He is entitled to get back on the football field and be the player that he is.”

Bird acted as vice-captain when Myles was injured for parts of this season and was previously co-captain before being stripped of the title after being caught urinating in public in December.

Bird said yesterday he would be honoured to captain the Titans if called upon.

“Captaincy is not something you can ever expect to be simply given,” Bird said. “It’s something you must earn.

“I love the club and if those in control deem I am the best person again to lead the players on the field then I would be honoured to do so.”

Coach Neil Henry is a fan of Bird’s on-field tenacity and competitiveness while the playing group has noticed a positive shift in his training, off-field standards and approach to the game this year.

Rookie halfback Kane Elgey said Bird’s teammates viewed him as a leader.

“We’ve always seen him as our natural leader anyway, regardless of whether he’s our captain,” Elgey said.

[DIEHARD]

Co Caprains may be the way to go again & I'm not referring to Bird/Myles era more like when Prince & Bails were running the show

Douglas/LG
Douglas/Mead

Friend/LG
Friend/Mead

James/LG
James/Mead

Every Match we will not have one of the forwards (apart from maybe Friendy) on the park throughout the 80min whereas baring injury the backs will be there for the full 80.

Good options.

[Bayside Titan]

Co Caprains may be the way to go again & I'm not referring to Bird/Myles era more like when Prince & Bails were running the show

Douglas/LG
Douglas/Mead

Friend/LG
Friend/Mead

James/LG
James/Mead

Every Match we will not have one of the forwards (apart from maybe Friendy) on the park throughout the 80min whereas baring injury the backs will be there for the full 80.

These would be my hopes. No to having Bird as Captain if the Titans are trying to wash away the 2015 year.