Prince, Bailey to lead Gold Coast Titans

[Grimmace]

Prince, Bailey to lead Gold Coast Titans
Friday, November 24, 2006 - 2:58 PM

Former Test prop Luke Bailey says coping with the pressure that came with playing for his old NRL club St George Illawarra will benefit him enormously as Gold Coast Titans co-captain.

The Titans announced that Bailey and halfback Scott Prince would share the leadership burden heading into their inaugural season.

Prince, 26, will be responsible for on-field duties while off-field responsibilities will be divided between the experienced pair.

"I think it's fantastic," Bailey told reporters about coach John Cartwright's co-captaincy plan.

"When we lose you can talk to Scotty, when we win you can talk to me.

"It eases the pressure on both of us. I've come from a pressure-building club at St George (Illawarra) so I've learnt to cop a bit of pressure.

"To come up here and share it with Scotty is enormous."

Prince skippered Wests Tigers last year but was forced to quit the post in March following his decision to join the Titans on a four-year-deal.

The 2005 Dally M Captain of the Year was hot favourite to lead the Titans in 2007 so Bailey's joint appointment comes as a surprise.

"I'm very relieved, happy and proud," said Prince.

"It's not every day you get named co-captain of an inaugural team so it's a great honour and I really can't wait."

Prince said he wasn't surprised the captaincy duties would be shared following a discussion with Cartwright early this year.

"I spoke to Carty around the time I was negotiating with the club and he seemed keen on the idea of having a couple of leaders," the Queenslander said.

"In saying that I really do think that for us to be a successful club, each and every player has to be a leader in their own right."

Bailey, 26, is someone who leads by example on the field and will be an key part of the Titans' push to make the semi-finals next year.

"I was quite surprised," said Bailey, who will lead a young pack of forwards.

"When they signed Scotty Prince I was adamant he was going to be the captain.

"It goes down as another great achievement in my life but I've done nothing yet.

"I have to prove I'm worthy of it and get the respect of the players and the coaching staff.

"My job won't change at all. I'm not easy to satisfy so I like to work hard and always improve my game.

"Over the last couple of years at St George (Illawarra) I developed a leadership quality at the club and I think I can bring that to this team."

The Titans play their first official NRL match in a trial against grand finalist Melbourne in Coffs Harbour on February 17.

Source: AAP

[Grimmace]

Good call by the coaching staff at the Titans to have a co- captiancy leadership role, This will benefit the Titans enormousley.

[Titanium_BD1103]

Fantastic Choice... both very good players, both will guide the side both on and off the field and both are pretty cool heads who hold a lot of respect and will provide the GC with stability in the first season.

GREAT WORK by the GC Titans and a good way to start the final journey towards Rnd 1 2007....

[titansroostersfan]

Great stuff by the club two great leaders for our mighty titans.

[patrick]

Great choice for the Captaincy.
Prince will lead the side from the front, while Bull will lead by example in the pack.

[TITANS007]

I don't like it. Why don't they just say what it really is:

Prince is captain, and Bailey is vice captain.

[Future Star]

awesome u have a sometime-test prop leading the forwards, and a should-be-test Halfback leading the backs!

Nice choice though.

[PROMETHEUS]

Agree,its a captain in the forwards and a captain in the backs.

[Queenslander]

It provides a good balance between the forwards and the backs to have a captain on both areas of the squad. Im sure it was a hard choice for the team to decide between both Prince and Bailey.

[Robbie_Dee]

2 very experienced players there! great choices, i'm sure they'll both do a great job!

[jenny]

2 very experienced players there! great choices, i'm sure they'll both do a great job!

I saw them on the Gold Coast News...and didn't they look HAPPY!!!!

[Future Star]

I saw them on the Gold Coast News...and didn't they look HAPPY!!!!

Lol - i'd be heaps happy too!

[DeeGan]

Nice choice, I would have preferred the one captain and vice-captain option though Scott and Luke will do our club proud on and off the field!

[Pale Ale Panther]

i've never liked the co-capt thing, your capt has to be a leader, look at us this year with T (tony puletua) as capt, the amount of times he went to Gowie was heaps, you can only have 1 Capt out there IMO Scott is to off the cuff and a bit of a hot head to be capt, Luke is a front rower and will spend a bit of thime on the bench, so i would have gone for Webster or Presto,

[DIEHARD]

I was hoping we wouldn't have co-captains but I had a feeling they'd go this way.

It should be successful. But Id prefer a captain/vice set up.

Well at least we don't have a leadership group with the captaincy rotating!

We have a forward and a back captain.

Should be good. HAIL PRINCEY!