2022 Pre-Season

[JunctionBlock]

Future looks great

[NZTITAN]

Just a trial but plenty to be excited about.

The depth, in particular, might be the best I've seen as a Titans fan.

It is a miracle we have somehow managed to keep Treymain Spry lol.

[willhelm]

What’s going on with Vaka Sikahele? Is he still with us?

[Hail Sezer]

What’s going on with Vaka Sikahele? Is he still with us?

Done his Achilles in December. In recovery

[mdrew]

I saw Ben Liyou play for the first time as a 13 year old and since then all he has done is gotten better and better

AND BIGGER

[Titanic]

I have no problem losing Wallace and Ese’ese at the end of the year at all. Our depth is pretty amazing and the scouts will be circling. Did our Haas get on?

Herbert would have busted Capewell on that edge while Marsters and Jojo both looked fit and sharp. Sami and Thompson will need to show a lot to oust Marzhew and Spry. Coach has some challenges.

[mdrew]

Yes Titanic, Klese Haas got an and made a good fist of his first run.

I have no problem losing Wallace and Ese’ese at the end of the year at all. Our depth is pretty amazing and the scouts will be circling. Did our Haas get on?

Herbert would have busted Capewell on that edge while Marsters and Jojo both looked fit and sharp. Sami and Thompson will need to show a lot to oust Marzhew and Spry. Coach has some challenges.

[lonegull]

Good game, Jo Jo Fifita showed he is all class took it up to staggs whilst he was on his defence was great, liyou is a big body, spry will be pushing for a first grade spot he is so deceptive. Tanah was good played big minutes and looked like he took a bit of leadership he has matured for last year.

[psmitty]

Good hitout and I was impressed by Spry, Jo Jo, Marzhew and Marsters. Overall most players did well and was impressed by our depth. The only one I was not impressed by was Turner. Maybe I was expecting more or not looking at the right things but he didn't impress me at all and makes me think Will Smith will be our 14 starting round 1.

[Hail Sezer]

Fun game to watch. Never read too much into trial results of course but there is still things you can take out of it.

For context - some of those juniors we rolled out last night are at an age where usually an NRL trial wouldn't even be considered. The fact they got out there and ripped in like that is huge.

My standouts:

Jojo - 19 year old with only 3x U21 rugby league games under his belt, off the back of 2x shoulder reco's. gets thrown into an NRL trial playing the hardest defensive position on the field against the best attacking centre in the comp and minus the one bad miss, does a good job. The detail in his game is very impressive.

Spry can just play footy. Glad he's back.

Tanah Boyd - 70 minutes at hooker, efficient defensively in the middle, good service and created space outside of A & B. He will push Clark for that 9. Full pre-season learning at hooker was obvious.

Shallin can ballplay better than anyone in our 30. Needs to improve defensively though.

Ben Liyou stepped up physically

Marsters was busy and did a lot on both sides of the ball. Looked like he was trying to make a point.

Enjoyed watching Tony Francis and his trademark aggression when he smoked TC Robati. He's got a way to go but he's an enforcer in the centres that takes the battle against his opposite edge very personally. Discipline and temperament will be his biggest challenge.

Jaylan De Groot made the most of his stint and Oskar made his involvements count as well.

Could go on but all in all, our young guys stepped up and took it to a lot of NRL seasoned players. All the talk from the commentary was about the Broncos and how elite their juniors are...well some of ours made a statement last night, trial or not.

[kioli]

What an exciting game, it's going to be a good year as a fan.

[Titans83]

That was a pleasure to watch. Our junior pathways and development team got to show what they are about. We clearly develop talent better then the broncos.
Boyd looked great
Wallace, joliffe and lisone were amazing. They aren’t as flashy as our young gun forwards but they really put in.
Jojo looked very skilled
Marzhew and spry might not be our first choice wingers but are arguably our best
Seeing all the young players running around and enjoying themselves was great.

[Hail Sezer]

NRL trials 2022: Broncos give Kevin Walters selection headache after 26-all draw with Titans

Travis Meyn, Courier Mail 19/02/22

Broncos coach Kevin Walters has a selection migraine for the premiership opener after Brisbane’s playmaking spine bumbled their way through a 26-all draw with the Titans in a pre-season trial at Cbus Super Stadium.

Brisbane have won 21 of 31 premiership derby clashes against the Gold Coast but Little Brother lifted at Robina, exposing some major chinks in the Broncos’ armour just three weeks out from their season opener against South Sydney.

Don’t be fooled by the scoreline. The Broncos were being towelled up by the baby Titans, trailing 26-8 on the hour, before three late tries, and a Jamayne Isaako conversion after the full-time siren, saved Brisbane’s bacon.

With Brisbane’s marquee halfback recruit Adam Reynolds watching the action from the sidelines, the Broncos looked disjointed as halves contenders Billy Walters, Albert Kelly and Tyson Gamble struggled for control in the nerve centre. They completed at a woeful 58 per cent.

The Broncos were equally lacklustre in defence, with the Titans crossing for five tries, including a double to rookie Treymain Spry, as Brisbane were largely beaten in the middle third.

While Walters will not be hitting the panic button — after all, trial matches are designed to clear the rust — Brisbane need to lift their game in next week’s final pre-season hitout against the Cowboys in Mackay.

“It was a bit mixed,” Walters said. “We certainly need to be better with our ball control and it has been spoken about.

Titans’ young guns show promising signs

The young Titans upstaged the big-name Broncos on Saturday night as Justin Holbrook’s baby brigade proved there is bright future on the Gold Coast in a 26-all trial draw.

With 13 top-liners watching from the sideline, this was an opportunity for the young Titans to shine at Cbus Super Stadium – and so they did.

There was no David Fifita, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui or AJ Brimson for the Titans against the star-studded Broncos but it didn’t matter.

After 67 minutes the Titans led 26-8 and were by far the better team against an error-riddled Brisbane, who scored three late tries to salvage a draw.

The Titans are chasing back-to-back finals appearances this year and this was a promising start ahead of next Saturday’s full strength trial against the Warriors at Redcliffe.

YOUNG TALENT TIME

The Titans have some of the best young players in the game coming through their ranks and they proved it on the senior stage.

Rugby convert Sosefo “Jojo” Fifita has barely played a game of league but was far from outclassed by Broncos rival Kotoni Staggs in his Titans debut.

Flying winger Treymain Spry was released by the club a year ago but has found his way back and scored a double.

Klese Haas, younger brother of Broncos star Payne Haas, is a damaging backrower with sublime footwork who threatened with his first carry.

Fa’asuamaleaui’s brother Iszac was also having his first hit-out for the Titans.

Then there is young fullback Jaylan de Groot, who set up a try with his first touch and scored another later on.

These are the types of players which set up long-term success for a club and the Titans have the right building blocks in place.

READY FOR THE RIGOURS?

The Titans have some great attacking prospects in Toby Sexton and Jayden Campbell but are they ready for the rigours of a full NRL season?

Campbell, 22, has only seven first grade games next to his name ahead of his second NRL season and played an encouraging 40 minutes.

The son of Titans legend Preston Campbell has some of the sharpest footwork in the game, but at 80kg he doesn’t have the size and strength to beat defenders with power.

The Titans are banking on Campbell playing the entire season, which could be a big ask considering where he is at in his development.

The same goes for Sexton, who punched out a solid 40 minutes and scored a try in his first appearance of the year.

The 20-year-old has the tools to be an NRL halfback but he is also in the infancy of his career, having only played four games.

After releasing Jamal Fogarty to Canberra, the Titans don’t have a standout back-up halfback in their squad, meaning there will be plenty of pressure on Sexton to fire all year.

Sexton and Campbell certainly have the talent for this level – but playing to their potential for an entire gruelling NRL season will be tough.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...f0f4c1494ac8f8

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thanks Travis

(have also excluded parst of the article specific to the Broncos bc lets be honest we don't really care)

[Boonarga]

Travis,

F Off with that "little brother" crap.
We are not related to those entitled A holes up the road.

[Titanic]

Watched it again and only have one thing to add: neither team played like it was a trial so that’s a TKO to our boys.