Round 3: TITANS vs STORM (2023)

[Cowabunga]

I'm fine with JC not getting points as long as we're not losing games because of him, he's looked fine and always is going to be a threat, He's playing positions for the first time at NRL level and in a completely different way, I don't expect him to be getting 3 points. Holbrook has been clear about why he's doing it and it's the reason he's trained him in every position in pre season. We've been doing this for years now with Peachey and Smith, I'm taking JC 100% over those guys and this year they've actually trained JC to be someone who can fill in anywhere. We're also hoping for 80 min Hooker performances so we don't really need a 14 who plays 9.

The Tigers game when Foran came off and JC isn't there, Who do we put to 6? Move AJ then put Sami or Lofi there if JC isn't playing? Everything is then all on Tannah as well. Dragons game he came on and injected some spark but we were already beaten. Randall got a break against Titans with JC coming into the halves and Tannah going to 9, It just wasn't a straight up sub, They just switched the timing due to Boyds HIA as Holbrook said in the press conference.

There's 1 debutant left in the forwards and it's Alick, the club doesn't seem to think he's close to NRL level and from what I've seen he's not. Haas is an option but him playing 80 at Tweed is more useful to us and there's Sam Mac who I'm personally not a believer in.

It's just discussions haha, It's all in fun.

[willhelm]

Clark can do a 20 min spell at hooker if necessary. It’s not ideal but serviceable while Verrills is out.

[The Birdman]

Clark can do a 20 min spell at hooker if necessary. It’s not ideal but serviceable while Verrills is out.

Serviceable as in trying to drive on the M1 at highway speed with a space saver spare tyre on the car.

[Menoitios]

I was fascinated with Tanah Boyd in this game. He put the dragons game behind him and bounced straight back. His maturity and toughness is very impressive this year.

[DIEHARD]

The moment Iszac treasures most in debut with big bro Tino
https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/03/23/...-big-bro-tino/

A couple of days since making his NRL debut, Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui is still trying to find words to describe his whirlwind week.

Running out in his first ever NRL match at a roaring Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday, it's a moment the 21-year-old will never forget... especially having his big brother Tino right next to him for the history-making occasion.

The script could not have been written better for the Gympie Devils junior... earning a courageous win at home against the club that gave him and his brother their first taste of an NRL system, in front of 40 of his closest family and friends in the stands to watch the pair of siblings play together for the first time in Titans history.

And as luck would have it, the Fa'asuamaleaui fraternity were front and centre for Iszac's most treasured moment of his debut - his first hit up 'off the back fence' with the two brothers the Titans front row pairing for the start of the second half.

"Probably the best feeling out of the whole game was looking across to my brother [at the start of the second half] and him being on the other sideline, ready to take a run after me," Iszac told 9 News Gold Coast.

"That was probably the best feeling that ran and obviously it was great to have that first run to get all the nerves out."

Such was the day he was having, his maiden carry earned his Titans team a penalty... and the rest was history; finishing his first 25 minutes in the top grade with a solid 66 running metres and 13 tackles at a perfect 100 percent efficiency.

Back to do it all again this coming weekend when the Gold Coast travel north to face the Cowboys, Fa'asuamaleaui knows the importance of coming back down from cloud nine and resetting for what is expected to be another tough game - especially with their opponents coming off back-to-back losses, including a disappointing finish at home last start.

"I just need to do the same thing again, get the prep, right and do all that stuff to be ready," he said.

"It's another week and we've got another tough opponent again, so everyone's going to have to switch on and go up to Townsville and do a job.

"Everything just needs to stay the same and we keep it simple.

"Tino is always reminding all of us that it's all about the preparation and doing everything we can now before getting there, so when you get to the game, you can leave the field and have no regrets that you didn't do something during the week.

"Preparation is key and if we just get that right going into this weekend, we should hopefully get a good win."

Iszac with older brother Tino. Photo: Mat Roberts/NRL Images
Iszac with older brother Tino. Photo: Mat Roberts/NRL Images
Admitting his NRL call-up came as a shock so early in his career after only joining the Titans full-time squad at the start of the pre-season, his new goal is continue to learn and grow as a player, whether that be for the Titans or even should he return to the Hostplus Cup to continue his development.

"My main goal is to learn from each week," Fa'asuamaleaui said.

"I'll sit down with the coaches and do our review, but I guess I've learnt plenty on the go too... I've learnt heaps just from my first game and I want to take whatever I can each week into the next to continually improve.

"If I can [play regular NRL], that would be great, but I just want to take it one week at a time.

"Obviously it was unfortunate injuries (of Beau Fermor and Jaimin Jolliffe) that got me here, so I just want to take it one week at a time and see how I go from there."