Round 15: TITANS vs WESTS TIGERS (2023)

[MaroonTitan]

Tino, I thought I told you to trim those sideburns!

I was looking for the name of that Hypnotist the other day to check if he's now working at our club but it turns out his name is just The Hypnotist. I'm sure he says to Holbrook each week, "I did a gooood job. I did a gooood job".

- - - Updated - - -

Holbrook bench rotation read it like a book barring injuries:

1st half
Clark on for Liu 25min
Joliffe on for Tino 30min

2nd half
Tino on for Mo 50 min
Liu on for Clark 60 min (Game over by this point)
Leeming on for Verrills 70 min
Issac on for Joliffe 70 min
Mo on for Haas 70 min

That's so true it's devastating.

[willhelm]

I don’t care if he’s slightly above average with ball in hand or how good his pep talks are, Erin Clark is one of the worst middle defenders in the NRL.

[Upthetits]

Missing the all to often sub at half time like we still in under 10s or the 4mins after half time and he makes a sub.

****ing incredible

[DIEHARD]

Titans v Wests Tigers: Round 15
https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/06/07/...gers-round-15/
NRL.com previews the Round 15 match between the Gold Coast Titans and the Wests Tigers

[DIEHARD]

6:05pm curtain raiser is Marsden v Keebra Park

[Titanic]

Tino: three games in eight days bloody legend in the toughest position at the highest level. The soft coqs who are being “rested” bloody embarrassingly shameful.

[DIEHARD]

This "being rested" thing is so unusual to me. Can anyone name a club that does it? It seems it can be also used as a "nothing personal" way to drop someone.

I'm looking forward to JJ returning and AJ. I hope AJ doesn't try to do much and focuses more on giving us some organisation and focus.

[DIEHARD]

'We've just got to win': Brimson's key focus upon return against Tigers
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...gainst-tigers/

AJ Brimson is hoping his return from injury will be the much-needed shot in the arm to help the Titans work their way back up the ladder.

Sidelined for five weeks with a hamstring strain - on his opposite side to the one that put him out for a month in Round 4 - the Gold Coast No. 1 is back and ready to make a difference from the opening whistle, hoping to help his side recapture their form for a full 80 minutes to get back in the winner's circle after a tough trot in his absence.

Suiting up from the very start in Thursday night's showdown against the Tigers at Cbus Super Stadium, Brimson feels he and his teammates are not far from the rest of the pack destined to play finals - especially after the brilliant first halves of footy - and has a simple solution to ensure they remain in touch with being there come September.

"We've just got to win the next games that we can I guess... I think that's the best way to go up the ladder," Brimson said.

"We can score points, it's just our defensive side of things, so we'll keep working on that and hopefully I can bring some confidence into the side.

"We do still have a very young side, especially with myself and Foz being out the last few weeks, a lot of players have had to shift around, so we don't really have those connections and combinations that we'd like throughout our pre-season, but we don't want to make any excuses.

"Hopefully with myself and Jimmy Jolliffe back this week and Kieran Foran back after the bye, we can get back to how we will go to the start.

"We've got a lot of home games coming up and the top is still so close, so I think a few good wins can really turn our season around."

Bringing a simple mentality to rising from the rut, the 24-year-old has every confidence in his body holding up after the two stints in the club's rehab group for his hamstrings.

The body is feeling good and I'm excited to get out there... I'm definitely feeling fresh, Brimson said.

"I know it's been very in and out for me and the last month or so has been pretty frustrating to watch on the sideline.

"I just feel like I've had an unlucky run with a couple of hamstring injuries and I'm not too worried that this is going to be an issue going forward.

"Obviously, playing 80 minutes at fullback is pretty demanding on the body, but I've done it for a few years and always been pretty sweet especially with soft tissue issues.

"Hopefully I can prove that my body can handle it and have a strong end of the season."

Excited to be back at Cbus Super Stadium for the clash, Brimson is also thrilled to be returning for close friend Phil Sami's 100th NRL appearance - playing every game for the Titans since the pair graduated to first grade after playing together in the Gold Coast's Under 20s side.

"We've come through everything together so I'm wrapped for him," he said.

"If I didn't have these hamstring injuries, we might've been playing [100 games] at a similar week, so that's quite disappointing."

"But I'm very grateful to be back for his 100th game."

[DIEHARD]

Taking control: Jolliffe ready to help reverse second half slump
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...nd-half-slump/

Titans hard man Jaimin Jolliffe is motivated to help stop the second half rot upon his return to the NRL on Thursday night, ready to make a huge impact off the bench in his first game back from injury.

Having spent a long 13 weeks on the sidelines after rupturing his pec on the eve of Round 2, the ever reliable prop feels he has honed in on what he needs to do when he is handed the interchange card to come on and maintain the rage to ensure his Gold Coast side maintain the strong leads they have made a knack in securing.

"Souths are a great attacking team and I just thought we probably let the ruck get a bit quick and it kind of got a bit out of control," he said after watching last Saturday's game against the Rabbitohs.

"We just need to get back to what we do well in the first half, really controlling and slowing down the ruck and the tempo of the game.

"That's where I think I can maybe try and help playing this weekend and I think as a team, probably a lot of our growth is in around pushing the boundaries there."

Arguably one of the Gold Coast's best through the pre-season - even winning a starting jersey after dominating in the trial period - the 26-year-old was close to returning last weekend at home, but Titans medicos erred on the side of caution to instead unleash him in this week's clash, allowing him the extra few days to be fit and firing for the clash.

"My body feels really good but last week, I was probably just not quite there... it was probably my first full week of contact and wrestle and a little bit of testing wasn't where it needed to be," Jolliffe revealed.

"I spent the weekend getting some good weight sessions in and hitting some targets so that'll give me all the confidence to get out there.

"I'm a pretty fit guy and I can get through some work, so [I'm happy to play] whatever [minutes] they need me to, but it kind of depends on the flow of the game as well."

Shunning away any criticism the Coast's finals hopes are out of reach, Jolliffe knows how important a win against the Tigers is at the halfway mark of the competition, setting the side up nicely for their run to September.

"It'd be great to get a win before the bye because there's still a lot of footy in the back end, but if it will definitely be good to be able to fix up our second halves and start putting a few wins on the board to get back in the mix," Jolliffe said.

"We know what we've got to do and we just have to deliver that. The only way to do that is to keep working hard at training and hopefully that springboards us into the game.

"We won't take the Tigers lightly... they're terrific team and they've really been pushing a lot of teams really fast.

"It'll be a big challenge but I think we're up for it and we just need a fix those second halves definitely."

[DIEHARD]

‘He’s our Turbo or Teddy': Holbrook shares importance of Brimson’s return
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...imsons-return/

Justin Holbrook has lauded the return of AJ Brimson ahead of the Titans' Thursday night showdown against the Tigers, highlighting the importance of his inclusion in the must-win clash at home.

Having missed the past month of footy due to a hamstring injury, the Gold Coast No. 1 has been welcomed back with open arms for what's expected to be a challenging encounter against the fledgling Tigers who have been prowling for the past month since finding their mojo against the Panthers in Round 9.

The Titans coach feels the 25-year-old is one of the club's key men for the clash, putting Brimson on the same pedestal as some of the other top fullbacks in the game.

"He's huge for us and I don't want to downplay his importance," Holbrook said.

"To have AJ back is as important to us as Turbo (Tom Trbojevic) is for Manly and [James] Tedesco is the Roosters because he's that good.

"He's fit, firing and he's a huge boost for our team."

Needing to rectify the second half fadeouts that have been troubling the Titans over the past six weeks, Holbrook feels it's quite a simple focus to turn around the results and is expecting his 91-game star and ever-reliable prop Jaimin Jolliffe, who is also returning since Round 1, will be able to change that.

"We've just got to get it done, don't we... and we all know it and we all know it's an issue," he said.

"I think we sit second in defence at half-time but at full-time, we're last by a mile... so we've just got to get it done [and finish games off strong] otherwise the stigma is going to be there.

"The added personnel will help and Jimmy Jolliffe is another good one coming back in our size... Sam Verrills was rusty on the weekend but he'll be better and we have Brian Kelly back this week will experience.

"You've just got to have your key guys out there and those boys will help and I'm confident going in that we we can fix up our issues."

The Titans coach knows the challenge will be no easy feat against the Tigers, who will be a much better side since the Gold Coast defeated them 22-10 at Leichhardt Oval in Round 1.

"I think just from looking at them, the pressure is off them now. They had a lot of pressure early to try and win games and then everyone went away from them and that really ignited him," Holbrook said.

"I think they're playing freely now and playing confidently and are a completely different footy side than what they were four weeks ago.

"They're very, very dangerous and will back in their skill. Probably everything they spoke about the pre-season, is what they are showing now.

"Obviously with Api [Koroisau] and Luke Brooks playing fantastic and with their hard working forward packs, they are a good side and we're well aware of that."

[Titanic]

It’s a pity everything he talked about pre-season isn’t happening for us.

[Cowabunga]

Blade won the mascot cup, At least someones pulling their weight at the club.

[gotitans101_]

It’s a pity everything he talked about pre-season isn’t happening for us.

It's the same tired crap every week. The coach, the players all trotting out the same line, 'we have to win'. No **** sherlock. And even if we do win...it's the Tigers.

[willhelm]

It's the same tired crap every week. The coach, the players all trotting out the same line, 'we have to win'. No **** sherlock. And even if we do win...it's the Tigers.

The Tigers who recently put 66 on a team that beat us earlier this year

[gotitans101_]

The Tigers who recently put 66 on a team that beat us earlier this year

you windin' me up already mate? I reckon we would have beat the Cows that game if AJ & Foran didn't go down.

I dunno, winning against the Tigers just doesn't seem like a big accomplishment to me. We beat them earlier in the year yet here we are, barely keeping up with the 8.

Anyway, I'll be watching, just saying it's hard to read much into a game against a team who've been tipped by most to be bottom 3 this year.