Round 10: TITANS vs DRAGONS (2022)

[RavShamrock]

Brimson played a lot of his juniors and Titans under 20’s with the 7 on his back so worth a shot

You know what? This could actually be genius!
Anyone bar the slowmo kid for mine

[coreythompson]

We needed Mitch Rein

He always made it rain

[MaroonTitan]

Brimson played a lot of his juniors and Titans under 20’s with the 7 on his back so worth a shot

Only if we had 3 or 4 Brimsons...

[JunctionBlock]

Back to the same spine we had in Rd 1 so hopefully some points in it

Herbet and GL pay the price and hopefully Isaako does some kicking practice this week.

No Proctor is great news finally

Will Smith the biggest loser TBH and Kelly the luckiest

[Dooldog76]

Holbrook is not going to die wondering. Has to try something. I am surprised Kelly didn't get dropped. Would love to see jojo have a run.

[RavShamrock]

I doubt the wingers are our main problem and for me the changes haven't gone deep enough.

The root of the problem has not been addressed IMO and Hunt will exploit this better than any other player.

Can't remember the last time I didn't watch a Titans game but am seriously thinking about giving this one a wide berth

[The Birdman]

Clunk I mean Clark somehow is still at hooker. We will struggle IMO. He reminds me of the Tongan Turtle Sione Katoa when he was at Penrith and Canterbury. Two of the worst services you will see out of dummy half. Clark doesn't even have the body shape of a modern hooker. He's clearly a (limited) middle not a hooker.

We had to get Campbell back at fullback ASAP as even though he's Dufty bad defensively we have no chance of scoring points without him and Brimson in the spine.

Clark, Kelly and Sexton should be incredibly grateful to keep their spots.

[Titanic]

Obviously Holbrook can't change the whole team but he has gone for the most sacrificial changes. Two from injuries and the others largely ineffectual. Ravs and Birdy are very right in my opinion ... how Sexton, Kelly or Clarke get a start is just mind-boggling and Marzhew must have peed on the each of the coaching staff's tyres.

This is really a do or die game and for the first time in his career I rate Hunt to beat us by himself.

[JunctionBlock]

News said Proctor had a shoulder complaint and Herbert was calf, so hopefully it was a save face type report and Proctor is gone for good.

I guy can dream can't he?

As for Clarke or clunk, who do we replace him with? Has Will Smith played 9?

[willhelm]

Will Smith can play 9 yes but not for 80

[Titanic]

Hasn't Boyd been groomed for Clark's pozzie, at least he wouldn't turn his back on the opposition to hand over an intercept? Booth might be under done but I'll bet he's rubbing his hands with glee. When he's ready, Boyd can move Sexton out, who looks like he needs at least 10k volts in him to voom. I don't blame him for being tossed in at the deep end but he's not winning games for us nor is he kicking goals and worst of all he is not showing any improvement. No good complaining without a solution so if Campbell is our saviour at 1, then in the short term I would have preferred an AK/Smith/Boyd 6/7/9 combo. Sadly we look like a one-trick pony and that pony is injured.

Enough of that, how about they all click and we win by at least 1?

[DIEHARD]

Have most of the team changes in 2022 been accompanied by a sick note sighting injuries?

[DIEHARD]

Spine revival hoping to spark return to form
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...eturn-to-form/

Whilst Titans coach Justin Holbrook has been forced to make five changes ahead of Saturday's challenge against the Dragons, there are some very handy inclusions in the new recruits coming in.

Particularly electrifying fullback Jayden Campbell, who has overcome a rib cartilage injury to be ready to go to return to the No. 1 jumper and help create plenty of spark in the Gold Coast's attack.

The 22-year-old will link up with fellow halves pairing AJ Brimson and Toby Sexton for the contest, allowing the band to get back together to refocus on rejuvenating the club's finals hopes after spending the entire pre-season building that combination.

"We spent all pre-season with Jayden Campbell, AJ and Toby as the as the spine and we've only played one and a half (fully-fit) games with them out of nine, so that's hurt us," Holbrook said.

"It's good to know that we can get back to what we've practiced all pre-season this week."

'It's good to know we'll get back to what we've practiced all pre-season' - Holbrook'It's good to know we'll get back to what we've practiced all pre-season' - Holbrook

'It's good to know we'll get back to what we've practiced all pre-season' - Holbrook

Coming back via a two-week stint in the Hostplus Cup for Tweed to ensure his body is right, the Titans mentor has no qualms in the young gun being ready again for the physical rigours of the NRL.

"He's obviously been running in the second side the last couple of weeks and just like we did last year, we've really tried to get stuck into him and he handles that fine," Holbrook said.

"He only got three games in the start of this year and halfway through that third one, he actually picked up that injury and I think that's probably when we've played our best footy, the first couple of rounds.

"He's just got to come back in and do that again and it gives us our best chance this weekend."

After a lengthy review of the tough loss against the Roosters, the coach is hoping for an attitude turnaround, reflecting back on the grit and determination showed against the table topping Panthers a week earlier.

"I think we just need to go back to what we had the week before against Penrith... a really committed side that was going to do everything they could to win a game of footy," Holbrook said.

"I don't think we saw that last week and that's the most disappointing thing for me as a coach and the playing group are disappointed as well.

"I thought the Roosters just had a lot more urgency than we did and that's unacceptable.

"We got to fix that up this week and get that right."

Coming close to a number of the big sides, Holbrook is hoping he can draw inspiration from those tight results and the performances in those games.

"There's been different reasons [for the losses]. I think last weekend and against the Cowboys, we got beaten off effort and enthusiasm and all the others, I think a little bit of experience hurt us against those big teams.

"We pushed Penrith and Parramatta a few times and that would have been nice just to get over the line, but we've fallen just short.

"We've got to get back to the way we approach those games and start getting the wins."

The squad is hoping to show plenty of effort and enthusiasm to get back in the winner's circle this Saturday against the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium.

[Whats Doing]

I would be moving Brimson to 7 as we are in desperate need of leadership, communication and speed in this position and I understand from others on this forum that he has previously played as a 7 in under 20’s and juniors so it would not be unfamiliar for him. If it works out, having a halves partnership of Foran and Brimson next year would place us in a good position and ease pressure on our cap without having to recruit a good 7 which they don’t become available until 2024 anyway.

It would also allow the development of Campbell to continue but that De Groot is very impressive and similar to Edwards in Penrith in my opinion.

I would keep Smith at 6 with seeing eventually giving Turner a go at some future point

As with others I don’t see why Marzhew was dropped who has been one of our better players all year and how Kelly is still there

[GCTTSD]

I would be moving Brimson to 7 as we are in desperate need of leadership, communication and speed in this position and I understand from others on this forum that he has previously played as a 7 in under 20’s and juniors so it would not be unfamiliar for him. If it works out, having a halves partnership of Foran and Brimson next year would place us in a good position and ease pressure on our cap without having to recruit a good 7 which they don’t become available until 2024 anyway.

It would also allow the development of Campbell to continue but that De Groot is very impressive and similar to Edwards in Penrith in my opinion.

I would keep Smith at 6 with seeing eventually giving Turner a go at some future point

As with others I don’t see why Marzhew was dropped who has been one of our better players all year and how Kelly is still there

Yes we need AJ to step up like nicho Hynes at the Sharks.