Will the Gold Coast Titans ever be a success?

Correct about the new Titan's facility, which BTW was developed by the Titan's Darryl Cell;yonce shareholder and director ,now part owner of the Titans. The Titan's {Property Arm had debts totalling $25m ,which crippled the club.They had a loan with the CBA for $13.4m' Even Sealre lost about $670,000 at least . I do take issue with the fact ,whilst we may agree about the overreach in financial commitments including the Titanium Bar,but the GFC did its part in adding to the issues.Especially when large loans were hanging around ones neck. The club lost I select and Coral homes as sponsors post 2008. The GFC affected business in many areas and tourist areas such as the Gold Coast were especially hit and crertainloy not immune.People everywhere were financially affected,jobs lost,Banks running around like headless chooks, superannuation funds taking a pounding, share markets dropping like flies.even the World bank unsure initially of the overall impact and how to deal with it.The consumer became extra careful with their disposable income, not knowing whether they had a job next week. Even the accommodation areas on the GC noted the downturn in rentals.I uitiilsed Broadbeach accommodation on a regular basis. Seattle certainly went overboard initially when things were rosy.The rental deal with the stadium at Robina was just too expensive.The lack of public parking there ,hardly conducive to attracting crowds. IMO you don't build C of Es until a club has been established for quite a while and is trading well.

Mark nice article with a few good suggestions. A few points from a Gold Coast resident: “the global financial crisis almost crippled the club. Since then, the club has been through hell. Scandal has plagued the club, the club change administration, lost its centre of excellence, and most, unfortunately, lost its standing with the local community” They need to set up a centre for their operation and training that is their own and not rented The GFC didn’t cripple the Club. Michael Searle overreached when they tried to build the Centre of Excellence, without having fully secured all the required funding and then they subsequently couldn’t afford the building once completed. It left local tradies out of pocket because the Club didn’t pay them and they had to offload the COE to Bond University because they could not afford to maintain/run the place, which subsequently left them homeless training and operating from multiple locations on the GC. They burnt all the previous goodwill built up from their inception and inclusion in 2007 acting in this way. As of today the Gold Coast Titans are located at Parkwood International, where the entire team and administration staff are based in a multi-million dollar Elite Training and Administration Facility in a partnership with the Parkwood International Golf Club. It is seriously an excellent facility and the equal, if not better, of any other Club in the NRL. The club needs to branch into the tourism market. Full agree on this point. Engage Gold Coast Tourism, airlines and hotels and create packages that bring people up here with a game at Cbus Stadium included in the package. The AFL have a travel facility that constantly promotes this type of thing in conjunction with Virgin Airlines. Why would a Korean want to go to the footy? I’ll say this, why would an Australians want to go to the baseball when in America? The billion dollar question. I don’t think a straight comparison works between Aussies traveling to the USA and engaging with sport as it does with Asians traveling to Australia and engaging with sport. There is a far stronger affinity between the way Americans and Aussies view sport, along with the fact that Aussies have a lot more brand awareness of the various American sports teams (LA Lakers, NY Giants, San Francisco Giants, etc.). You could ask the above question another way – why would an Australian travel to China and want to go to watch Table Tennis or Badminton? Simple – they don’t. The difference in sport culture is huge between what Aussies like and what most of Asia participate in. Although it is worth a go. Referring to the point above about tourism, package it up and make it easy to travel to and from the stadium. The population is over 500,000 and growing. If they obtain 10 per cent of the population as active fans that is 50,000 members. I suspect both the Titans and Suns have some numbers in the Boardrooms that reflect the above. One thing you can guarantee is that as long as Suns and Titans remain on the Gold Coast, neither the NRL or AFL will allow those Clubs to vacate the city and leave it to their rival.

Previous colours and name of Gold coast Gold Coast Giants Silver and Black Gold Coast Seagulls red black and white Gold Coast Gladiators aquamarine (I think) and purple Now Titans Blue and Gold -- changing colours and names won't and didn't work --- establishing a tradition and culture might

Terry, I’d give the tick of approval to most of your points. My wife works in the plastic (not cosmetic) surgery industry here and business is good. But while it’s no lie that there’s a white shoe brigade here like there’s bearded, double shot ristretto-sipping, rollie-smoking, sailor cap-wearing hipster crowd in Melbourne, neither place is defined or exactly overrun by them. And bogans are everywhere. I’m from the Shire (I swear I’m not one of those bogans)! We work with a team from Melbourne and were recently at a conference with them and many international visitors. Any of those visitors we had a drink with we were very explicit in our explanations of the internal cultural differences within Australia. Most of the other points aren’t really just confined to the Coast either- although I agree there’s an undeniable per capita concentration when it comes to cosmetic/plastic surgery. You may have had a point about an absent ‘soul’ and transient population but there’s been a definite shift in this regard in the last 20-odd years. There’s still high levels of migration to the area but the 90’s/early naughties wave of migration has entrenched itself and established a foundation for a feeling of community which needs to be present for a professional sports team to succeed. It sounds a bit tacky and cliched but you’ll see this sense of community at the Comm Games this year which will go a long way towards establishing and defining what the ‘real’ Gold Coast is all about. As Dorothy said, ‘there’s no place like home’- I’m sure that was in reference to taking a deuce...

Hear what you are saying Bob, but been there a few times over the past 30 years for relo visits (old retirees), very occasionally work (a week or so at a time, very enjoyable) and have had a few friends move there from Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne (and in some cases, move back to Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne). Yes, I might have been a little long winded and slightly harsh in my GC analysis, but most of those points I suggested would be given a tick from those relos/friends mentioned above who reside (or resided) there. I'm sure its on the improve, slowly. If I was you, I'd do the (indian at a uni) squat on the seat at Pacific Fair if you need to do an urgent grogan. Getting you hands that close to a public toilet seat is never a good idea. Though I'd be inclined not to visit the public rest rooms, anywhere!.

It’s ironic that the Gold Coast’s superficiality is so quick to be judged yet those judging are doing nothing more than having a superficial look. Often times basing their thoughts on what they’ve heard, seen on the news or better yet- based off a footy trip or boys/girls weekend. There’s plenty of negative social characteristics associated with all Australian cities. Having lived and spent a bit of time in a few, while there may be some stereotypical elements present within some small factions, they by no means define these places- as anyone who’s willing to scratch a little deeper than the surface will attest. The list you’ve compiled here is typical of someone who’s watched ACA during schoolies. Poor hygiene I hadn’t heard though... I’ll be sure to put down two layers of TP around the seat on my next trip to Pacific Fair now!

heehee, not so super, again, brilliant.

no way Do a deal, let the AFL keep spending about a $100m a year on the Suns / Giants for no reward, it also irritates the in-breed AFL media mafia in Melbourne.

Jeff, I agree, Titans is a shocker, up their with the Storm/Giants/Suns for crappy Australian team names. Initially on their return to the NRL, they proposed 'Dolphins', but Redcliffe in the QRL went all ''trademark'' on them (fair enough) and with the alliance with Tweed Heads ''Seagulls" no longer, that was a non-starter full-stop! Somehow the Titans was (somewhat illegibility) conceived and then birthed. Personally, when you think of the Goldy, what do you think? Surf, holidays, theme parks, bogans moving from other parts of Australia/NZ increasing the IQ of both the area they have arrived and left, transient population, no heart and soul, failure, bikie gangs, party drugs, try-hards, never were's or were never gunna-be's, nightclubs, tackiness, developers, white shoes, sagging facelifts, botox, poor hygiene, etc. So maybe the Gold Coast RLFC! Just that! That's all! They might just understand that and get behind it!

Gee RandyM, 9 Sydney clubs making the semi finals, that's impressive considering it's only a top 8 that makes the finals. And I keep hearing the NRL has a problem in Sydney! Obviously it doesn't!

As a former Caringbah boy living on the Gold Coast, I can only speak for the Sharks, but they offer similar Queensland membership options. Was great having 2 SEQ Sharks games to go to last year!

Yea cause that’s exactly what the articles about and the crux of all the comments since. Your tangents only put you 5 or 6 planets away, yet the rest of us on earth are still able to see that bee you have in your bonnet over all things rugby league.

The Rabbitohs have a deal with our Qld Members that when they buy a Rabbitohs Membership they also get tickets to all games in Qld as a part of their package. Robina, Suncorp, Barlow Park and 1300 you know the rest Stadium. Of Course, Members who reside in the South can choose only the 2 games at Suncorp and Robina while... The Members who reside in the North can choose just the 2 games in Cains and Townsville. A third choice is to choose ALL 4 games. The Rabbitohs are the most forward thinking club in the NRL when it comes to memberships, that is why we continue to break that 30k Members mark. Shane Richardson was the person who approached the NRL and the ANZ Management about those ANZ Reciprocal Rights Deals and those doubleheaders deals also!

NRL should do a deal with AFL. Leave Gold Coast to the AFL as long as AFL stops expanding in NSW, by adding another team to SW Sydney or Newcastle. NRL still has some time to have some leverage in dealing with territories with the Aussie rules mob. Make a treaty now, before they are making western Sydney their own.

Titans name isn't great IMO. Why was the name chosen instead of say the Seagulls for example?

Cmon Skywalker dont you know everyone on the Gold Coast lives and breathes Rugby League right from when they were born? Just like everywhere else in the world

Don't bite Rob, this is the same joker they deleted yesterday and many times before that.

No luke they are going to ferry them down every home game because the locals won't turn up. This is pipe dream stuff. And when the perth team gets going all the expat poms are going to come down from the mines. The inks not dry on the sale and we have all these grandiose dreams. Asian tourists have been coming to the gold coast for years and I haven't seen too many at titans home games.

yep, still suggesting that clinics and school visits are the easy answer their crowds will return when they win again

You’ve hopelessly missed the point of that Yankees comment.