2022 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

[JunctionBlock]

Shallin Fuller has suffered a badly broken leg in last nights trial for Burleigh v Tweed.

Wishing him all the best in his recovery

Terrible news.

[Hail Sezer]

More bad news -

Tom Weaver charged with DUI overnight in Surfers Paradise. Idiot.

[hungryjacks]

Sad news about Fuller. Was excited to watch both qcup teams this year.

[Titanic]

Very bad news about Fuller and hood he has a full and speedy recovery. Weaver gets his wake-up call … as HS has rightly pointed out “idiot”.

[FalconSloth]

I’m not justifying his decision but at his age one drop of alcohol is a DUI so there is a good chance he wasn’t off his head and being an idiot. We’ll still an idiot because he broke the law but you know what I mean

[Titanic]

Young guy wanting to impress needs to be squeaky clean.

[Titansborn'n'bred]

I’m not justifying his decision but at his age one drop of alcohol is a DUI so there is a good chance he wasn’t off his head and being an idiot. We’ll still an idiot because he broke the law but you know what I mean

Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is not a term we use here. There’s nothing to indicate in Danny Weidlers uneducated tweet or any article I can see that would imply how much over he allegedly went. As you implied, being a P plater requires a zero alcohol concentration read. Tom may have just gone just over this (more than likely and best case scenario) however he may have gone UIL (over .15)

[DIEHARD]

That's definitely something to be considered. I remember those days. Didn't take any chances.

[DIEHARD]

'Our 24 players I just can’t fit into 17': Squad depth a healthy challenge for Holbrook
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...-for-holbrook/

It's no secret the Titans are blessed with a fathomless depth of talent in the playing roster this season and the task of selecting a final 17 to travel to Parramatta has been nothing short of tough for coach Justin Holbrook.

The question the Gold Coast mentor was forced to ponder over the weekend was not who to pick in the side, but rather... who to leave out.

It's a very healthy predicament to be in, and whilst Holbrook understands it was challenging to leave out quality stars such as Jarrod Wallace and Herman Ese'ese for Sunday's season opener against the Eels, he knows it's needed if success is to come in September.

"Our 24 players I just can’t fit into 17, but I can’t make apologies. We know we’re going to need that depth this year. I think every club does," Holbrook said.

"Those top five or six sides, they don’t miss a beat and they’re the sides we need to catch, so we’re going to need everyone during the year.

"Parramatta said they have 12 players playing New South Wales Cup that have played NRL, so those types of sides have the depth and the Roosters showed it last year.

"We’ve had to leave some great players out... Jarrod Wallace, Herman has had his best pre-season. Tanah Boyd is unlucky, Esan Marsters is flying and Greg Marzhew has also been great."

"We’ve made tough calls this week and that’s got to happen."

The third-season Titans coach said the decision to leave Wallace - a 177-game, Origin representative - out of the side was probably the most difficult of all to make.

"It was a tough one. I’m looking at the Parramatta game and I see Jimmy Jolliffe and himself like-for-like, and I always wanted to start Isaac Liu with Tino (Fa'asuamaleaui) and Moey (Fotuaika)," Holbrook said.

"The bench spots… I wanted that explosive guy either side of half-time which is what Sam Lisone just beat Herman for. I’ve got to have Will Smith as the utility and then Kevin Proctor can play middle and edge which is the only reason J-Wal missed out.

"I originally had him in and then thought about KP’s coverage at back-row and middle and things like that, so it was a tough, tough decision and he just missed out.

"I give him credit because he took [missing out] well. He’s completely disappointed and I expected him to be.

"He’s one of our senior players and he’s really trained hard after the Christmas break because he wanted to be in the 17 as they all do.

"But to his credit, he trained as good as he could today and he’s getting on with it.

"It's hard for a player who’s done what he’s done in the game to take that news and he’s taken it as well as he could ask.

"He’s going to play plenty of games for us this year that’s for sure, but just unlikely for Round 1."

The same problem goes for opponents Parramatta - in which Holbrook believes is one of the top sides in the competition - who are expected to also leave out a first-class Origin prop for the Sunday afternoon blockbuster.

"Whether Nathan Brown comes into the side late or not, they’ve named him to play Reserve Grade and he’s one of their best players," Holbrook said.

The Titans will reduce their current 24-man squad to 19 players on Saturday afternoon before the final 17 to play will be confirmed at 2.05pm AEST on Sunday.

Be there at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday, March 19 for the Gold Coast Titans' first home game of the year. A double header with the NRL and NRLW Titans in action. $20 from every ticket goes directly to the club's flood recovery initiative.

Secure your seat now!

[Hail Sezer]

Since the news has now been broken -

Jacob Alick joins Titans top 30.

Train and trialist recruited via Burleigh. He was the back rower in the trial v Broncos.

Young & developing back rower who will thrive in a full time system.

[Randomologist]

Anyone know much about his game?

[DIEHARD]

Alick added to Titans squad
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...-titans-squad/

Jacob Alick is the latest name added to the Titans squad, with the 22-year-old progressing from a train and trial opportunity to take a spot in the top-30.

Alick linked with the Titans in the pre-season under the club's arrangement with affiliate club Burleigh Bears.

He played 18 games in the Queensland Cup in 2021 for Souths Logan, averaging 105 running metres and 22 tackles per game before making the move to the Coast for the 2022 season.

Alick started in the second row and put in a solid performance for the Titans only trial match, a 26-all draw with the Brisbane Broncos.

He has signed for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

"It's a pretty crazy time in my life and I'm very excited to be here for the next two years," he said.

"I was here for six weeks over the pre-season and everyone welcomed me with open arms.

"I can't wait to be with the boys in 2022 and hopefully I get to pull on the jersey."

[DIEHARD]

TITANS RELISHING THE WEIGHT OF EXPECTATION
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/
TRAVIS MEYN

MOEAKI Fotuaika can throw weights around the gym like Arnold Schwarzenegger but the humble Titans prop would trade his strength for an NRL premiership with the Gold Coast after knocking back interest from rivals clubs.

Fotuaika will lead the Titans’ front row into a daunting seasonopener against Parramatta weapons Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard at CommBank Stadium on Sunday.

It will be the ultimate round 1 test for the Titans, whose major pre-season hitout against the Warriors was abandoned due to Queensland’s flood crisis.

Fotuaika, 22, is heading into his fifth NRL campaign and is primed to have the season of his life.

Fully fit and with 77 games next to his name, the hard-running forward will enter the 2022 season in the best shape of his career.
Fotuaika is one of the Gold Coast’s best performers in the gym, holding the Titans’ squat record with an incredible 220kg – double his current 110kg body weight.

To put that in perspective, Schwarzenegger – regarded as the greatest bodybuilder ever – had a 247kg squat personal best.

A shy and humble character, Fotuaika played down his feats in the gym.

“I wouldn’t say I’m overly strong. I enjoy doing the gym work,” he said.

“We’ve got Steve Hooper, our gym coach, who’s been taking us through our paces and helping us improve with our strength work.

“All of the boys are feeling pretty strong. It helps a lot on the field and protects your body from injuries. Most of the guys are lifting around those numbers. Greg Marzhew is a freak. He pretty much plays like a front rower.

“I’ve had a full pre-season which is good. My body is feeling healthy. I can’t wait to play. I’m really excited about the year.

Making the finals last year was a good stepping stone for us. It’s onwards and upwards from here.”

In just his second NRL season and aged 19, Fotuaika claimed the Gold Coast’s Paul Broughton Medal as the club’s player of the year in 2019.

He produced an excellent 2021 season and was one of Queensland’s best players during his second State of Origin series.
Fotuaika’s representative efforts attracted attention from rival NRL clubs, who started expressing formal interest in poaching the New Zealand-born prop.

The Dragons were keen but Fotuaika had little interest in leaving the Gold Coast and signed a $2 million extension with the Titans until the end of 2024 before he came on to the NRL’s open market.

“I was really excited to re-sign with the club, there’s a lot of good things going on,” Fotuaika said.

“We’ve got a lot of good young players coming through and it’s a good group to be around.

“I was intent on staying here. I didn’t want to go anywhere else.

“I’ve got my family here and my mum here, so I wanted to stay close to all my family and friends on the Gold Coast

[Hail Sezer]

Quick look at the rest of the Titans squad in the Qcup feeder teams for round 1 this week:

Tweed:
Paul Turner named at fullback
Tanah Boyd named at 7 (they have Brent Woolf and ex-NRL player Craig Carvey to rotate the 9)
Jojo Fifita named on the wing in his Qcup debut
Sam Mcintyre playing edge backrow

Burleigh:
Jarrod Wallace starting prop
Herman Ese'ese starting prop
Jacob Alick backrow (left edge)
Lofi-Khan Pereira left wing
Esan Marsters right centre
Tony Francis right wing in his Qcup debut
Aaron Booth the 14
Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui named on the initial bench for his Qcup debut, likely to drop off once the above Titans middles are added to teamlist

Burleigh game wil be televised on Kayo & Nine, 2pm Sunday.

edit - added Jacob Alick

[Titansborn'n'bred]

Surely McIntyre has earnt a spot on the bench over Proctor? Looking forward to seeing Paul Taylor play first grade.