2018 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[TitansState]

Great. Now how bout we look at our own intrust team and get Troy Leo on the squad too.

[DavidBouveng]

Troy deserves a spot, he is like our own Beven French, slightly bigger of course, but also more robust as well.

i'm also here to say that Brenko, Sami and AJ can form part of a team that takes us deep into the finals in next 3-4 years.

[mdrew]

Agreed Troy Leo has earned a shot in my opinion. He has the one thing that you just can not teach and that is speed

[RenegadeGC]

Kea Pere, interesting signing, kid played well in his couple of games in Intrust then wasn't really noticeable when he went back to U20s for Easts (and now recovering from Surgery). Definitely has some potential, but seems strange when we have Jaxson Paulo signed (whom is same age and size), as well a more experienced Troy Leo cemented as a top tier try scorer in ISC. There is also Tweeds Curtis Dansey-Smaller and Burleighs Mikey Williams.

On a side note, I really hope the Titans take a punt on Troy Leo even if its a preseason opportunity, if Burleigh make a deep run in to the finals series for ISC I have no doubt he will get picked up by another NRL Team.

[mdrew]

Kea Pere definitely has some potential and adds to the pool of young outside backs such as Jaxson Paulo and Mikey Williams both of whom I have massive wraps on

[Just-a-Fan]

Troy Leo should be given a shot also Whitelaw very much like a Arrow type player and has been for the last few years
I also think we should go after Reed Mahoney and be our future Hooker we will see him play against us this game

[Dobes]

Roberts on Titans' radar after ruling out Norman deal


Tyrone Roberts is Gold Coast's preferred option to boost their halves next year after coach Garth Brennan said the club had put a line through Corey Norman as a potential recruit.

NRL.com revealed on Wednesday that Brennan and the Eels five-eighth had held informal talks on the Gold Coast in June. However, the club's half-owner and long-time saviour Darryl Kelly has said publicly Norman is not the right fit for a club that has had to work hard to repair a tarnished public image.

And if the Eels were willing to foot a good chunk of Norman's salary cap in 2019, the Titans would struggle to make room to accommodate his lucrative contract in the remaining years of any contract.

And Brennan is known to have a preference to bring Roberts back if the ducks can line up with the cap.

Brennan is just one voice on the Titans' retention and recruitment committee which includes Kelly, head of football Phil Moss, football manager Anthony Laffranchi and Titans chief executive Graham Annesley. The committee has knocked any move for Norman squarely on the head.

"That's the committee's decision, I respect that decision and we move on," Brennan said.

"I understand where the club is and the situation. He's a talented player, there's no doubt about that, but I said when I came here it's always club first and if that is the decision the football recruitment committee has made we move on.

"We have some exciting young kids in the system. If the right a player comes along that's going to suit the Gold Coast Titans we will look at that."

It is understood the chances of Norman linking with the club also took a hit on Thursday when he said in an interview with Sky Sports' Big Sports Breakfast that he did not want to go to "a rebuilding club".

The highest-paid recruit in Titans history - Eels veteran Jarryd Hayne - will partner Norman against them at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

Hayne rarely hit top form during his 22-game Gold Coast stint and Kelly and the power-brokers are rightfully cautious of ensuring they have the right fit when they spend big dollars.

And Brennan doesn't disagree with that attitude.

"It is so important that you make the right decision on who you bring into a club," he said.

"We've seen clubs in the past probably pull the wrong rein, recruit the wrong person and the effect it can have on the club.

"Darryl Kelly is a very respected man and very astute in what he does. He is doing a fantastic job leading this club and we respect the decisions he makes and we move on."

The wide belief is Brennan would prefer Roberts, who is playing in the English Super League, returning to the club where he impressed in 2016-17 but there is not enough in the cap to make him a high-range offer.

And complicating what the Titans can do is that they are three players down on the 29 required to be in place in the top 30 squad by the end of March 2019.

It leaves somewhat of a conundrum that they want to entertain a top-line signing but also have to find some bodies on minimum wage - or shed players, which is common in the NRL these days.

The club will give no indication publicly on which players may be under pressure. High-priced squad members Bryce Cartwright, Leilani Latu, Konrad Hurrell have spent varying time in the Intrust Super Cup this season.

Fullback Michael Gordon will be 35 in September but his form has been excellent and he wants to play on next season to complete his two-year deal.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/08/03/...-corey-norman/

[NZTITAN]

im very very very upset we didnt decide to chase Corey 'Do a fanny brahh' Norman :/

[gotitans101_]

Why do we need another half anyway? Might as well have just kept Elgey.

[Mr Bods]

I’ve made my thoughts clear on ditching LG and recycling The Termite

[Titan68]

So apart from holding Ash’s hand , why are we even considering Tyrone Roberts.

[gotitans101_]

I’ve made my thoughts clear on ditching LG and recycling The Termite

yeah I don't get the obsession with trying to sign Roberts anymore. Just let that ship sail already.

Also, the way it sounded on the news is that Brennan was the one who wanted to make a play at Norman but it was the club who ended up refusing his proposal. Some very questionable decisions being made by Brennan imo...we don't need a badboy like Norman here.

[Titan68]

I’m agreeing with Mr Bods & gotitans101 , we don’t need Tyrone Roberts and we definitely don’t need Corey Norman. But i will ask this if we miss the finals again next year ( it’s a possibility ) , where does the go , the pressure , would be so intense on Brennan , questions would have to be asked

[Dobes]

As it stands at the moment we don’t really need Roberts, but once Gordon retires and AJ goes to fullback, we’re not going to have anyone to replace him. So in that sense, it’s not going to be the worst thing ever to have someone to go to 5/8. Until that happens, Roberts will probably just be used as a utility. But I agree we should have just kept Elgey for that anyway...

[gotitans101_]

Why are people so sure AJ is a fullback?

Why fix what ain't broken? He is coming along nicely as a 5/8.