Round 2: TITANS vs NZ WARRIORS (2022)

[DIEHARD]

Taylor gets chance against ex-club Titans
https://www.espn.com/nrl/

Six months after being left on the NRL scrap heap, Gold Coast's one-time million-dollar man Ash Taylor will make his NRL comeback against the Titans.

Discarded by Gold Coast at the end of last year, Taylor has been named in a new-look Warriors spine for Saturday afternoon's clash at Cbus Super Stadium.

Taylor takes the place of the injured Shaun Johnson, while Kodi Nikorima has been dropped after last week's loss to St George Illawarra.

Nathan Brown has in turn moved Chanel Harris-Tavita moved to five-eighth, with Reece Walsh returning from suspension at fullback.

When Taylor signed with the Gold Coast from Brisbane in 2017 on a $1 million-a-year contract, he was expected by many to be the NRL's next big thing.

But his form dipped amid several injuries to the point where his career looked in jeopardy at the end of last year before picking up a train-and-trial deal at the Warriors.

The 26-year-old has since admitted he did not cope well with the big-money status and expectations at the Titans.

"I felt like I was ready for it but obviously I wasn't," Taylor said in December.

"Life goes on, I can't stay stuck in the mud. I want to keep moving forward in life.

"My mind is a lot more relaxed than what it was.

"Coming off a big contract it was just a weight lifted off my shoulders."

Taylor's return comes in a round of big-name comebacks, with the half set to mark up against former teammate AJ Brimson after the Titans five-eighth recovered from a groin injury.

[Titslover]

Fifita joking on 9 news about not getting much ball on the weekend, good to see he’s determined to get involved and hopefully he’s working with Toby and the coaches to make sure we give him better attacking opportunities this week.

https://twitter.com/9newsgoldcoast/s...997774338?s=21

[DIEHARD]

NRL Teams: Titans v Warriors
https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/03/15/...ns-v-warriors/
The Gold Coast Titans and New Zealand Warriors have named their squads for Round 2 of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership

[coreythompson]

Sorry guys I'm out for another week

[JunctionBlock]

Can we get in early for the NRLW?

[DIEHARD]

Can we get in early for the NRLW?

Times are approx. and subject to change at any time.

Box Office: 11:00am
Gates Open: 11.30am
Corporate Gates: 11:30am
NRLW Kick Off: 11:50am
NRL Kick Off: 2:00pm

https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/Show.aspx

[DIEHARD]

Wonder Will: Smith shows versatility from opening whistle
https://www.titans.com.au/

It comes as no surprise how handy the recruitment of Will Smith has been to bolster the Gold Coast line-up this season, and his all-round ability proved ever-so handsome right from the very start in the season opener against his former club.

A late minute replacement for five-eighth AJ Brimson - who wasn't quite 100 percent for the Round 1 showdown - the utility took the 80-minute playmaking role like a duck to water, with two try assists and a line-break assist in a complete performance in the halves with youngster Toby Sexton.

The only thing that would've made his Titans debut even sweeter was getting the two competition points in the narrow loss to the Eels.

"It was a tough game. I think we took a lot of confidence out of that game knowing that if we started a lot better than we did, I’m pretty sure we could’ve come away with the win," Smith said, on 4BC's Wide World of Sports with Peter Psaltis.

"There’s a lot of positives to take out of that game on the weekend, but you have to move on as soon as you can.

"You learn from those mistakes that we made in that game and we look forward to this week's game being our first home game."

Spending the last five seasons at Parramatta before making the journey north to the Coast, the 29-year-old relished the challenge of facing off against his old club at the weekend, but is quite enjoying his time at his new home.

"It’s always an awesome game to play against your old teammates and your team," Smith said.

"I was there for five seasons, so I had plenty of mates and had a good time there, but this is my new team and this is my focus.

"It’s been a very welcoming experience coming to the Titans, and from day one to now, I’m very comfortable to turn up to training and do the best I can with the boys.

"I’m loving my time here at the Titans."

The 76-gamer is also thrilled to be surrounded by such young talent who are all naturally gifted players and have progressed through the Titans junior pathways system.

We’ve got a lot of lads here who can play a lot of footy from basically anywhere on the field," Smith said.

"The likes of young Jayden Campbell and Toby Sexton, and you've even got Phillip Sami out wide… they’re all killing it."

With the imminent return of another club 'youngster' in Brimson, who is set to play in his first match of 2022 this weekend, the skilled utility will return to the pine, ready and excited for whatever role is needed to be undertaken in his first game at his new home, Cbus Super Stadium.

"It’s up to Justin on how he wants to use me but anywhere he wants to use me, I’m happy to just get out there and do my job for the team," Smith said.

"I just can’t wait for the experience to have my first Titans home game.

"Hopefully there is a full crowd... $20 from every ticket is going towards the flood relief, so hopefully we can get a packed stadium."

A familiar face will also return to Robina, with former Titans playmaker Ash Taylor set to make his Warriors debut up against his former club on Saturday, with fans from both teams expected to fill out the grandstands for the afternoon clash.

"It’ll be good to play against Ash and he’ll be keen to play against his old club," Smith said.

"The boys have said they get a good crowd out there against the Warriors, so hopefully all the fans get out there and we put on a good performance."

[DIEHARD]

Join Mal in helping raise funds for flood relief this Saturday
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...this-saturday/

Rugby league immortal Mal Meninga has experienced plenty in his life as a player, coach, father, and even as a police officer in his early years... but nothing could prepare him for his recent trip to northern New South Wales.

The Gold Coast high performance senior advisor joined club chairman Dennis Watt and Titans staff touring Lismore and surrounding areas to see the overwhelming devastation, hear the harrowing tales of survival and help flood-ravaged communities in one of footy's biggest heartlands.

"It was very confronting and my experience was... very humbling," Meninga said.

"I met a lot of people at the evacuation centre which was fantastic because the spirit in that place was enormous. They’ve gone through so much trauma and hardship and just listening to their stories... certainly with ears wide open and my heart wide open was a fantastic experience.

"I know from the community's point of view, they just want to tell their story. They just want to open up and tell me and those I was with things they had to encounter. It was horrific.

"Hearing they had to hang onto their houses and even the roofs of houses for their lives. Not only the lives of themselves, but their pets as well. How when they rang the SES or Triple Zero and they were 500th on the list.

"Just to be there and hear those stories, certainly for me, it's an experience that I will cherish for a long, long time."

It's why the Queensland enforcer wants to see Cbus Super Stadium full on Saturday afternoon for the Titans' first home game of the year - a double header with both the NRLW and NRL teams in action. $20 from every ticket will go to the flood relief initiative, helping South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales recover from the recent disaster.

"We’ve got a really good opportunity this week and through the weekend to raise some much-needed funds. I know all of Australia and the world has got behind the people in the Northern Rivers and Tweed areas and that is a very important part of the Gold Coast Titans community," Meninga said.

"I’d love to see you along there on Saturday. I know it’s an early start, but $20 from everyone who attends goes towards raising some much-needed funds.

"A lot of people lost their houses, lost their possessions and have no way to get that back… some people don’t have any insurance and things like that.

"I really want our rugby league community and fraternity to get behind such an enormous fundraiser, particularly helping us on Saturday.

"You can support the Titans or support the Warriors... we’d just love to see a big crowd there on Saturday for this reason.

"We obviously want to see a great Titans victory, but for the people of the Northern Rivers, Tweed and South East Queensland, we’d love to see you there on the weekend.

"It makes you feel good to help support those people."

[DIEHARD]

Leaner Fifita is now built to go the distance with Titans
TRAVIS MEYN
http://www.couriermail.com.au

TITANS star David Fifita has admitted his weight ballooned during a turbulent 2021 campaign but the Gold Coast forward is out to silence his critics and prove he can be an 80- minute weapon.

Fifita will make his first home appearance of the year in Saturday’s clash against the Warriors at Cbus Super Stadium, which will also see fellow Queensland representative AJ Brimson return from injury.

The game will be former Titans playmaker Ash Taylor’s debut for the Warriors after he was not offered a new contract by the Gold Coast last year.

The Titans kicked off their 2022 campaign with a controversial 32-28 loss to Parramatta last Sunday, prompting coach Justin Holbrook to blast officials after his side was on the wrong end of numerous lineball decisions.

The Gold Coast registered its biggest ever win in last year’s corresponding clash against the Warriors, smashing the New Zealand team 44-0 in a spicy last-round clash to qualify for the finals. Coming off the bench, Fifita scored two tries that afternoon on his way to a club record 17-try season with the Titans.

But the former Broncos star wasn’t satisfied with his debut campaign on the Gold Coast, as weight issues and a rib injury saw his form fluctuate following an incredible start to the season.

Now back in the starting side, Fifita wants to prove he is an 80- minute player after punching out a full game against the Eels.

“I was happy I got to play the full game,” he said. “That’s the player I want to be – I want to be a full 80-minute player.

“Last year I started like that and then in the back end I put on a few kilograms. That’s on me and my discipline on and off the field. I’m heading in the right direction at the moment. I’ll keep training hard. I’ve got to do it again against a tough opposition.

“I know my body. You people, the audience and fans can be the judge of that (my performances).”

Officially listed at 107kg, Fifita wouldn’t reveal how much weight he has shed since the end of last season. But the 22-yearold looks a much leaner figure and credited a tough pre-season for getting him back into shape.

[DIEHARD]

[DIEHARD]

Titans Assistant Coach Jim Lenihan joined ahead of this weekend's Round 2 NRL clash with the NZ Warriors

<iframe width="500" height="200" src="https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/player/episode/id/970573?theme=light&waveform-progress-color=%23FA6800&play-video-if-available=true" frameborder="0" style="width: 100%; height: 200px"></iframe>

[DIEHARD]

The Mole: Jayden Campbell apologises over controversial Sean Russell tackle
By The Mole

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/nrl-202...-sean-russell/

Titans fullback Jayden Campbell has reached out to hospitalised Eels winger Sean Russell, apologising for the tackle that has divided the league world.

Russell is still in hospital three days after the incident with a punctured lung and two broken ribs.

Campbell slid in with his knees attempting to tackle the Eels winger as he scored a try - his third of the first half - at CommBank Stadium on Sunday.

Outraged Eels fans demanded the NRL take action against Campbell after Parramatta five-eighth Dylan Brown was suspended for a similar tackle last year.

But the video review panel cleared Campbell despite the seriousness of Russell's injuries - and both players are OK with it.

"Sean is still in a bad way but Jayden sent him a text and apologised and said there was no malice in the tackle - that he was just trying to stop the try," a source close to Russell said.

"Sean was good about it and just answered 'Yeah that's rugby league, hey'."

[psmitty]

What is this all about? A trio of the spine in doubt. Obviously AJ has been in doubt but who else?

The Roosters have a contingency plan in place if Victor Radley and Billy Smith are ruled out with concussion, while a trio of Titans spine players are in doubt.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...d6c15130df378b

[willhelm]

Clark, Brimson, Campbell are all in doubt due to injury. A few options for the reshuffle but if all 3 are out then I think we end up with a spine of Boyd, Sexton, Smith, Sami with Marsters coming in on Sami's wing. Turner is another option at fullback or 5/8 (he's set to play fullback for Tweed this week) but he looked pretty rusty in the trial so I think coach is more likely to go with the experience of Sami.

I note that Clark and Campbell are both knee complaints. I wonder if running the NRLW game on the same pitch before the mens game is a contributing factor. Surely a professional sport like the NRL should have the pitch in optimum condition.

[Titslover]

All 3 trained today so I’m not concerned at all.

Sauce: https://twitter.com/dloudon9/status/...214971393?s=21