Trial: Gold Coast Titans vs Melbourne Storm

[Queenslander]

Titans no easybeats

By Josh Massoud

February 19, 2007 12:00
Article from: The Daily Telegraph

ALBEIT brave on debut, the Gold Coast Titans still had to face the music on Saturday night.

As the aqua trailblazers walked from Coffs Harbour's BCU Stadium after losing 32-6 to Melbourne, an unjust soundtrack accompanied their march back to the sheds.



Blaring out from the speakers was The Foundations' hit song, Build Me Up Buttercup.

"Why do you build me up, build me up . . . just to let me down and mess me around?"

Granted, the Steve Turner saga meant this otherwise momentous occasion was built up higher than the Surfers Paradise skyline. Kickoff even had to be delayed as a ground-record 12,000 crowd rolled in to witness history.

But the only ones feeling let down afterwards were Melbourne, whose powerful side led by just a converted try with a quarter remaining.

Turner, equally, was routinely messed around by a motley crew of rookies and outcasts seething over the fact he rejected an opportunity they are now vying for.

Yet ? as it has with the Gold Coast's previous three incarnations ? history will show the latest version began with a sound loss.

Despite that, coach John Cartwright slept soundly.

"I'm very happy ? to hang in there for 60 minutes was very pleasing considering the strength of the opposition," he said.

Criticised for not playing his aces, Cartwright used the "carrot of playing in the club's first-ever match" to inspire hopefuls during the off-season.

The strategy paid off in spades, and dealt a wildcard in unheralded second-rower Adam Hutchison who thumped Turner on the winger's first hit-up.

A mixture of old and new, 28-year-old Hutchison thought his NRL career was over after two games when the Chargers folded in 1998.

Like the entire club and many of his teammates on Saturday night, captain David Myles included, he is chasing a second coming on the holiday strip.

It was a chance the electrician linesman spoke passionately about during a meeting at the team hotel the previous night, his words touching seasoned listeners like Luke Bailey and Scott Prince.

"I just told the boys how lucky we were to be part of the first-ever team," Hutchison said. Of the Storm winger who reneged on that opportunity, he added: "I think the blokes themselves are pretty filthy.

"It was not something we had to talk about ? everyone just knew.

"There's a lot of guys in our position that have not got the start he threw away."

But aside from Hutchison's big tackle, the fired-up Titans had few chances to exact revenge as Turner saw little ball.

"He probably didn't get involved as much as we would have liked," Myles quipped. Turner refused interviews afterwards.

The Daily Telegraph

[Lowdown]

Wow...with articles this pro-titans (or perhaps anti-storm)...imagine the coverage you'll get when you win a game!!!

[qld power]

anyone got and decent pics of this game

[PROMETHEUS]

Wow...with articles this pro-titans (or perhaps anti-storm)...imagine the coverage you'll get when you win a game!!!

You sound bitter that someone would actually write something positive about the titans second string side..