Gold Coast Titans set for more success?

In their fourth season in the NRL, the Gold Coast Titans lived up to expectations, winning 16 games off the back of a solid 7-5 away record, which had been their downfall in recent seasons.

They started and finished strongly, starting the season winning seven of their first nine matches and finishing winning sixth of their last seven.

The Titans won their home semi-final against the Warriors, a team they defeated twice during the season. With a couple of upsets in the first week of the finals, the Titans earned a week off and were given a home preliminary final.

With 80 minutes away from their first grand final, the Titans ran into a red-hot Roosters team led by Braith Anasta, Mitchell Pearce and Dally M winner Todd Carney. The boys from Bondi gave the Queenslanders their biggest loss of the season with a 32-6 thumping at Suncorp Stadium.

Major losses
Dual international Mat Rogers retired after 11 seasons in the NRL. The 34-year-old leaves as the club’s leading try scorer, crossing for 32 four-pointers and second in points for the club.

2011 depth chart
Props
Starters: Luke Bailey, Michael Henderson.
Depth: Brad Meyers, Matthew White, Will Matthews, Brenton Lawrence.

The Titans front row depth boast a great mix of youth, size and experience. Luke ‘the Bull’ Bailey had a stellar 2010. Without the added pressure of representative football, ‘the Bull’ raged through opposition defences ranking eighth in the NRL in runs with 343, making 2858 metres and also defended astutely, making 671 tackles.

He headlines a solid rotation upfront with Henderson, White and Meyers.

Hooker
Starter: Nathan Friend.
Depth: Riley Brown, Kayne Lawton, Matt Srama.

Friend will be back to tackle their way around the NRL. He also provides the Titans with a decent kicking game and running. Ranked second in the NRL regular season in tackles made with 990, Friend is the prototypical rake that is the envy of most NRL coaches. Friend clocked up 1912 minutes on the park in 2011, ranking him the hardest working hooker in the NRL.

Unfortunately, the workload took its toll and Friend required surgery on his shoulder in the pre-season.

Second-rowers
Starters: Anthony Laffranchi, Mark Minichello.
Depth: Bodene Thompson, Sam Tagateese, Ryan James, Ben Ridge.

The Titans have great depth in the back row. Laffranchi and Minichello have been key components of the side since the franchise’s inception to the NRL.

Minichello had his best season to date with the Titans, playing in all 26 matches was dangerous with the ball busting through 97 tackles (14th in the NRL) and crossing for a career-high nine tries.

Lock
Starter: Ashley Harrison.
Depth: Greg Bird.

The Titans have great depth with Origin representatives Ashley Harrison and Greg Bird suited to the position. Both players can tackle and have terrific work rates. It looks as though Harrison will pack in the scrum and Bird will stand at second receiver.

A bonus feature to his game is his unheralded tackling. Harrison averages 34 tackles a game. His 646 in 2010 had him just outside the top 20 in the NRL.

Halves
Starters: Scott Prince, Greg Bird.
Depth: Jordan Rankin, Luke Capewell, Richie Williams, Kayne Lawton.

With the retirement of Mat Rogers, captain Scott Prince will have a new halves partner this season and it will likely be NSW representative Greg Bird. Bird has played centre with the Sharks and should slot right in and be a robust number six for the Titans. He had a great season after some off-field dramas and a season in the U.K. Super League.

He will provide some extra grunt in defence without losing much creativity (14 line break assists, 12 try assists) and has the ability to generate effective offloads (41, 11th in the NRL). However, Bird’s kicking game or lack there of is an issue.

Prince will have to shoulder most of the kicking game without Rogers in the side.

Centres
Starters: Clinton Toopi & Joseph Tomane.
Depth: Steve Michaels.

Tomane was looking like he was going to have a massive 2010 and had set his sights on breaking Kevin Gordon’s try scoring record until injuries forced the ex-Melbourne Storm winger to be shutdown for the season.

He will need to improve his tackling, having one of the worst made-missed tackle ratios in the NRL (112 tackles, 48 missed tackles). Clinton Toopi filled in well for the injured Tomane the ex-Warrior provided great experience down the latter stages of the season and should form a nice pairing with Tomane in 2011. They have experience of Steve Michaels and have the ability of forward Bodene Thompson who can play out in the centres.

Wingers
Starters: David Mead, Kevin Gordon.
Depth: William Zillman, Esi Tonga, Joe Vickery, Dominique Peyroux.

Mead and Gordon make up one of, if not the fastest, wing pairing in the NRL. Gordon has been prolific for the club, leading the team in tries in each of the past two seasons, including a club-best 13 in 2009. His numbers were slightly down in 2010. Look for him to be up breaking his record in 2011.

Mead is hoping he will be back to his top speed after a foot injury sidelined the 22-year-old for the remainder of the season as well as missing the chance to represent the Kumuls in the Four Nations tournament in October. Mead’s foot is rumoured to be at around 90 per cent and is targeting a round one return. If Mead is not ready to go, there is definitely some solid competition for the position with Zillman, Tonga and Dragons recruit Joe Vickery awaiting their chance to impress.

Fullback
Starter: Preston Campbell.
Depth: William Zillman, Shannon Walker.

There was speculation that Campbell would retire at season’s end in 2010, but it looks as though ‘Presto’ will return for a final season in the NRL. He will likely start at the back with Zillman pressing for a chance after a solid year for the Titans in 2010. Zillman would strengthen the team at the back. Campbell made 33 errors just over double of Zillman (16).

Trends
Tackling
Although the Titans had four in the top 21 in the NRL in tackles made, they were the second worst team in missed tackles (35.4 per game) Only South Sydney was worse with 36.8.

Fast starters
The Titans are known for their solid starts to the season. Since 2008, the Titans are 7-2 in March and 9-3 in April and have at least won six of their first nine games to start those seasons (7-2 in 2010)

This year could be different.

In the first four rounds, the Titans play the Dragons at home, Melbourne away, Brisbane at home and Canberra away. If they can get through that with three wins, they will be up the top of the betting markets.

Looking Ahead
After being ninety minutes short of their maiden grand final appearance, John Cartwright will have his players ready for a big fifth season.

The forward pack is experienced. Of their six starting forwards, five will be 30 years old or above. Scott Prince and Preston Campbell are in the same age bracket, which makes one of the oldest starting sides in the NRL.

I can’t see the Titans being successful with Preston Campbell at the back but in saying that, I think as an alternative, he would suit a shift back to the halves – a position he played with Penrith and Cronulla earlier in his career and Greg Bird at lock with Ashley Harrison off the bench.

Anything worse than last year’s effort, will be deemed a failure. With the arrival of the AFL franchise, the Gold Coast Suns in the area, it will be interesting to see how it affects one of the most loyal NRL fan bases.

The club is breeding a winning culture down in south-east Queensland – unlike their predecessors the Chargers, Seagulls and Giants. CEO Michael Searle is one of the games great minds. With Preston Campbell, Searle developed the popular All-Stars Game and provided his team with top facilities to train and arguably the best boutique rugby league stadium in Australia, in Skilled Park.

He has the blueprint for success, now it’s time for his talented squad to deliver.