The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Titans coasting towards failure yet again

9th February, 2015
Advertisement
The Titans will struggle to contain a Roosters side with several key players returning. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Renee McKay)
Expert
9th February, 2015
152
2117 Reads

Twenty-seven long years ago in a faraway time, three new clubs joined the NSWRL. The Brisbane Broncos, Newcastle Knights and Gold Coast-Tweed Heads Seagulls were the new boys on the block with an exciting journey ahead.

Since 1988, the Broncos and Knights have become cornerstones of the National Rugby League, winning premierships and producing some of the greatest players the game has ever seen, icons like Andrew Johns, Allan Langer and Darren Lockyer.

But while the Broncos and the Knights continue to strive for excellence as key weapons in rugby league’s everlasting battle with rival codes, the Gold Coast have spluttered their way through deaths, rebirths, facelifts and mascot changes all in the name of a desperate and arguably unjust thirst to make the arranged marriage between rugby league and the sunset strip work.

On Friday night, the NRL All Stars are back on the Gold Coast and you’d suspect a packed crowd of more than 25,000 on hand to see the likes of Greg Inglis and Johnathan Thurston. After a few forgettable years for the Titans, surely the chance to see Inglis, Thurston and Kieran Foran and some high quality pre-season footy would be too good to stay away from.

Apparently not, however, with just over 10,000 tickets sold for the match. The Gold Coast that once chewed up and spat out the Giants, Seagulls and Chargers is rearing its ugly head once more.

But is it just rugby league?

Only last year the Australian Wallabies played Argentina in a Rugby Championship match at Robina Stadium, headlined by one Mr Israel Folau. On that September night, a tick over 14,000 was announced as the official crowd, but even that figure must have been questioned by the most one-eyed rugby supporters with empty blue seats as far as the eye could see.

For the Titans, they start 2015 without a major sponsor.

Advertisement

There was once a time when a sponsor-less jersey wasn’t a big deal but in this day and age a jersey without a major sponsor sticks out like a thousand sore thumbs.

The Titans are in a bad place and the squeeze will continue as we get closer to the new television rights deal and expansion is finally, truly investigated. Perth, New Zealand, Central Coast and other Queensland bids are knocking down the door and the Gold Coast are not only in the firing line, the bull’s-eye is on their collective heads.

NRL All Stars is a drawcard event that deserves better than the likely scenario of an embarrassingly low crowd on Friday evening.

Gold Coast, in their latest form, have been blistered by financial crisis after financial crisis and only recently The Courier Mail revealed that an anonymous consortium were willing to buy into the Titans.

“Several are substantially wealthy individuals with a passion for rugby league,” a consortium spokesman said.

“But from a business perspective it would need to be a viable investment.

“I’ve spoken to the consortium of guys. They have been looking at a few NRL clubs and they have indicated they are happy to progress conversations and make a formal approach to the Titans.”

Advertisement

No lover of rugby league who has the growth of the game in their heart wants to see the Gold Coast fail. But how many times can you pull bullets from the wound?

Friday night is the first of many acid tests for the Gold Coast over the next few years. It’s time for the people on the Gold Coast to finally man up and give their club half a chance.

close