2018 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[DavidBouveng]

Happy for Don and Happy for his fans but this coach is well on his way to re-signing the entire backline that has under performed all yr.

your just sad he is going to pass Meady's try scoring record for the club by the end of this season.

[Titanic]

Great to be keeping Don who will become a one-club man and who must have a fantastic accountant.

Hey teke, he may be re-signing the backline but he has to start somewhere as there isn't too much on the market and if he doesn't we run Matthews the Pipe-Cleaner in the centers ... I can live with the re-signings quite comfortably and hope for some more.

[Dobes]

Hayne on Titans: 'There is no other place I would rather be'


Parramatta star Jarryd Hayne has admitted to missing the Gold Coast as he prepares to play his former club for the first time since leaving the Titans under controversial circumstances almost a year ago.

Hayne was granted a release on compassionate grounds from the club, wanting to be closer to his daughter, after his former partner returned to Sydney with their child.

Before announcing he was leaving the club, Hayne revealed publicly that coach Neil Henry had refused to talk to him ahead of their clash with the Dragons late in the season.

Hayne’s claims put the club in a corner, forcing the Titans to make a call on keeping either Henry or their marquee signing. Gold Coast fired their coach in favour of Hayne, only for the ex-NFL star to announce he’s leaving the club for personal reasons not long after.

Despite the circumstances surrounding his exit, the Eels star said he still has feelings for the club.

“There are great people up there. It’s always warm. I loved the warm weather. It would’ve been great to stay up there but it wasn’t to be,” Hayne told News Corp.

“They have great staff. Obviously with Hayden and Cat (Catterick) and the head coach they are great people.

“They understood my decision to come home. They are great people who understood that. It would’ve been great to be there with them. There is no other place I would rather be than up there with those guys.”

The Titans hired the likes of support staff Craig Catterick and Hayden Knowles to try and harness Hayne’s talent as much as possible. Both men have worked with Hayne in the past and the Eels star believes the club will truly benefit from their knowledge.

“I know what they are like. I know what they bring. Just speaking to the boys who have been there for a while, they love them up there.

“They are slowly building into a good force.”

“I’m looking forward to playing some old teammates, Koni (Konrad Hurrell) the most. It will be good if we come near each other.”

Most league fans thought Hayne’s move to the Eels for less money would light a fire underneath the enigmatic star and provide him with a chance to play his best football in familiar surroundings.

Unfortunately, injuries have hampered Hayne’s return, holding the star to just 10 appearances this season while the club struggles to keep itself off the bottom of the ladder.

“It’s been a devastating year,” Hayne said.

“We are in the spoon race. We don’t want it. We are a game behind. We have to fight and crawl our way through.

“Health-wise, I feel like I’m on top of things now.

“I’ve had a couple of internal issues the last 18 months. I feel like I’ve finally fixed it. I feel great.”

Hayne has been named on the wing but has been given a roaming role by coach Brad Arthur, switching around with Clint Gutherson on attacking plays.

In the past Hayne may have seen his switch to the flank as disrespectful considering the vast amount of experience he has at every level of football, but the ex-49er said he’s comfortable with Arthur’s vision.

“Roaming and chiming in there and swapping with Gutho at times,” Hayne said.

“I’m looking to create opportunities and try-scoring plays. Gutho has been playing there a bit longer. It’s why we are mixing it up in attack especially from set starts.”


https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/07/31/...d=Social-NRLFS

[DIEHARD]

Great to be keeping Don who will become a one-club man and who must have a fantastic accountant.

One club man, I hadn't considered that. Really how many of those are we likely to get? It hasn't been a future of our club up until now. Great for the Titans.

[DIEHARD]

“They understood my decision to come home. They are great people who understood that. It would’ve been great to be there with them. There is no other place I would rather be than up there with those guys.”
https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/07/31/...d=Social-NRLFS

Oh isn't he a delight?

[teke]

your just sad he is going to pass Meady's try scoring record for the club by the end of this season.

The record is a lowball one so it's nothing to write home about, Don got 20 of his tries replacing him when he was injured.

Roll out the same backline next yr, witness the same forum anger because of the same results

[JunctionBlock]

The record is a lowball one so it's nothing to write home about, Don got 20 of his tries replacing him when he was injured.

Roll out the same backline next yr, witness the same forum anger because of the same results

Peachey will be in the backline next year. New blood, more competition for spots.

[DIEHARD]

Don knocks back rivals to stick with Titans
https://www.titans.com.au/

Video Here

Gold Coast's fan-favourite Anthony Don has knocked back significantly more money from Sydney clubs to stay loyal to the Titans for another two seasons.

The 30-year-old Don, the Titans' Paul Broughton Medal winner as player of the year in 2017, made the decision to stay because he and wife Samantha wanted to stay on the Gold Coast and he believes in the direction the club is headed.

"There were some very generous offers from Sydney but my wife has a permanent job here and we love living on the Gold Coast and I think the Titans are on the way up," Don said.

"In the end, I want to retire on the Gold Coast when I finish playing footy and decided I wanted to be a one-club player.

"I'll be 33 when the new contract finishes and, although I'm not shutting the door, it will almost certainly be my last contract."

Don was 25 when he made his NRL debut in 2013 and admits he is proud of what has eventuated since – 63 tries in 105 appearances for the Titans. He is one of the NRL's best wingers in the air and first-class finisher.

"It is way more than I expected when I was 23 and still playing bush footy," he said of his achievements. "Back then I just wanted to try the next level which was Queensland Cup.

"To play one NRL game has been fantastic and to play more than 100 was beyond my wildest dreams and hopefully I've got another 40 to 50 ahead of me."

Titans coach Garth Brennan said he is glad the Don deal was done.

"I've said before how much Anthony means to this football club," he said. "He is Mr Reliable on that right wing and we all know that each week he will go out there and do his job for the team.

"He is someone the members and fans love and he's a player that I enjoy coaching. You always know what you're going to get, and I can trust him to play his role."

Don's signing leaves just hooker Mitch Rein, who has a one-year option but reportedly wants to extend that to two, and backs Kane Elgey, Brendan Elliot and Tyronne Roberts-Davis as current squad members unsigned for next season.

In other Titans news, prop Morgan Boyle has finally relented to an ongoing shoulder injury and is booked in for surgery – joining fellow young middle man Max King as early finishers to the season.

Boyle, who has had eight NRL appearances this season, aggravated the problem playing for Burleigh Bears in Port Moresby on the weekend.

[Whats Doing]

To be honest having a contract which is $60k less than a Sydney offer is he is probably better off when you take the extra tax he would pay at say 34 per cent and the increase in rent he would need to pay to live in Sydney. It is a real no brainer to stay where he is if you only look at the financial side of things

[Titanic]

Yep WD that’s my point ... a good accountant gets him home financially with stability ... a no brainer.

[DavidBouveng]

Titanic and WD, i remember sayig the same for Chris McQueen.

He left here for 100k difference and hasn't been sighted until last week. he would have owned that left edge up here and had zero relocation cost or increase in living.

he was injured for a bit of course, but he is well and truly down the pecking order there

[Bayside Titan]

Just a quick question. Who pays moving costs mostly ?

[JunctionBlock]

Good to see Rein would like to extend to a two year deal up here. Of the others the only person with a real question mark is TRD. Others have been told or have told us.

[Bayside Titan]

To be honest having a contract which is $60k less than a Sydney offer is he is probably better off when you take the extra tax he would pay at say 34 per cent and the increase in rent he would need to pay to live in Sydney. It is a real no brainer to stay where he is if you only look at the financial side of things

It was a similar situation that Hipgrave was in I think. I thought the Dogs offer was more but not enough to make it worth it when you take all the above into it as well. Also there is the yearly cost to come back up here to see friends and family.

[DavidBouveng]

Just a quick question. Who pays moving costs mostly ?

i'm not sure - but moving costs wouldn't be that significant would they? compared to the different housing prices.

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great article in paper today about Bev French considering leaving to try fullback.

He has been known to love gold coast and if we could offer him the role.... wowsers.

he hasn't had the best year, but I still think he could be electric at FB and worth a shot, and probably means he is undervalued and so there wouldn't be a bidding war, just a solid price

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i'm not sure - but moving costs wouldn't be that significant would they? compared to the different housing prices.

- - - Updated - - -

great article in paper today about Bev French considering leaving to try fullback. and proper quotes from him - not just speculation.

He has been known to love gold coast and if we could offer him the role.... wowsers.

he hasn't had the best year, but I still think he could be electric at FB and worth a shot, and probably means he is undervalued and so there wouldn't be a bidding war, just a solid price