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2020 Squad, Signings and Rumours Thread

I’d be happy to move on pretty much every out of town player coming off contract at the end of next year and replace them with every top end talented teenager and just watch them come through and organically take us up the ladder rather than fill our list with the Peats, Reins, Cartwright’s, Latu’s, Peachey’s, Copley’s etc of this world that end up here because it’s an inviting superannuation top up.
 
I think peatsy actually loves the place. He has spoken many times that he would love to finish his career with us and regardless of where his career takes him, him and his family love the gc and he will probably live here when he retires. Also now the mark minichiello has retired and come back the club should be getting him involved somehow.
 
SCoast Titan said:
I think peatsy actually loves the place. He has spoken many times that he would love to finish his career with us and regardless of where his career takes him, him and his family love the gc and he will probably live here when he retires. Also now the mark minichiello has retired and come back the club should be getting him involved somehow.
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I have always liked Minichiello. He would be great as he had a lot of passion for the club and could gee the players up a bit. But I guess want and $ speak a lot as well. I think now explayers that have a coaching capacity need to have or working towards a coaching qualification. One thing that I did learn is that some former players want to be around clubs but want to be paid more than what the role is actually worth. Or some clubs just don’t have the budget to do so as well.
 
mdrew said:
Great to see some of the talented Titans junior players will get an opportunity to train with the Titans NRL squad this offseason and showcase themselves to Justin Holbrook.

The likes of centre Will Evans, fullback Jayden Campbell, second rower Tristian Powell, hooker Jed Edwards and winger Lofi Khan-Periera are all future Titans and the work that they will do with the NRL squad will stand them in good stead to get to the NRL sooner rather than later.

Will Evans in particular has a great perigee including playing two Queensland Cup matches for Burleigh this season as an 18 year old including Burleigh’s first final and also playing in two of Wales three Nines pool matches recently. Will Evans first match in a Titans jersey was as an 13 year old when he played at fullback against a Marsden SHS side (he was outstanding that day) at Pizzey Park thus it is great to see him training with the Titans NRL side.

Jayden Campbell, the son of legend Preston Campbell is another great Titans story in the making and was the leading try scorer and points scorer in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition this season with the Titans beating a number of Sydney clubs for his signature on a three year contract.

Tristian Powell and Lofi Khan-Periera graduate to training with the NRL side from starting for the 2019 Queensland U18 side and even though Jed Edwards 2019 season was cruelled by injury he is a former Queensland U16 hooker and yet another local junior on the rise.

In relation to the players on NRL Development contracts I can see 18 year old second rower Juwan Compain making his NRL debut late in 2020 and also Ioane Seuili (who transitioned from centre to second row in 2019) also getting an NRL shot. Ioane Seuili is still U20 eligible in 2020 but spent the entire 2019 season (until his shoulder injury) in the Queensland Cup and Juwan Compain played in two Queensland Cup matches as a 17 year old, both playing for Tweed Heads.

Juwan Compain’s first match in a Titans jersey came when he was just 13 years old so it will be great to see a local junior progress all the way to the NRL when he makes his debut.

Former Australian school boy and PBC co-captain Toby Sexton will likely start the season in the Colts competition for Tweed Heads but clearly is highly thought of as he has been doing the drills as starting five eight in the early pre-season sessions in his first season out of the U18 ranks.

Kea Pere’s first season with the Titans was impacted by injury but has undoubted talent as well as size and speed. Late in the 2019 season he actually spent some time in the second row for the Burleigh Colts side and it will be interesting to see if the Titans are considering a permanent move there from the outside backs.

Of course there is also star in the making second rower Darius Farmer (who signed with the Titans as a 15 year old) who has overcome health issues to be on the verge of realising his deserved NRL dream as early as Round One against Canberra next season. Make no mistake Darius Farmer will bring aspects to the NRL side that no other Titans contracted player has with his size, skill and outside back type speed on the right side of the field.

Regardless of what happens in 2020 in the NRL (and we all hope we do well) the future is incredibly bright for the Titans and I can only try to assure people that the Junior Titans System (JTS) is the envy of all other clubs in the NRL. We may never get to the stage where every player that wears a Titans jersey is a local junior but heck we will not be far away in the next two or three years.

I have mentioned only the players that are training with the NRL squad in some capacity this off season but there are plenty more that will follow these players to the NRL in a Titans jersey.
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Thanks, Mdrew. A great post and very much appreciated!
 
Cheers mdrew for that insight. Can’t wait to see a few up and comers pull on the jersey this year. Does anyone know what sort of contract Jayden Campbell signed? I find it confusing that he is train and trialist but signed a formal contract with the Titans.

Also well said Titanic. For the most part I think you have hit the nail on its head. Can’t agree regrading Mal though. His hands have been tied when it comes to recruitment and retention because of the shambles of a roster that he inherited. It’s pretty clear that he is now taking a more hands on approach to this aspect of performance and culture and who better are we to have in that position than the Kangaroo coach? It has been Mal that has been the face of negotiations in respect to Brimson and Arrow. A lot of people on here have been very critical of the club paying overs for players and this is his first step to rectifying that. It’s going to hurt if we lose either of them but I trust that Mal knows exactly what their market value should be. I’ll happily eat my words if Mal turns out to be a flop but I feel most people are happy to sink the boot in when he hasn’t even had the chance to achieve anything.
 
One thing that some people forget. That is Mal has a reputation to keep intact. He is not going leave the club in a poorer position than what he arrived in. To do so will forever taint him.
 
NZFan said:
Cheers mdrew for that insight. Can’t wait to see a few up and comers pull on the jersey this year. Does anyone know what sort of contract Jayden Campbell signed? I find it confusing that he is train and trialist but signed a formal contract with the Titans.
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Simple answer is he has signed a junior/development contract but is trialling for a NRL top 30 contract. Will, Toby, Juwain, Tristan etc are all in the same boat.
 
Titanic said:
Sitting in a restaurant at Palo Alto wishing I was anywhere else but here, I add to the conversation:

1. Perhaps if the coach focused on the football, the football department focused on recruiting and the club focused on our fan base then we would be in a better position.
2. This squad will now be tested under a more realistic benchmarking microscope so we will find out what we’ve really got.
3. Without genuine pace out wide and strike in the centers the whole thing is purely an exercise in futility.
4. A 12th placed finish would be a reasonable outcome in truth but a potential club killer in fact.
5. I’m vaguely optimistic about Holbrook and this squad (ESL is not the NRL) but feel our lack of depth will hurt us. I don’t want anymore marquee players, just add three more juniors and two up & comers from other clubs to work on.
6. I think Meninga should take a flying fark off. We have the perfect club culture personality in the uniquely Gold Coast and creative P. Campbell. He is ours and represents our heart and soul instead of some out of town over-fed, over-rated and over-paid “immortal”.
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I've just got off Fraser and this sums it up for me too. Don't think we are a chance of 12th though. Mal has had 12 months and has failed in 90% of his job. If we lose Arrow and AJ then he has well and truly got no value to add to the Titans. Kallum Watkins jumps to mind as an example of his idea of a good signing.
 
NZFan said:
I’ll happily eat my words if Mal turns out to be a flop but I feel most people are happy to sink the boot in when he hasn’t even had the chance to achieve anything.
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I agree that Mal inherited an average roster, however his title included the word "Performance" and he was here for nearly a full season and our performance went backwards. I haven't checked but not many teams finish a clear 4 games last.

That shambles of a roster you (correctly) refer to is almost certain to be the same roster next year. If there is an improvement does the new coach get the credit, or Mal. The coach in my book.
 
Just on the Meninga thingy: I don’t like to sink the boot too early and have only done that thrice: Searle (tick); Annesley (tick); and now the big fella ... as an administrator he was a pretty good footballer ... I’ll say no more but he will forever be the Stupid League traitor who has always had his snout in the trough.
 
Mexican titan said:
I agree that Mal inherited an average roster, however his title included the word "Performance" and he was here for nearly a full season and our performance went backwards. I haven't checked but not many teams finish a clear 4 games last.

That shambles of a roster you (correctly) refer to is almost certain to be the same roster next year. If there is an improvement does the new coach get the credit, or Mal. The coach in my book.
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I think the coach most certainly gets the credit. Just as I am reluctant to blame last season on Mal because I firmly believe that Brennan and the decisions that were made before Mal came along were the causes of last season. Mal spent half the season conducting an in depth review (it is frustrating that it was never made public) and then spent the second half finding a new coach and taking on a general manager role - which he was never employed to do originally. It is frustrating that we have no new signings on the horizon and twice as frustrating that we haven’t been able to get rid of any dud signings but I would still rather be in this position than in the past when we bid on every person off contract and paid way too much for them. I’m just saying that I think it is stupid to throw the baby out with the bath water just because results haven’t been immediate.
 
Anyone have access to the Courier Mail? Yesterday there was an article called Gold Coast Titans eye monster $4 million dollar roster overall. If anyone has it can they post it. Thanks
 
The Titans are weighing up a $4 million roster overhaul as more than half of new coach Justin Holbrook’s top squad faces an uncertain future on the Gold Coast.

Thirteen of the Gold Coast’s top 25 players are off contract at the end of the 2020 season, allowing Holbrook to orchestrate a comprehensive clean-out if he feels necessary.

A host of big-name players are fighting for their NRL futures following a shocking wooden-spoon season which saw the Titans win only four games and culminated in the sacking of coach Garth Brennan.

Among the off-contract players is captain Ryan James, New Zealand Test forward Kevin Proctor and former NSW Origin hooker Nathan Peats.

The Titans have identified rising stars Jai Arrow and AJ Brimson, members of Australia’s recent World Cup 9s winning squad, as priority signings.

But the other 11 players – which includes Anthony Don, Dale Copley, Leilani Latu and Tyrone Roberts – face the prospect of having to prove to Holbrook they deserve new deals as the Titans weigh up another roster overhaul.

Holbrook is the Gold Coast’s third coach in three years, with the club undergoing significant squad changes under former mentors Neil Henry and Brennan.

There is a possibility of the Titans’ squad for the 2020 season also changing, depending on player movement around the NRL.

Culture chief Mal Meninga is playing a lead role in shaping the club’s roster, but he said Holbrook would have the ultimate say on his future squad.

“He’s the head coach and has got some really good people around him in (assistant coaches) Jim Dymock and Jim Lenihan,” Meninga said.

“He’s got good staff and will be in control of all that.

“We’ve got a recruitment and retention committee and (football manager) Anthony Laffranchi has increased his role around salary cap compliance.

“Justin and his team will get a feel for the club and players and what he needs. We’ll make some decisions based on those outcomes.

“We’re not quite sure (if there will be player movement before 2020). It’s dependent on where Justin sees the players fitting in the team, particularly the top 17-20.

“There may be some movement with the players. We’ve got to be patient with what we do.”

The Titans have not offered contracts to 2019 players Jack Stockwell, Brenko Lee and Ryley Jacks, who are yet to secure deals at other clubs.

Former Warriors and Raiders halfback Erin Clark has been offered a train-and-trial contract by the Titans for the pre-season.

Jai Arrow is high on the club’s retention list. Picture: Jerad Williams

Meninga has previously declared he wanted to target some of the NRL’s top players to bring to the Gold Coast.

And he believes the Titans’ poor performances in 2019 won’t hurt them in the recruitment ring.

“We’re really working hard behind the scenes,” he said.

“We’ve improved our development pathway programs and have a really good football department now.

“We’re going from strength to strength.

“Things behind the scenes, beyond the football area of the top 30, are really strong. We’ve got a really good story to tell around recruitment.

“We need to build our foundation to ensure we get sustainable success. We can’t make poor decisions that will impinge on our future.”

SIGN THEM UP

Jai Arrow

AJ Brimson

WAIT AND SEE

Ryan James

Kevin Proctor

Nathan Peats

Phillip Sami

Keegan Hipgrave

Treymain Spry

Sam Stone

FIGHTING FOR LIFE

Dale Copley

Anthony Don

Leilani Latu

Tyrone Roberts
 
With Matterson joining the eels...Mal has reiterated his want for David Fifita to join the Titans.

This could be a big tell as to how much pull/influence Mal has.

Can't wait to see the outcome!
 
NZFan said:
I think the coach most certainly gets the credit. Just as I am reluctant to blame last season on Mal because I firmly believe that Brennan and the decisions that were made before Mal came along were the causes of last season. Mal spent half the season conducting an in depth review (it is frustrating that it was never made public) and then spent the second half finding a new coach and taking on a general manager role - which he was never employed to do originally. It is frustrating that we have no new signings on the horizon and twice as frustrating that we haven’t been able to get rid of any dud signings but I would still rather be in this position than in the past when we bid on every person off contract and paid way too much for them. I’m just saying that I think it is stupid to throw the baby out with the bath water just because results haven’t been immediate.
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I think the players betrayed the coach as much as the coach was incapable. So that puts some blame on the culture. Our incoming coach has gone on record as saying the culture is the issue. As for throwing the baby away with the bath water....the baby has moved interstate and the parents are still on the Gold Coast. Next step will be the club saying we need someone fulltime and there will be a mutual parting of ways.
 
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