2018 preseason

[Bayside Titan]

Gold Coast Titans boss Graham Annesley says club in best position since 2007 inception
Connor O’Brien, @obrien_GCB, Gold Coast Bulletin
GOLD Coast’s sweeping NRL changes should be a trigger for immediate success, not consolidation, according to Graham Annesley.
The Titans chief executive has dismissed suggestions the club will view this season as a building block to bigger things in 2019 when it will have a year under its belt with the newly appointed coaching staff and ownership model.
The side are also largely yet to replace the seven-figure hole in the salary cap left by marquee fullback Jarryd Hayne, the two-time Dally M winner who has returned to Parramatta.
But Annesley says the Titans are placed better than ever in their 11-year history to funnel their full focus into on-field results.

“We now have every opportunity to perform well in the competition,” he told the Bulletin.
“At this stage of the year there are 16 clubs that think they are going to have a better year than last year. Only eight of them are probably going to be right – the ones that make the finals.”
Annesley believes qualifying for the playoffs is a very attainable goal – and, as the North Queensland Cowboys showed last year, anything can happen from there.
“We have a strong squad,” he said.



“We’ve got our coaching and support staff in place which the players are really enjoying and all of the off-field distractions around the future of the club have been resolved.



A consortium headed by Darryl Kelly (left) and Rebecca Frizelle (right) in December became Titans owners. Also pictured: Darryl’s wife Jo Kelly (second from left) and new executive director Dennis Watt (second from right). Picture: Glenn Hampson
“We don’t have any excuses. All of the elements that we have set out to put in place are now there and we just have to get on with it.
“It really is up to the players now … they have to take pride in their performances and their club which I’m sure they will do.
“(Coach) Garth Brennan is very determined that anyone we play will know that they have played us and we want to be out there having a fair old crack against every team we play and giving our supporters something to be proud of.”
Titans players return to pre-season training on Friday.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/...d3d186eed6510a

[Titanic]

I would agree with all of that but I feel we are still a fringe (at the wrong end) 9-12 finishing squad.

[Upthetits]

I'm hoping for little to no injuries and the compition for places will have them all playing out of their skins... ��

[Mr Bods]

Choice of Captain is going to be interesting. Does anyone have any mail on that?
I’ll put out there what I would like it to be:
NPeats (Captain) with the proviso he deletes all social media accounts
RJames (Vice Captain)

[Titanic]

Too much chopping and changing ... let’s get some consistency, please.

[gotitans101_]

Doesn't Annersley spew that crap at the start of every year?

[Mr Bods]

Too much chopping and changing ... let’s get some consistency, please.

We have a new Coach though Titanic and he has every right to impose who he wants as the leadership team and it’s structure

[Titanic]

Yes I get that but captain doesn’t have to be our best player but he needs to be ideologically representative of the team and the club.

[Mr Bods]

^^^ yeah fair enough and RJames does fit that bill. Just one thing though is I don’t think Captaincy has been good for RJames with his footy, he’s lost that mongrel since he got it. Being VC might free him up a bit. We need people to stick up for us when things aren’t going our way. I miss Birdy so much.

[DavidBouveng]

We all lost our crap on here whenever James would give away penalty after penalty, and then he matured or was given a different role by Henry and became a workhorse more about metres, tackles and quick play the balls than outright aggression.

I think he could have a bit more starch when teams are getting over us, but i think we romanticise he and birds aggression and forgets the penalties, suspensions and brain explosions.

[rj62]

Couldn’t agree more DB

[JunctionBlock]

Is Don, is good.

[Titanic]

Just to cheer you all up ... the Eels have Hayne and they had Radradra ... glad we didn't after this gem today.

Semi Radradra finally resurfaced in France this week after he returned home to Fiji to crank some weights in a backyard gym and shoot pool with the locals.
The former Eels cult hero is in hot water with Toulon — and their volatile owner Mourad Boudjellal — after he failed to return home in time for the club’s Top 14 clash loss to Toulouse.
Boudjellal should have picked up the phone and called Parramatta coach Brad Arthur to find out how difficult it is to convince Radradra to leave Fiji on time.
Photos of Radradra on the picturesque island of Taveuni surfaced on the Fiji NSW Cup bid Facebook page, which is run by Petetro Civoniceva and has nearly more than 180,000 followers.
Petero told us: “Whenever an NRL or rugby player pops up in Fiji, our followers are quick to let us know and often send in photos, which can be hilarious — like the Semi ones.”
It remains to be seen how much Radradra will be fined for his delayed return. Mourad has a track record of slugging his players.
Expect Mourad to come down hard, especially with growing speculation Radradra is about to sign a two-year deal with rivals Bordeaux for more than $1 million a year.
It’s big bickies. We tried getting an answer out of his manager, George Christodolou, but we’d have better chance of getting Semi himself. Or Mourad.
For Parramatta fans, should Semi’s Bordeaux deal be rubber-stamped — popular French rag Midi Olympique is reporting something could be done by the weekend — an NRL return for the try-scoring machine would not happen until midway through 2020 at the earliest.

​https://postcourier.com.pg/radradra-...brief-sojourn/

[Mr Bods]

^^^ am loving it that I can’t think of anything much to post on here this off season. Silence really is golden. (touch wood)

[Mr Stupid]

Hurrell going the extra mile in pre-season
Author Joel Gould Timestamp Wed 10 Jan 2018, 10:30 AM



Konrad Hurrell has returned to Gold Coast Titans pre-season training in great shape after spending his Christmas break following Tonga's World Cup campaign running up hills in Auckland and tackling the gruelling Currumbin stairs.

The 26-year-old centre's work ethic over the holiday period has impressed coach Garth Brennan and is a sign of his maturity and development.

The former New Zealand Warrior admitted to NRL.com he once took his career for granted, but not anymore.


That he took on the 100-plus stairs up the hill near Currumbin Beach in the off-season is proof he is keen to leave no stone unturned in his quest to play more games in the regular Telstra Premiership season than he has in recent years.

''I went and spent Christmas with my parents and did some running up the hills of Auckland and then came back to the Gold Coast early and hit the stairs at Currumbin just to keep the fitness up,” Hurrell said.


''The boys have already done a lot of hard work and I didn't want to come back and fall way behind.

''I am 110 kilos now and I usually play at 108 so I've come in sweet. I've got another six weeks to go before the trials and those two kgs will be off by then.

''I am making the off-season and the pre-season a real priority now because I understand what it means and how important it is.


''In the past I had a lack of knowledge, and discipline as well, but I feel like I am on the right path now.

''I always wanted to play professional footy as a young kid and then when I made it I relaxed after making my dream come true. Now I am trying to improve each year and I’m not taking it for granted.''

Those words will be music to the ears of Brennan who had already noted Hurrell's commitment since his return.


''Koni has come back in really good shape after doing those stairs and hills by himself in the break and that is really exciting for us,'' Brennan said.

''He did so much that he even aggravated a bit of a calf muscle [injury], although nothing serious.

''But it is great that he has been doing the work and ticking himself over to come back in such good shape.

''He did extras at training [on Tuesday] by his own choice and is working his butt off.

''Some guys return from their break and they are at the back of the field when we do our runs but he is not like that. He’s been willing to rip on and have a real crack.''



Brennan said having the colourful and popular character back on deck had put ''a real spring in everyone's step'', while adding that he was one player he was looking forward to coaching.

''I have been a Konrad Hurrell fan ever since he destroyed my Newcastle under 20s team in a semi-final when he was playing for the Warriors, so I am just happy he is on my side for a change rather than terrorising the sides I have been coaching,'' Brennan said.

''He is one of the players I am very excited about having in my team. He is a big part of it. He is likeable and a big personality. Fans love him. Players love him and he is a handful.


''He has got a bit of work to do defensively and we will keep working with him on that. Hopefully I have devised a few structures that will help Koni in defence, but keeping him on the park will be a big priority for us this year.''

Hurrell said Tonga's stellar World Cup campaign had taught him about key building blocks to success which could also assist the Titans in the year ahead.

''I learned a lot with Tonga about what you can achieve when everyone works together, not just when we trained but off the field as well,'' Hurrell said.


''No-one was relying on someone else to do the job. Everyone did the one percenters and chipped in for each other.

''You can achieve so much when everyone trusts each other and that is what I see at the Titans as well.

''Going into pre-season it is good to see all the smiley faces. The boys and the coaches are happy and that is because everyone is putting in that hard work.

''I am enjoying being back and joining in. I noticed as soon as I came back that all the older players are looking after the younger fellas and the young guys want to learn from the older boys.

''We didn’t have a good season last year for the fans and members of the club. We have new signings and a new coach and if we work hard hopefully we can have a good run this year.''