Round 16: KNIGHTS vs TITANS (2022)

[jacksonm]

No, your comments backing Sexton shows you are a poor judge. In my opinion. He offers nothing at all. He has played about 20 games now and is going backwards. He must be so easy to coach against.

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Yes plenty to learn for Sexton and his pace is a negative but he is in top 3 players for earning dropouts, which is a key aspect of halves p,any. I just feel for the kid with absolutely no momentum from our forwards, no half back can do much under those circumstances.
Changing the half back is not the top 3 things Holbrook needs to fix.


The reason I dropped back to a 4 game membership after being a full season ticket holder since inception was that I couldn't believe we were running with that team. The danger signs were obvious the season before and because we made the finals with 11 wins covered all the cracks.A useless spine loomed unless there was a miracle and there hasn't been. The recruitment staff need shooting.

[DIEHARD]

Hey all, let’s vent our frustrations at those that deserve it, not each other.

Agree. Let's go easy on each other. Tighten the screws on the club.

[gotitans101_]

The reason I dropped back to a 4 game membership after being a full season ticket holder since inception was that I couldn't believe we were running with that team. The danger signs were obvious the season before and because we made the finals with 11 wins covered all the cracks.A useless spine loomed unless there was a miracle and there hasn't been. The recruitment staff need shooting.

Good call. I was also sceptical as you'd know but in the end was suckered into believing we would actually do something this year with that spine.

Never again.

[jacksonm]

Agree. Let's go easy on each other. Tighten the screws on the club.

What does Mal even do for this club? He doesn't even live here. What culture has he instilled at the club since he's been employed with us? I don't know what the farq we stand for apart from mediocrity.

They said during the week he has moved back to the Goldy

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Just watched the press conference, Going by body language and facial expressions Holbrook knows he is on death row

[willhelm]

Any faith I had in my own ability to assess talent has been shattered by this group of footballers and their truly incompetent group of coaches.

I don’t think it’s you mate. I see an immense amount of talent in this squad. What we lack is a coaching staff that can get them playing as a team with even an ounce of mental fortitude.

[DIEHARD]

Jarrod Wallace sent-off, David Klemmer sin-binned as Knights win 38-12 over Titans
https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/
Travis Meyn

Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook is under mounting pressure after the Titans sunk to a new low in an embarrassing 38-12 loss to Newcastle on Friday night.

If Holbrook wasn’t already fighting for his job, he must be now after a club record five tries from Knights winger Edrick Lee and a Jarrod Wallace send-off helped Newcastle snap a five-game losing streak at home.

The Titans have now lost 11 of their past 12 games and are anchored to last spot on the NRL ladder – a fry cry from last year’s drought-breaking finals appearance.

After an encouraging 18-10 loss to Cronulla a fortnight ago, the Titans somehow regressed terribly over the representative bye weekend and the blowtorch is firmly on Holbrook amid a catastrophic slide.

The 26-point margin flattered the Titans, who were totally outclassed by a Newcastle team that is far from premiership contention and hadn’t won at home since round 2.

“It was awful,” Holbrook said.

“We didn’t know what we were doing out there (defence). We’ve got a lot to fix up.

“I am (lost for answers) tonight. In the last game we competed hard against the Sharks, then tonight we’re a million miles off. We have to look at the team and who’s running out there.

“There’s been a lot of things (go wrong). We’ve got guys in positions not doing their job well enough for the NRL.

“We’re so disappointed. We’ve got to make a few changes now and get back into it.”

This was the worst the Titans have played this season as they made 2022 Anthony Milford look like 2015 Anthony Milford in a first half masterclass from the Knights five-eighth.

The Knights became the first team in premiership history to lose five straight games at home by 24 points or more and only scored a total of four tries in 400 minutes.

Against the Titans they bagged five in the first half alone to lead 22-0 at the break, with Tex Hoy’s poor goalkicking (two from six) keeping Gold Coast in the game.

Wingers Lee and Dominic Young scored a hat-trick and double respectively in the opening 40 minutes as the Gold Coast’s limp defence was repeatedly exposed.

When the full-time siren sounded, Lee had a stunning five tries next to his name and Young bagged three.

“Edrick is very popular among the playing group, he always has a smile on his face,” Knights coach Adam O’Brien said.

“I’m really pleased for him. He’s battled with big injuries and a long absence from the game.

“I was really happy with our start. We built the game nicely in the first half. We applied some early pressure and got in the game cycle.

“I’m really pleased for the players. It’s a happy dressing room.”

The Titans sacked performance chief Klint Hoare last week but efforts like this have nothing to do with fitness. It was pure rubbish from the opening whistle.

In typical Titans fashion, Gold Coast mounted a late comeback before Wallace was sent off with 10 to go following a dangerous tackle which prompted a punch in the face from Knights prop David Klemmer.

TIME TO PREPARE FOR 2023

Holbrook keeps saying he hasn’t given up on making the finals this year. Well, now it’s time to accept reality.

If the Titans are going to continue backing their coach they must at least demand he begins preparing for the future because 2022 is officially a write-off.

Holbrook can start by axing Dolphins-bound players Wallace and Jamayne Isaako, who don’t need to audition for contracts.

Wallace has been one of the Titans’ better players this year but Holbrook can invest in the future while Isaako looked like he has never played the game before with his shocking defensive reads that allowed Lee to dominate.

Centre Brian Kelly should have been dropped weeks ago and backrower Sam McIntyre offers little starting ahead of David Fifita, who was impressive with 108m in his return from a knee injury.

[lonegull]

Holbrook finally admitted in press conference that changes are needed to the side

[shamus]

Ah…my Telly $h1t itself when the score was 18-0. So didn’t get to feel any extra pain.

Side note…. I have a 75inch LG Smart TV. 26 months old. Only has 12 months warranty. Cost me $1.5 grand. Anyone reckin’ I have a chance with Aust Consumer Law?

[RavShamrock]

Holbrook finally admitted in press conference that changes are needed to the side

Yes mate Proctor in for Wallace.
We are on a winner

[Titanic]

Well anybody want to argue with that assessment? Wallace, Isaako, Kelly, McIntyre (who came with potential and has had it coached out of him) then add the snail Sexton, clueless Clarke, Turner, Liu, Ese and Lisone. Proctor’s retirement had already begun circa 2019.

And here’s the thing, basically the same mob nearly won a semi last year and that tells me that a lot of them are taking the p!ss.

[gcboyz]

I never want to see Wallace in a Titans jersey ever again. The MRC will probably be responsible for four weeks of that.
He can take "Tontine" Liu with him.

[willhelm]

Liu is the least of our problems.

Something stinks at the club. The players’ actions and body language are atrocious and remind me of the end of Garth’s tenure. Proctor out bowling instead of supporting his team, Wallace carrying on like a ******** every week and smirking like he doesn’t give a **** when he gives away frequent penalties, Herbert’s constant dummy spits, Toby hanging his head like Ash in 2018-19.

Wasn’t there a rumour earlier in the year that a formerly popular coach had lost his dressing room due to flouting his own rules? I wonder if it was JH.

[RavShamrock]

Lime jelly wrestling in the Nations Capital on our dime.

Forgot I predicted after last game that we wouldn’t win another game, well that’s a tick. And without Ponga we wouldn’t get done by 30 and that’s another.

Sorry to big note mate but I predicted after game 3 we wouldn't win another game (close enough).

A big mistake most people are making is that we play good in patches but from what I can see that is mostly the opposition going to sleep.

Spoon certainties unless we boot Hurricane & Co this week.
We have taken on so much water I'm not sure salvage is ever possible?

[Titanic]

Ok Ravs, you win :-)

Anybody want to comment on my observation that the team plays like Holbrook sounds?

[Dobes]

Ah…my Telly $h1t itself when the score was 18-0. So didn’t get to feel any extra pain.

Side note…. I have a 75inch LG Smart TV. 26 months old. Only has 12 months warranty. Cost me $1.5 grand. Anyone reckin’ I have a chance with Aust Consumer Law?

100% mate. You're covered under Consumer guarantees if the TV just sh*t itself out of the blue. You're paying for a product that needs to be of acceptable quality. Warranties are good to save the hassle but definitely not necessary, never pay for extra warranty