2018 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[DIEHARD]

Titans pair left to wait on deals
http://www.gcbulletin.com.au

IT could be a nervous Christmas break for Titans under-20s graduates Moeaki Fotuaika and Apiata Noema.

The rookie pair have spent the first half of the pre-season with the Gold Coast’s top squad on six-week train-andtrial deals.

However, they are yet to learn whether they will earn contract extensions with the club into the New Year and through to their pre-season trial matches.

Fotuaika is a prop who has already represented the Junior Kiwis and has been heaped with praise by teammates and club staff for his efforts in recent weeks.

Tough second-rower Noema was one of the cocaptains for the Titans’ under-20s side last year.

[ALX25]

Will defeat the purpose of the 'local juniors' if both aren't retained or encouraged to stay...

[Mr Bods]

^^^ only if they are good enough to justify a place on the list. We can’t have “List cloggers”. I’m not passing judgement on the quality of the two-I’m not sure if they have NRL potential or not.
In the under 20s last year neither of them excited me greatly.

[sideline grandad]

Tend to agree with you on this one Bods, especially on Noema who in my opinion is a long way off NRL potentioal.

[Hail Sezer]

^^^ only if they are good enough to justify a place on the list. We can’t have “List cloggers”. I’m not passing judgement on the quality of the two-I’m not sure if they have NRL potential or not.
In the under 20s last year neither of them excited me greatly.

Agree.

Mo could have it in him but is still so young, especially for a front rower who is yet to prove himself against men. He has been upgraded to a development contract for 2018 though.

I think Noema needs a few seasons in cup yet. There are backrowers at Tweed and Burleigh who are still in that “development” age bracket that I think are currently closer to NRL. He will have a battle to even crack Burleighs Qcup side at the moment, very strong backrow in Cup, A grade and even 20s with Marsh, Farmer, Garner and Holloway all still 20s eligible. Different ball game at age group level in 2018.

[Titanic]

Agree with all of that ... the really good thing though is that there are public discussions going on around this type of player ... the more that emerging players are aware that they are in or approaching the spotlight even in a limited way can only encourage them to keep on playing and trying.

[DIEHARD]

Brenko Lee chatted with Ash Taylor before joining Gold Coast Titans NRL
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/

BRENKO Lee turned to Titans halfback Ash Taylor before officially agreeing to take his NRL career to the Gold Coast.

Lee’s one-year contract was announced last week after he secured a release from the Bulldogs.

The 22-year-old Emerging Maroons centre grew up playing representative footy with Taylor and was pleased with what the halfback had to say about the Parkwood club.

“I’ve known Ash since I was 12 years old,” Lee revealed. “We played Queensland Schoolboys under-12s together.

“I had a chat to him and without even talking to (Titans coach Garth Brennan), he basically said to me what Garth said to me.

“I was pretty excited. It was something I couldn’t really knock back – too good to be true.”

Lee, who was eager to move back to the Logan region where his family are based, had already been filled with optimism from his discussions with Brennan.

“Garth said he wanted to bring back a lot of southeast Queensland kids and start recruiting like that instead of buying players,” he said.

“What he explained to me really opened my eyes and really showed me that the club is going in the right direction … it will be a force.”

Lee’s revelations also prove a glowing sign that Taylor can be the true marquee man the Titans have long been chasing.

The club had an ill-fated attempt to lure Daly Cherry-Evans north on the big bucks, then landed the signature of two-time Dally M medallist Jarryd Hayne for what proved to be an infamous stint.

Hayne’s on-field talent cannot be questioned but he hardly brought the kind of leadership that is associated with other marquees in the game such as Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston.

For Taylor, who in October re-signed until the end of 2021 on a multi-million dollar deal, his impressive dealings with Lee perhaps show he is prepared to be the face of the club that the Gold Coast has been craving.

[TITAN PETE]

Agree.

Mo could have it in him but is still so young, especially for a front rower who is yet to prove himself against men. He has been upgraded to a development contract for 2018 though.

I think Noema needs a few seasons in cup yet. There are backrowers at Tweed and Burleigh who are still in that “development” age bracket that I think are currently closer to NRL. He will have a battle to even crack Burleighs Qcup side at the moment, very strong backrow in Cup, A grade and even 20s with Marsh, Farmer, Garner and Holloway all still 20s eligible. Different ball game at age group level in 2018.

Agree mate Api is a long way off NRL & will have to fight to make the Q Cup squad

[mdrew]

Some highlights of Titans development player Kiah Cooper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE4_7Cfk7Ow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2CcoZvIXa4

[DavidBouveng]

Some highlights of Titans development player Kiah Cooper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE4_7Cfk7Ow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2CcoZvIXa4

how far off NRL is he do you believe mdrew? Will we see him this year?

And how highly do you rate his long term potential?

[DIEHARD]

GREENWOOD TO FIGHT FOR STARTING SPOT
http://www.gcbulletin.com.au

GOLD Coast forward Joe Greenwood believes his lateyear form surge showed he can be a premier NRL player as his place in the Titans starting side comes under scrutiny.

Greenwood played 22 games in his first NRL season since switching from English Super League club St Helens.

After starting the year on the bench behind representative second-rowers Kevin Proctor and Chris McQueen, Greenwood took his chances to churn out a number of promising 80-minute performances.

But there is early talk that Greenwood could be shuffled to the bench as part of Ryan James’ mooted shift from prop to the back-row.

With Proctor a shoo-in on the right edge, that would make Greenwood the unlucky victim.

The 24-year-old won’t give up his spot without a fight though, determined to make hearing the game’s opening whistle a regular occurrence.

“Yeah definitely,” Greenwood said when asked about his desire to start in matches.

“But there is a lot of competition now that Garth (coach Garth Brennan) has brought in, which is good.

“It keeps you on your toes and I can’t wait for 2018.

“I’m going to have a good pre-season under my belt so I’m going to go in all guns blazing.”

Greenwood’s recruitment as part of a player swap with Zeb Taia was only confirmed in late February – and he arrived on the Coast less than a week before Round 1, leaving him minimal time to prepare himself for the added rigours of the NRL.

This time around he will be coming off a full pre-season in the Australian summer heat. While countryman Dan Sarginson lasted just one season, Greenwood is tied to the Titans until the end of 2019 and hopes to keep building his game with a view to representing England at their home World Cup in 2021.

Greenwood watched from the Suncorp Stadium stands this month as Australia retained the World Cup with a 6-0 win over England.

“It was a little bit frustrating because you want to be out there,” he said.

[mdrew]

Don't think so mate, he will obviously get a chance in the trials but this year will be about trying to break into the Queensland Cup

how far off NRL is he do you believe mdrew? Will we see him this year?

And how highly do you rate his long term potential?

[Mr Bods]

^^^ that crappy recommendation by mdrew makes me think this guy is a bust and was signed purely to please his cousin ATay post TRoberts not being kept.
An outside back his age if he has any potential should walk straight into a QCup team.

[Hail Sezer]

^^^ that crappy recommendation by mdrew makes me think this guy is a bust and was signed purely to please his cousin ATay post TRoberts not being kept.
An outside back his age if he has any potential should walk straight into a QCup team.

I think mdrew means that he will face stiff competition for a Qcup Spot by other players in the Titans top 30 who are actually available for week-to-week selection, unlike Kiah who is on a development contract.

To give some perspective..
Let's keep in mind we are likely to see John Olive, Phil Sami, Brenko Lee (or Brendan Elliot), Tyronne Roberts-Davis all playing Qcup week 1.

I see 3 centres in the top 30 there who have played NRL and will likely be seen in favour of Cooper.

Then we need to consider the centres at Qcup level who have already proven their worth at that grade e.g. Troy Leo and Sami Sauiluma...it's a tough gig.

Kiah can definitely play, however I do agree to an extent with you Bodsy that the signing is questionable when we already had players locally that are in the same age bracket and have shown IMO equal or more potential (at Qcup level or even A-grade which is superior to NYC).

[mdrew]

Spot on HS