2024 Season General Discussion Thread

[Hail Sezer]

Bit concerned about the size difference between our back 5 and theirs. Huge.

[Titslover]

Yeah the backline mismatch is definitely worrying, Foz acknowledged it yesterday though so hopefully Des has a plan. I’d say we have them clearly beat in the forwards and bench, they’ve got us in the backline, and the spines are fairly even other than Hunt being the clear standout. Hopefully Des has the boys ready for a big performance

[Cowabunga]

Suli, Crighton, Herbie, Best, Cobbo, Talakai, RTS then guys like Tago, Kris, Koula, Remis Smith, Billy Smith or Sualili, At least it gets easier for him going forward. Our left side was so bad defensively that teams hopefully won't know where to target.

I think I'd feel better with Francis outside him, At least it'd feel like we have some size.

[Mini GF]

The constant delays in Fifita and JC’s returns which is now rounds 4-6 is starting to take me back to the…….dare I say it……CONDON days.
What a debacle.

[Cowabunga]

It was only in a few articles around when it happened but apparently he 'shattered' his MPFL as well which is the bigger injury out of the two and why he had surgery, It's the muscle behind the kneecap that stabilizes everything. He got a reconstruction over repair I'm guessing with the surgery as it's the much safer route and the best case is 4-6 months but it's not rare to have setbacks.

Jimmy L said from the start that it was going to be at least 5 months, I think others just said 3 thinking it was just the patella.

[willhelm]

All good with JC being out a bit longer if it means Kini gets a good run of first grade experience

[Cowabunga]

Looks like us and the Jets forgot we're affiliated from the team lists.

[Hail Sezer]

Looks like us and the Jets forgot we're affiliated from the team lists.

Lol they’ll update before kickoff

Qcup team lists are always sloppy like that

[Hail Sezer]

These are actually sick hahaha

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2024/...rimsons-100th/

Love that AJ has collab'd the design so that it's actually in a style he'd usually wear too. If you're getting these fellas and not familiar with an oversized box fit/drop shoulder, can be worth going a size down

[Whats Doing]

Titans and Meninga officially part ways

Immortal Mal Meninga has formally severed ties with the Gold Coast Titans following a five-year relationship.

Meninga quietly finished up in his role as the club’s high performance consultant over the summer after being frozen out of the decision to sack Justin Holbrook as head coach and appoint Des Hasler.

The Titans did not publicly announce Meninga’s departure, but CEO Steve Mitchell confirmed to Sport Confidential his contract was not renewed.

“That has run its course,” he said.

“Mal’s relationship with the club is very strong and he’s got a great relationship with Des.

“I believe he speaks with Des. The contract has run its course.”

The Titans recruited Meninga in the specially created role of Head of Performance and Culture in November 2018.

The Kangaroos coach, 63, played a key role in signing Holbrook following Garth Brennan’s sacking during the 2019 wooden spoon season.

Meninga’s role changed over time and he became a consultant after moving back to Canberra, but remained in close contact with Holbrook and across the club’s recruitment decisions.

Meninga played key roles in signing Queensland Origin stars Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Storm) and David Fifita (Broncos), but wasn’t able to help the Titans taste NRL premiership success.

Meninga was Holbrook’s greatest ally at the Titans, which may explain why he was excluded from the clandestine move to sign Hasler last June.

At the time, Meninga said he felt “ostracised” by the club’s decision to leave him out of discussions.

“I didn’t know until today which disappoints me a little bit,” he said following the Holbrook-Hasler machinations.

“The club rang me this morning and I don’t know how to feel about it to be honest. I feel ostracised a little bit.

“I’ve got a bit of thinking to do about what I do in the future … I don’t envisage being part of the club moving forward.”

Meninga was right.

While he maintains a long-term relationship with Hasler, that could include informal mentoring of Titans players, his formal ties to the Gold Coast are over.

“Mal’s got a good relationship with Des,” Mitchell said.

“He has stayed in contact with Des as far as I know. They have a good relationship that goes back over time.”

[Mini GF]

Why have Mal in there when you have Des now as Head Coach. Mal had to go. Right decision.

[Whats Doing]

A bit of clickbait by Badel for your reading

The Broncos are facing a fight to retain emerging hooker Blake Mozer, with a former Brisbane player looming as the club’s greatest threat.

Mozer is off-contract at the end of 2025 and expected to be one of the game’s most in-demand young players if he hits the open market.

At 19, Mozer’s best years are ahead of him and he has long been touted as one of the game’s future star No.9s after starring in the junior grades.

The Broncos rate Mozer highly and will make moves to retain him, but former Broncos prop Keenan Palasia shapes as a key figure in the Queensland under-19s Origin representative’s future.

Titans recruit Palasia and Mozer live together on the Gold Coast.

“I’m living with Blake Mozer. I’ve got him tucked under my wing,” Palasia said.

“At the moment we’ve got a fair few good hookers (at the Titans) and he’s still a young fella.

“In the future we’ll see how he develops and I’ll get into his ear.”

Titans hookers Sam Verrills and Chris Randall are contracted to Gold Coast until the end of 2026 and out to prove to new coach Des Hasler they are the answer at dummy-half.

Palasia and Mozer would be one of few NRL rivals living under the same roof and there’s plenty of banter being thrown among the house.

“He is into me, letting us know the Titans didn’t make the finals last year,” said Palasia, who played in Brisbane’s grand final team.

“I get back into him and let him know he’s only played one NRL game.”

[gotitans101_]

yeah nothing in that. Palasia and Mozer live together, more news at 7.

[Titslover]

I mean I always see him playing golf at Parkwood, could be tempting for him to go straight from training to a round of golf. Would be about the most appealing part of our club at the moment

[ozynorts]

I am a bit bemused by the commentary on the Titans attack. The narrative seems to be that we have plenty of points in us but we need to work on our defence and that Des was going to fix it. I have seen quotes from Des saying that he wasn’t going to change the attack much as he has bought the narrative.
I think we have the ability to score off the cuff points and long range tries but our options inside the opposition 30 are awful. We just hit it up and then bomb. If Des is happy with our attack then we had better start looking for a new messiah.