2018 preseason

[DIEHARD]

Hipgrave 'the most competitive I've coached'
https://www.nrl.com/

The Titans are buying back the farm and in 21-year-old forward Keegan Hipgrave they have a young bull whose former schoolboy and Intrust Super Cup coach insists is the most aggressive and competitive footballer he has coached.

When Hipgrave made his NRL debut against the Roosters in round 26 of the 2017 Telstra Premiership he became the 38th former Palm Beach Currumbin High student to play in the top grade.

The former Bronco is now one of seven former students from the Gold Coast powerhouse school in the Titans top squad as the club continues to bring back to the Glitter Strip its best former juniors.

Palm Beach Currumbin head coach Aaron Zimmerle, who also recently coached Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Intrust Super Cup, said it came as no surprise to him that Hipgrave was suspended for one game in his debut match for putting a shoulder charge on Jake Friend.

“I’ve never coached or come across anyone with Keegs’ aggression, and as strong a competitive streak,” Zimmerle said.

“He will knock himself out in the effort of trying to put someone two foot under the ground, but he’s got to learn how to control that.

“In every moment of a game he only wants to go 100 miles an hour. He is in the red permanently but he will need to learn how to temper that as the game gets quicker, but when he adapts to that at the NRL level he could do anything.”

Zimmerle has plenty of anecdotes that provide an insight into Hipgrave’s mentality, including his six extraordinary Intrust Super Cup displays for Tweed Heads last year.

“Keegan said to Neil Henry ‘no disrespect but rather than play NYC I want to play Intrust Super Cup against men to prepare myself for the NRL’,” Zimmerle recalled.

“We were struggling and didn’t have any experienced forwards to lead him, but he still won our players’ player award in all six games he played in.

“In one of those games we lost a centre to injury so he played centre and every time Keegan jumped out of the line he would destroy his opposition centre in defence.

“In terms of pure impact and the desire to hurt his opposite number, Keegs is the most ferocious I’ve come across in my time.”

Zimmerle said Hipgrave had other physical attributes which made him more than a handful.

“He ran sub 11 seconds for 100m at district championships when he was at school,” he said.

“He’s got ridiculous acceleration and speed and has a background as a swimmer and water polo player, so he’s got great fitness and lung capacity."

Hipgrave also has an appreciation of where he came from. He credits his Palm Beach Currumbin school for giving him the grounding and belief that he could be an NRL player.

“It set a real platform,” Hipgrave told NRL.com

“We’ve got at least seven ex-PBC players that have graduated on to play NRL - Ryan Simpkins, Kevin Proctor, Kane Elgey, Karl Lawton, Ryan James, Will Matthews and myself.

“When I was in primary school my mum taught at PBC and she would take me along to their games and I’d watch Ryan James and Kevin Proctor play.

“You looked up to them when they went on to play NRL and wanted to follow in their footsteps. Now I get to train and play alongside them it is unreal."

Hipgrave said he would be pushing for a lock or utility bench spot in 2018 and predicted the club was set to turn around its recent woes.

“I had limited opportunities at the Broncos and I really wanted to make my debut when I came back to the Gold Coast because I am from here and I love it here,” he said.

“My biggest goal for this year it to crack the top 17.

“I see a massive future here. Garth Brennan is doing wonderful things with the club, we have new owners and Dennis Watt has come in [as chairman] who I knew at Brisbane, and he is a great dude.

“Garth talks about it a lot, how it is all about having really good people around the club.

“Even the boys he’s brought in you can see are good players who also care about the direction the club is going in.”

[Mr Bods]

^^^^ well there is the answer to a number of rants I made last year in the NYC thread about Hipgrave not playing NYC.
Word of warning re PBC: that school is rapidly transitioning into being an AFL school.

[Ausphin]

Optimism.

I am sure every fan starts the season thinking their team will be better than last, but I can't remember a season for the last 5 or so years where I have felt this optimistic.

Everything I hear from Brennan I like. In an interview today he confirmed James will play on the edge and also indicated he sees Brimson as back-up to the halves, but also mentioned he can cover for Gordon at fb.

Koni has come back fitter than ever and Brennan mentioned they are working on his defence. Apparently Ash has lost some kgs and Kane has added some. I am really optimistic about LG this year. He has acknowledged he is a confidence player and another season removed from his injury I want to see him bounce back to form. A settled edge of James, him and Copley will help no end, particularly in defence. Last year the most games LG played with same centre and 2nd rower was 4 games early in the season with Copley and McQueen. Also played 3 games with Copley and Greenwood later in the year, but every other game had a different combo. Hopefully this offseason can cement this combination to go with Ash, Koni and KP on the other edge.

Roll on 2018 season.

[Titanic]

Onya 'phin, that's my take as well. What you didn't add was where the team will end up on the ladder and I will comment that although I think we will finish 13-16 I don't care as long as we establish a decent foundation with some fairdinkum club spirit.

[Ausphin]

Onya 'phin, that's my take as well. What you didn't add was where the team will end up on the ladder and I will comment that although I think we will finish 13-16 I don't care as long as we establish a decent foundation with some fairdinkum club spirit.

Hard to say but would like to think we could be in the hunt for the last couple of places in the 8. Teams I think we can finish ahead of-

Tigers
Dragons
Knights (although I think they will improve)
Bulldogs
Warriors

Teams who might be battling for bottom of top 8

Titans
Raiders
Sea Eagles
Broncos (think they might slide this year. Forward pack outside of Gillett and McGuire does not look strong)
Rabbitohs
Sharks (aging roster and think their window is closing)

[Upthetits]

I'm hoping for a 8 - 12th.

[GCTTSD]

YOUNG TITAN RISING

The Titans are delighted with one of their lesser known off-season recruits - former Sharks NYC utility Tony Matautia.

A 21-year-old Kiwi who can play centre, second row or lock, Matautia won an SG Ball premiership with Cronulla in 2015 and the club could rue letting him go.

A strong defender, Matautia played alongside boom youngster Kyle Flanagan last season, acting as a bodyguard for the talented halfback.

His path to first grade could be easier at the Titans and his progress will be watched with interest.

Anyone know much about him? Could he debut this year?

[Menoitios]

G'day all.

My first post on here and I'd just like to ask the question......Is it just me or is anyone else feeling a real positive vibe about this year? A couple of mates have told me we won't do much better than last year in 2018, but I reckon they're wrong. I hope our new coach can instil a real "under the radar, us against everyone" type of mentality into the team so our young blokes rip and tear into each game.

I think we'll finish around 8th or 9th this year and really give it a bloody good shake in 2019. Brennan has said he wants success straight off the bat and build a dynasty from there. I'm with him and this team we have this year could really get the ball rolling.

Bring on round one. Onwards and upwards!!!

[Upthetits]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/01/16/...at-tim-cahill/

[Menoitios]

Titans prop Jarrod Wallace vows to maintain his aggression despite suspension delaying his start to 2018.

JARROD Wallace won’t curb his aggressive ways in 2018 despite the Titans prop admitting that it “sucks” that he will miss the first two games of the Telstra Premiership season due to suspension.

A Queensland Origin debutant in 2017, Wallace received a three-game ban for a shoulder charge on Bulldogs half Moses Mbye in Round 25 last season which means he will be unavailable to play the Raiders and Warriors in the first two games of the season.

Wallace was only able to make his debut for the Maroons in Game Two after being cleared by the judiciary of a shoulder charge stemming from the Round 14 clash with the Warriors but says he has to be smarter rather than softer.

With Ryan James set for a move to the back row Wallace will be the most seasoned front row enforcer on the Gold Coast roster this year and says that he can’t shirk the responsibilities that come with that.



“I’ve never been the most aggressive person on the field but last year I wanted to try and bring that into my game,” Wallace said.

“Obviously playing bigger minutes I didn’t want to go into a shell and just tackle and run.

“I still wanted to make sure those minutes were quality and try and bring a little bit of aggression because obviously that’s our game.

“It’s an aggressive game, it’s the most aggressive game in the world so if I can try and keep that up and be smart with it, make sure I’m doing the right things.

“I’m not going to lie, it does suck, knowing that the boys are going to be out there for two games and I’m not going to be there.

“I try and pride myself on not missing any games. I missed two or three last year which I was a bit upset about but that’s footy.”

With a pre-season punctuated by three separate surgeries Wallace might need until the Round 3 clash with St George Illawarra in Toowoomba to return to full fitness.

Booked in for groin and shoulder surgeries in the off-season, Wallace suffered another blow when he went over on his ankle in mid-December that necessitated another visit with the surgeon, further delaying his 2018 preparations.

“It’s been a very frustrating pre-season for me,” Wallace admitted.

“Coming back from my groin and shoulder surgeries and everything coming good and then just went over on my ankle and had to get surgery on that.

“The coaching staff have done a really good job and I reckon I’m probably a bit ahead of schedule maybe by a week.

“I’ve done pretty much a full week now with no pain or anything and recovering really well so full credit to them.

“Those three surgeries kind of set me back so I’m just trying to get the same fitness I had last year, the same weight, just making sure that my head’s switched on.”


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...46b24c9c943c48

[Menoitios]

Greenwood wants to see NRL stint through.

Joe Greenwood is preparing for his second season in the NRL - scotching speculation that he is on the verge of returning home. The former Saints’ second rower, who joined the Gold Coast Titans in a swap deal which led to Zeb Taia moving in the opposite direction last February, had been linked with a move to either Wigan Warriors or Hull KR where his elder brother, James, is on the playing staff.

Joe, 24, admitted there had been rumours where his future lay but he insisted:: “It’s my intention to play for the Titans - and that’s where I am at this moment in time. “It’s always a good option to play with my brother, but I’ve got the opportunity out here and this is what I want to do. “I’ve got this year and next year (at Gold Coast). It’s like, one and a half years left.

“I’m keen to see it out. It all depends but I’m happy where I am. We’ll see what happens.”The forward scored four tries in 22 appearances during his debut NRL season but his hopes of making the England squad for the 2017 World Cup didn’t materialise.“It was frustrating not making the cut,” Greenwood confessed.

“I went to the final against Australia in Brisbane and thought the boys did well but they couldn’t finish it off and get over the line.

“We’ll be pushing for it in the next four years and hopefully we can lift the trophy then.

”Whether Wayne Bennett will still be at the helm remains to be seen but Greenwood revealed that his own absence from the squad was due to the Aussie coach banking on tried and tested players.

“Wayne said he was going with more experienced players, but told me just to keep up what I was doing.

Read more at: https://www.sthelensreporter.co.uk/s...ough-1-8960800

[rj62]

G'day all.

My first post on here and I'd just like to ask the question......Is it just me or is anyone else feeling a real positive vibe about this year? A couple of mates have told me we won't do much better than last year in 2018, but I reckon they're wrong. I hope our new coach can instil a real "under the radar, us against everyone" type of mentality into the team so our young blokes rip and tear into each game.

I think we'll finish around 8th or 9th this year and really give it a bloody good shake in 2019. Brennan has said he wants success straight off the bat and build a dynasty from there. I'm with him and this team we have this year could really get the ball rolling.

Bring on round one. Onwards and upwards!!!

Welcome ! I was just thinking the same thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve actually felt good leading into a season. Having good news after good news is something not common to this club and I just have the feeling it’s filtering through.

I couldn’t be happier with the change in the coaching staff and I just have this good feeling and I’m loving it.

Roll on to the start of the season and I can’t wait to see this team on the field.

Christ I’ll even be wearing the much chastised new style cap!! In fact I already am!

#thrunthru

[ozynorts]

Christ I’ll even be wearing the much chastised new style cap!! In fact I already am!

#thrunthru

I started wearing it but it annoyed me so much I got the 2017 one back out...

[Mr Bods]

I started wearing it but it annoyed me so much I got the 2017 one back out...

This hat you guys are talking about is getting some discussion. Is this hat you are talking about the 2018 Members Hat?

[Menoitios]

Cheers mate!

Hearing all the good news is a very welcome change. I think it's going to be a fantastic year for us fans with plenty of wins (and hopefully bugger all injuries)

I'm in CQ so won't be at many games this year, but I will be in Gladstone vs Manly for sure!! I'm so happy about that game that I might wear two hats. Haha!!!