Does no one at the Titans read his email before it's sent out? Geeze. Encouraging to hear that we'll be talking to Fifita. DWZ and Papenhuyzen though? I hope we're not looking at any fullback past AJ.
Bring back Kevin Gordon
Mal:"Hey David it's Mal from the Titans"
David: "1 Million a year"
Mal: "Ok bye"
Well at least we spoke to him, Mal wasn't lying.
Seems like he was just listing big names who are off contract to build hope and soften the blow of Arrow leaving.
Yeah his comments regarding Arrow didn't exactly fill me with hope...
i love Arrow, but he gets better with every game he misses through injury.
I honestly think he is great, but a teeny bit over rated. Not in Hass or Fifita's league in my opinion.
Other than the Keebra/PBC thing I like the general tone.
I 110% agree with the Arrow stance. I said before we need to be more like we were under Henry, when players were given a value, and we stuck to it. If the club have valued Jai at 3 mill over 4 seasons and the Roosters or the Knights or whoever want to pay him 4 then so be it. We can’t let emotion and fear seep back in to our financial decisions. We can’t get in to bidding wars! Maybe if we let Ash test his value, the Broncos would have offered him $700k and we counter at $800k and save $200 grand a year (although still a waste but you get my point). And we don’t know the terms of the agreement to let him negotiate. I imagine we will have last opportunity.
I like his points about players like Flegler and Papenhuyzen. Bring young hungry kids here for an opportunity. Instead of reject hacks, on mega bucks.
As a club we have a history of bringing players that have peaked, on big deals. And the best successes (recruitment wise) have been Wallace and Arrow, who both came on average money for an opportunity. And they grasped it. To be fair Ash was the same, and he made a fist of it for a couple of years! Until he got caught up in the toxic environment that developed when we went away from that (hmm Hayne Stayne).
That’s what has burnt us year after year!
He has basically come out and said we are turning over players, and we will try and build.
Maybe I have Bods optimistic rose coloured glasses on.
Was just saying this today JB and could not agree more. Arrow is a solid workhorse who gives 100% every game and gets through a mountain of work but no way is he worth a million bucks a season. Haas and Fifita are both making 200 odd metres most games and a mountain of tackle busts. Arrow also isn't the modern day lock forward who is able to ball play e.g. Murray, JTurbo, Taumalolo, Finucane etc.
Think he's been overrated a bit as he's the best player in a terrible side this year. Definitely a play with his heart on his sleeve player who I'd love to stay but he's not a gamechanger and not worth anymore than 800k at max IMO.
Anyone heard whether we are getting someone to replace Ferris and his team. This is one big change that is needed
Chris Lawrance anyone?
Sounds like he could leave the tigers and of there's 2 things were missing it's a left side second rower and experience, although he seems to be abit injury prone lately could be good for off field leadership at the right price
Can someone post mals article from the gc bulletin??
Titans: Mal Meninga reveals how he will revive Gold Coast team for 2020 season
The Gold Coast Titans have secured the 2019 wooden spoon. But Mal Meninga has revealed his secret plan to make the club a force in 2020. And it starts with a Christmas wish list of new players.
MAL Meninga says the Titans will go shopping for new players as soon as the November 1 deadline when clubs can table offers to off-contract players. Their hit list includes Bronco sensation David Fifita.
The Titans head of performance and culture said the season may finish on Saturday night with the final home against the Dragons but the hard work begins on Monday morning.
“The focus of the players and coaches may not extend much further than Saturday night, but for us working behind the scenes at the club, the view is a little further afield. November 1, to be precise,” Meninga told members.
“Much has been made of the fact that the Titans have Jai Arrow and AJ Brimson off-contract at the end of 2020 — and therefore, both players are able to be approached by rival clubs from November 1.
“But it seems to have been forgotten there are 15 other NRL clubs with talented players able to negotiate in the first week of November. And there are some that we are very, very interested in having a chat with.”
Meninga says the Titans have 14 players — including Arrow and Brimson — coming off-contract at the end of 2020.
“Will all 14 of those players be at the Titans in 2021. Realistically, the answer is no. But that means we will have the money and roster places available to chase players that we want to be here,” he said.
Meninga is acutely aware of the rosters of rival teams.
“Brisbane have 12 players off contract, Canberra have 15, South Sydney have 9, the Roosters have 11, and the Melbourne Storm have 21 players able to negotiate on November 1,” he told members, in his regular club column.
“It is a buyer’s market, and we are keen to go shopping. We will apply our new recruitment criteria in assessing the credentials of players we are interested in.
“Are they from the Gold Coast. Are they the right character to be Titans. Can they improve us as a club on and off the field with the standards they expect from themselves and demand from others.
“Plenty fit that criteria. Will we be talking to David Fifita about returning to the Gold Coast, where he went to school at Palm Beach Currumbin High School. Of course we will.
“What about his Broncos teammate Thomas Flegler, who could follow Jai Arrow’s path to State of Origin by becoming a senior player at the Titans. Absolutely.
“Canberra’s Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. Josh Jackson and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak from the Dogs. Felise Kaufusi and Ryan Papenhuyzen at Melbourne. Kyle Feldt and Jordan McLean at the Cowboys. We would be keen to have a chat with all of them.”
While many fans have vented on Facebook pages, Meninga has defended the club’s decision to let Arrow’s manager go to the open market before November 1 saying it was “commonsense”.
“We have made it clear that Jai is seen as a player this club can build around for the years ahead. He is undoubtedly a future leader of the Titans,” Meninga says.
“But if, despite our best efforts, Jai’s manager should decide his client’s future is away from the Gold Coast, we can begin the difficult task to try to replace him.”
Meninga in his final words to fans for season 2019 asked them to “stick solid” because the club was “going in the right direction” and better days were ahead.
“It is doubly-hard to take with people outside of the club putting the boot in to the Titans, and accusing you — our fans — of not caring about the club enough to see it survive.
“We are building something special here and we want you to be a part of it,” he said.
Article in the Bulletin is that Titans and Keebra are wanting closer relationships and appears Keebra are keen. Fantastic news if it becomes a workable pathway to the Titans
Canberra have locked there fullback up now