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  1. #1

    Default Gold Coast best 17........

    The Titans tend to start each season with minimal fanfare around their squad, but 2019 is different.

    Recruiting a genuine star in Tyrone Peachey was a stroke of genius. Having Immortal Mal Meninga on board as the head of culture and performance won’t hurt either.

    It’s clear they will stop at nothing to create a winning culture on the Gold Coast.

    Former Raiders prop Shannon Boyd adds the size they’ve missed up front to support Ryan James.

    Their starting pack is now full of state and international representative players — save for Ryan who has been on the cusp of a Blues call up for several seasons.

    If all goes to plan, the Titans can create something special in 2019.

    The strength...

    The depth Peachey brings. Adding the livewire utility as well as former representative prop Boyd to this squad means there is so much versatility in the forwards and they’ll have the luxury of options in 2019.

    Finding the best position for Peachey will be crucial to getting the most out of their star signing, who could play in the halves, at centre, in the second row or from the bench. However, the Titans are skinny on depth in the backs and if he stays in the centres he will significantly bolster their backline.

    Pressure is on...

    Garth Brennan. It was a difficult season in charge at the Titans for a first year NRL coach. However, there won’t be room to escape criticism if the team doesn’t improve this year.

    In such a cutthroat sport, Brennan will be under immense pressure to lift the Titans out of the bottom half of the competition after finishing 14th in 2018.

    As a club, they have only made the finals three times in their 12-year history, and only once in the past eight seasons.

    It’s a tough ask for any NRL coach, but the roster is good enough now to expect better results.

    The rising star...

    Moeaki Fotuaika. A product of the famous Keebra Park rugby league school in Queensland, Fotuaika impressed as soon as he made the progression to the Titans under-20s, first coming off the bench and playing 50 minutes to be one of the best on the field. Five times that season he played 80 minutes in the front row and he started every game from then on.

    The 19-year-old made his NRL debut in Round 9 last year after banging down the door in the under-20s. It’s rare for a teenager to make his debut at prop, but Fotuaika is no regular player. Physically, he’s not one of the biggest players at the club (185cms, 107kgs), but he’s among the fittest and strongest which is no mean feat for a front-rower.

    This season could be huge for the precocious young talent, who is signed until the end of 2021. He won’t turn 20 until November but with another pre-season under his belt Fotuaika will be a huge asset to the Titans’ already formidable pack.

    The unlucky ones...

    Michael Gordon, Ryley Jacks and Jack Stockwell. On potential and the assurance he’s having a big pre-season, Bryce Cartwright should also be included in this list.

    The Titans have had a solid recruitment drive over the past two seasons, but this year finally have some quality depth to play with. A myriad of options in the halves — including Ash Taylor, Jacks, Peachey, Tyrone Roberts and AJ Brimson means someone is bound to miss the cut.

    Gordon is likely to miss out on the No.1 jersey, but will be a solid backup should injury befall Brimson. He also presents options for the coaching staff if they need to shuffle the team around.

    Jacks has played the past two seasons in the halves at Melbourne and will again play the support role, likely to Roberts, who already has a partnership with Taylor from 2016 and 2017.

    Renewed strength in the forwards means Stockwell will be fighting to nab a place on the bench — but the emergence of young props Max King and Fotuaika could rule him out of first grade.

    It’s a big year for...

    Ash Taylor. This year will be his fourth full season in first grade with the Titans as their chief playmaker. Although we’ve seen flashes of his best, the 23-year-old is yet to find consistent form in the NRL — which is normal for a young halfback. In 2018 he was second in the competition for try-assists with 22 behind Johnathan Thurston with 26.

    However, this year he will have the advantage of a powerful forward pack to play behind. If Taylor can establish a solid connection with his halves partner — whoever it may be — the Titans will be on their way to the success they crave.

    Titans best 17:

    1 AJ Brimson

    2 Anthony Don

    3 Brian Kelly

    4 Tyrone Peachey

    5 Phillip Sami

    6 Tyrone Roberts

    7 Ash Taylor

    8 Jarrod Wallace

    9 Nathan Peats

    10 Shannon Boyd

    11 Kevin Proctor

    12 Ryan James

    13 Jai Arrow

    14 Mitch Rein

    15 Max King

    16 Moeaki Fotuaika

    17 Keegan Hipgrave


    https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...5117ffaf1d7db3

  2. #2
    Immortal Titanic's Avatar
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    We are going to have to run a poll on the team for this year ... nobody can agree, imho.
    Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.

  3. #3

    Default

    Start the poll!!!! I think Gordon was one of our better players last year, I dont mind-
    1. Gordon
    6. Brimson
    7 . Taylor

  4. #4
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    Brimson is a potential star at FB and Peachey earned his Blues Jumper through performances for Penrith at 5/8 when Cleary was injured for about ten weeks.
    Hence my 167 is AJ, Peachey, Taylor.
    Gordon First Winger picked. Im open to Gordon playing Centre too If that suited the balance of the team better. He is capable of playing that position more than adequately.

  5. #5
    Moderator JunctionBlock's Avatar
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    If Brimson plays FB then I'd have to begrudgingly put Roberts in the middle with Taylor (shame they'll miss Valentines day together) and have Peachey in the centres where he can be damaging. After that no idea how the backs line up because it may be a case of square peg round hole. Kelly doesn't help our defense problem. I'd also have Whitbread over Hipgrave on the bench.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by JunctionBlock View Post
    If Brimson plays FB then I'd have to begrudgingly put Roberts in the middle with Taylor (shame they'll miss Valentines day together) and have Peachey in the centres where he can be damaging. After that no idea how the backs line up because it may be a case of square peg round hole. Kelly doesn't help our defense problem. I'd also have Whitbread over Hipgrave on the bench.
    Surely Jacks offers more at 6 than Roberts? Roberts is the last option for me.

  7. #7

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    The first 2 players that will always be picked are , Ash & Tyrone. It will be Valentines Day every weekend for Ash.

  8. #8
    Junior Ausphin's Avatar
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    For me:-

    Brimson
    Sami
    Peachey
    Kelly
    Gordon
    Jacks
    Taylor
    Arrow
    Cartwright *
    Proctor
    James
    Peats
    Wallace

    Roberts
    Boyd
    King
    Fotuaika

    * obviously hinges on Cartwright being in form and interested in tackling, but initial reports out of camp are promising. Hard to leave Don out but Sami offers more in kick returns and stuck with Gordon for his reliability and goal kicking. Kelly in the centres is not great defensively, but poses a real threat in attack. Picked Roberts for bench utility as he can cover a number of positions and didn't like the 2 hookers on the field at the same time we used last year, but would consider maybe a 4 forward bench.

  9. #9

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    With Peachey in the centres do we even need a utility?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Surfers66 View Post
    With Peachey in the centres do we even need a utility?
    That is a damned good point.

  11. #11
    Immortal Titanic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Surfers66 View Post
    With Peachey in the centres do we even need a utility?
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Bods View Post
    That is a damned good point.
    And that’s a damn good point too. I so much want the real Cartwright to stand up. We would look so much more dangerous with some attacking edge options instead of the Taylor/Proctor mind-numbing hit ups.
    Last edited by Titanic; 15-01-19 at 12:12 PM.
    Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.

  12. #12

    Default

    That’s a good point. You could almost have a Brenko or someone like that on the bench and move Peachy into hooker at the end of each half to make our attack a bit more lively.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Murphy View Post
    That’s a good point. You could almost have a Brenko or someone like that on the bench and move Peachy into hooker at the end of each half to make our attack a bit more lively.
    I was more so thinking along the lines of the extra forwards to roll through other teams, In turn giving ash, aj, peach and Kelly room wide to run plays.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Upthetits View Post
    I was more so thinking along the lines of the extra forwards to roll through other teams, In turn giving ash, aj, peach and Kelly room wide to run plays.
    If Cartwright grows up and has a dig then we can do it because Cartwright could be the one that slides to Centre if and when Peachey gets shifted if need be.

  15. #15

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    Having 4 forwards on the bench sounds like a good idea...but what if we lose a half, fullback, winger or centre to injury? Sure we can come up with a mekeshift/stop-gap solution by changing the team dynamics, but.....

    What if Peachey is the one that goes off hurt? If either of our halves or fullback leave the field I'd rather replace them with a specialist utility rather than a backrower covering a position, that includes a backrower covering in the centres if Peach moves to 1, 6, 7 etc. Having Peachey on the field makes us a stronger team 100%, but I wouldn't be going with 4 forwards on the bench. A couple of injuries to key players and we'd be screwed. It'd most likely put us into a defence orientated lockdown with the opposition hiting us where we'd be weaker.

    Brimson
    Don
    Peachey
    Kelly
    Sami

    Jacks
    Taylor

    Wallace
    Rein
    James
    King
    Proctor
    Arrow

    Roberts
    Boyd
    Cartwright
    Fotuaika

    How good is it to have all this choice? LOL! I can't wait for the trials!!


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