2020 preseason

[Titanic]

441582814713_.pic.jpg
M1 stoush albeit preseason

[DIEHARD]

Livestream of our trial against the Broncos at Dolphin Oval via NRL.com

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2020/...ncos-v-titans/

[DIEHARD]

Total Rugby League: NRL Preview 2020: Gold Coast Titans https://www.totalrl.com/nrl-preview-...-coast-titans/

[Dooldog76]

I think we are going to make the eight this year. Reason for this is out of curiosity I looked up 2019 top eight predictions. About half of the "experts"had us in the top eight. Whether they got sucked in to the hype the fact remains that we have the same squad that many predicted would do well, with a better coach. On top of that the "experts"are playing it safe and it's easy to pick the spooner for a repeat. I genuinely think this is the year we turn it around. Hesitant, but excited as well.

[Mr Bods]

I’ll be content with 15th, get rid of the dead wood and surge in 2021

[BundyTitan]

Currently I've got us at 11th (did the NRL ladder predictor this morning - get onto it fellas) with 10 wins and 14 losses. Whilst we definitely still have holes in our roster, our attitude and effort will be a lot better under Holbrook and I think that will get us home in a lot of tight ones. Our first 6 weeks is the biggest test as we play the Raiders, Eels, Broncos, Storm, Roosters and Manly where I have us scraping home for 2 wins as those sides will still be getting the rust out too. Then the draw gets a bit "easier" so I hope we can go on a mid season run and gel together some wins against must beat teams like the Tigers, Panthers, Warriors, Dragons and Bulldogs etc.

Tried to be as realistic as possible so 11th is where I see us but I would love to see us finish even higher and it would be a miracle to scrape into the 8 (though I think that's more likely next year). As long as we finish above the bottom 4 I consider it a pass mark - anything beats 16th with only 4 wins!

[ozynorts]

As long as we finish above the bottom 4 I consider it a pass mark - anything beats 16th with only 4 wins!

I agree mate, somewhere between 10 and 12th on the ladder with our start to the season will be an improvement. Of course if we do better than that then I ain't going to complain.

[Titanic]

As the eternal pessimist I’m going the safe route and suggesting 13-16th but with the roster re-vamp at season’s end I’ll boldly predict a near finals finish for 2021 and the emergence of our powerhouse in 2022.

[Mr Bods]

As the eternal pessimist I’m going the safe route and suggesting 13-16th but with the roster re-vamp at season’s end I’ll boldly predict a near finals finish for 2021 and the emergence of our powerhouse in 2022.

Yeah that’s pretty much my view. I think people should save themselves and Holbrook unnecessary pain and drama by not setting a high bar for this year.
2020 is a transition season.

[Bayside Titan]

Justin Holbrook reveals how he changed everything about the Gold Coast Titans for 2020
March 7, 20204 0


New Titans coach Justin Holbrook has opened up on how he totally overhauled everything at the Gold Coast and why he’s not just an imitation of Trent Robinson.

Gold Coast Titans coach Justin Holbrook has overhauled every aspect of the battling NRL team and says he isn’t a clone of Roosters premiership master Trent Robinson.

Holbrook is about to embark on his first season as an NRL coach after rounding out a promising pre-season for the Titans.

After winning last year’s Super League premiership with St Helens, Holbrook inherited a Titans team from sacked coach Garth Brennan that won only four matches on its way to claiming the 2019 NRL wooden spoon.



Holbrook, 44, has an impressive coaching resume, completing his apprenticeship with posts at the Bulldogs, Dragons and Eels before serving as Robinson’s right-hand man at the Sydney Roosters.

Robinson has won three of the past seven NRL premierships, including the last two, to join Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy in the league’s super coach ranks.

But Holbrook told The Sunday Mail he was determined to forge a career as his own man and wouldn’t be looking to copy Robinson’s playbook.

“I learnt a lot (under Robinson), he is really big on the details of the game,” he said.

“I learnt a lot about how to play the game and his philosophy around that.

“The clubs at the top are there for a reason – because they work the hardest.



“They don’t outplay you – they outwork you. That’s what we’ve got to strive for.

“There are different ways to do things and still have success. There is no right or wrong way to coach.

“Hard work and being honest has been in rugby league for 120 years. Those things don’t change.

“I’m definitely my own coach. I don’t think two people can be the same. That’s what gives people their individuality.

“It’s about getting knowledge and detail in the game, then you’ve got to put your own stamp on things.”

Holbrook has a great record in Super League. Picture by AAPimage/David Clark.
Holbrook has a great record in Super League. Picture by AAPimage/David Clark.
RAISING THE TITANIC

A former soft drink salesman and restaurateur, Holbrook played 17 first grade games for the Knights, Panthers and Roosters from 1999-2002 before entering the coaching ranks.



He left his assistant’s post at Roosters in 2017 to head to England, guiding St Helens to the most dominant season in Super League history last year before hopping on a plane bound for the Gold Coast to take on the toughest job in the NRL.

The Titans’ last appearance in the NRL finals was in 2016 and the club has since recorded finishes of 15th, 14th and 16th in the 16-team competition, punting coaches Neil Henry and Brennan along the way.

By many reports, the club was not a happy place to be around last year, with a lack of performance and player revolt eventually costing Brennan his job in less than two seasons.

Holbrook brought in new assistant coaches – Jim Dymock and Jim Lenihan – and overhauled the Titans’ training, introducing a focus on basic skills and solid defence.

With Immortal Mal Meninga involved and the club’s front office stable, Holbrook admitted the Titans were in better shape than he expected.



“It was a lot better – it was a really good reality (compared to my expectations),” he said.

“I already knew there were good people at the club in the front office. Once we got our coaching staff in place it was down to starting the pre-season with the players.

“We needed to change the way we were doing everything.

“Our effort and working hard is the biggest thing we had to change. There were lots of details within defence and attack.

“The players have been great. They are well aware of last season, they don’t need to be reminded of it.

“We won’t be judged until the competition starts, I understand that, but the players have been terrific.



“I’m expecting them to do well. We’ve been training that way, they’ve been pushing themselves.

“I’ve seen a really good attitude from the boys that they want to do well. I’m confident in their ability that we can have a good year.”

A NEW BEGINNING

Titans fans are among the NRL’s most success starved.

The club has only won 19 of its last 72 games (26.4 per cent) and finished in the bottom three for the past three years.

Membership and crowds have dwindled and murmurs about the club’s long-term future refuse to go away, despite constant assurances from the NRL and club owners.

While the Titans are heavily invested in the community, the only way to win back the support of the Gold Coast is to start winning games and Holbrook is adamant fans will be proud of their team in 2020.

The Sunday Mail has observed positive signs around the club’s Parkwood headquarters throughout the pre-season.

The players are happy and rave about Holbrook’s knowledge, personality and approach to coaching.

The Titans made the final four of the Nines and produced a spirited comeback to beat the Broncos in their final trial before Friday’s Round 1 clash against the Raiders in Canberra.

“I want our fans to look forward to coming to games and get excited about watching our team play,” Holbrook said.

“When they’re on their way home I want them to be proud of the team they’re following.

“It’s only simple but it’s a big factor which decides whether you want to go to games or not.

“That’s the most important thing we’ve got to change. As a club they lost a lot of that last year.”

Holbrook has taken a gamble by signing a two-year deal with the Titans and knows he has to make improvements quickly in a cutthroat industry.

Meninga, the club’s head of performance and culture, played a key role in the signing of Holbrook and is adamant the Titans have selected the right man.

“Justin has been outstanding in the short time he has been here,” Meninga said.

“He has already created a happy environment here, the players have really responded to his coaching.

“The reason we went for him was because of his technical experience and his ability to lead teams.

“If you look at his track record, every club he has been to has had success. He did a very good apprenticeship at the Roosters where he was highly regarded by Trent Robinson.

“His win percentage at St Helens was outstanding and he won the premiership there before joining us.

“His man-management skills, his empathy for players and his emotional intelligence around getting the best out of players is why he got the job.

“I believe we have made the right choice.”

The Titans have a horror draw in the first six weeks of the season – facing top eight teams from last year in every game – but Holbrook is ready for the challenge.

“I’m not nervous, I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

“I’m confident we’re in a good spot and ready for round one.”


https://thefootycorner.com/2020/03/0...tans-for-2020/

[willhelm]

Great read, thanks for posting BT.

[Titanic]

I think we can now officially pronounce pre-season as OVER!!!!!

[Bayside Titan]

From the Titans website.

TITANS
Gold Coast 'Godfather' made Lisone offer he couldn't refuse

Author
Joel Gould
NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Sun 8 Mar 2020, 04:01 PM
Joel Gould
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Sam Lisone had a simple reason why he joined the Gold Coast Titans after one chat with coach Justin Holbrook.

"He made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Lisone told NRL.com.

When it was suggested his quote was a reference to a line from The Godfather, Lisone was quick to respond.


"I've watched it and I loved it…and Scarface," he grinned as he spoke of his passion for films of that genre.

Holbrook's "offer" did not have the sinister undertones of the quote in The Godfather as the former Warriors prop explained.

"I talked to Justin and straight away I knew where I stood. He sold me," Lisone said.

Simply the Best - The Untold Story Simply the Best - The Untold Story
Simply the Best - The Untold StorySimply the Best - The Untold Story
"He told me exactly where he sees me in the team and I felt valued.

"Justin said he had been watching me since the under 20s and liked my key strengths and the way I play.

"It was pretty cool. He showed me where the club is heading and how I have what this team needs. I was a piece in the puzzle."

Lisone was contracted with the Warriors this year and said his move across the ditch was seamless.

" There was talk about me leaving and I wasn't thinking too much about it, and then I was gearing up to play a trial down in Palmerston North against the Storm and I got a call from my manager Stan Martin that the Titans wanted to make me an offer," Lisone said.

"I liked what they were going to give me, went back to the Warrriors and they released me."

The 26-year-old is living in Broadbeach and said he missed his parents and sister back in Otara, a suburb of Auckland.

When he spoke to NRL.com he was wearing a custom-made shirt with the words 'family is everything' emblazoned on it with the pictures of four uncles and three friends that he grew up with in Otara, a tough suburb where he learned plenty

"In Otara you've got to fight to survive, man. Only the strong survive," Lisone grinned.


"You could go either way down there but I had good people around me. I went to school with heaps of mates who went down the wrong way, but that's all good. They are still my mates."

Lisone was in the the Warriors system since the age of 16 and "always wanted to be a footy player."

He had some good role models at the Warriors and none greater than Kiwi legend Ruben Wiki who also hails from Otara.

Titan Kallum Watkins teaches English slang Titan Kallum Watkins teaches English slang
Titan Kallum Watkins teaches English slangTitan Kallum Watkins teaches English slang
"Rubes was someone I looked up to probably because he came from the same area. I love Rubes. I talked to him yesterday and we still keep in contact," Lisone said.

"Rubes got dealt some hard cards but the way he played it was brilliant. He was so resilient and he was a selfless person who put the team first, and that is still the case now where he works hard in the community."

Holbrook said recently Lisone would bring "a point of difference" that his team needed and a vital cog in the Titans' wheel with Ryan James out injured for the year [ https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/03/03/...raiders-clash/ ]. He was a whirlwind against the Broncos in the 28-22 trial win where he threw himself into his work with gusto.

"I've been gifted with a bit of leg speed and I like to bring energy when I play," Lisone said.

"I landed here on Tuesday and played Saturday so I quickly learned all the moves…and some of the players' names. It was crazy.

"My energy was burned just from nerves in my first game for the club.

"It is just really good to be here. The Gold Coast is a nice place and the boys have been really welcoming.

"It is all about footy. The boys do their work. It is not complicated and the players drive the sessions. Justin is open. He is a players' coach."

[Ausphin]

I'm a glass half full guy when it comes to the Titans. Not going to predict where we finish, but I have a lot of trust in Holbrook.

I know we haven't played a game yet, but in 1 offseason the signs are promising. I have liked most of the moves so far including:-

Good coaching staff assembled. Dymock was a great get and Lenihan and Gordon bring the local flavour and ability. Also helps when Lenihan can offer his thoughts on Qcup players.

Let AJ know early he was 1st choice fullback, so can focus on that position.

Brought in some competition for Don. Hope Pearson gets a start this weekend.

Ash Taylor seems to be fittest I have seen and loving his footy again.

Peachey and Cartwright both seem focussed and keen.

We have signed Tino (for next year) and Fermor this year (won't be ready until 2nd half of season). Both great young prospects.

Looks to have Rein ahead of Peats. Something most of us have been calling for.

Real early in the pre-season decided Cartwright is better served on right hand side, so swapped him with Proctor who has been a fixture there since he came. Ballsy early move, leaving no doubt who was in charge.

Even bringing in Lisone who he seems to have a plan for and signing Fogarty on a 2 year deal puts some pressure on Roberts.

Yes we lost Arrow which is a big blow, but I think the future is bright. Copley, Don, Peats, Proctor and Roberts all off contract end of this year. Can see most of them not being here 2021 so interesting times ahead.

[willhelm]

100% agree, Ausphin.