Gold Coast Titans
The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australia's premier club competition. The club commenced its inaugural season on 18 March 2007 and since 2008, the Titans have played their home games at Robina Stadium in Robina, Queensland.
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gold Coast Titans |
| Nickname(s) | Titans |
| Short name | GLD |
| Colours | Light blue Gold White |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Website | titans.com.au |
| Current details | |
| Ground(s) |
|
| CEO | Steve Mitchell |
| Coach | Justin Holbrook |
| Captain | Tino Fa'asuamaleaui |
| Competition | National Rugby League |
| 2022 season | 13th |
| Current season | |
| Records | |
| Premierships | 0 |
| Runners-up | 0 |
| Minor premiership | 0 |
| Wooden spoons | 2 (2011, 2019) |
| Most capped | 173 – Mark Minichiello |
| Highest try scorer | 85 – Anthony Don |
| Highest points scorer | 719 – Scott Prince |
The Titans are the second top-level rugby league club to have been based on the Gold Coast, the first being the ill-fated Gold Coast-Tweed Giants / Gold Coast Seagulls / Gold Coast Chargers, which existed from 1988 to 1998.
History
Formation
The beginnings of a Gold Coast team's bid to return to the National Rugby League began when the Australian Rugby League decided to remove the financially successful Gold Coast Chargers from the National Rugby League at the end of the 1998 Season. The ARL wanted to have a second major team based in Brisbane and believed the best way to achieve this was by removing the Gold Coast team from the competition. The attempt to launch a second Brisbane team failed and in 1999, Michael Searle, former Gold Coast Chargers player and Managing Director of International Sports Australia, formed a Gold Coast Bid Team. The team included former Chargers boss Paul Broughton and was labelled as "The Gold Coast Consortium" by the media. The board was constantly active in lobbying the NRL to both expand the competition and consider the Gold Coast's bid for inclusion. It was successful in organising pre-season NRL trial matches to be hosted on the Gold Coast and with average attendances of over 16,000, and peak attendances topping 20,000, the popularity of rugby league on the Coast was clear.
I firmly believe rugby league should be looking to expand. The Gold Coast area is growing at a phenomenal rate. There are 89 rugby league teams in Gold Coast primary schools and 59 teams in Gold Coast high schools representing about 2,300 young players. That's just schoolboys.
If the catchment area includes the region from South Brisbane to Byron Bay in northern NSW, then it covers a rugby league heartland starving for recognition. These areas would only blossom even more if the young players had a senior team in the NRL competition to which they could aspire.
South-east Queensland needs another NRL team desperately and for a whole host of reasons.
— Phil Gould, 21 December 2003[1]
In August 2004, the NRL rejected Michael Searle's bid for re-adding a Gold Coast team.[2] However, later, during an episode of Nine Network's The NRL Footy Show, the "Gold Coast Consortium" announced their team name and jersey to the public from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Initially the team was to be named the Gold Coast Dolphins, with the team colours to be white, jade and orange. While the Dolphins moniker was popular among many, the heavyweight Brisbane Queensland Cup side the Redcliffe Dolphins saw it as a threat for any prospect of entering the NRL they had, and as a result threatened severe legal action if the Gold Coast used the Dolphins name. Midway through that year the National Rugby League announced that after viewing submissions from the Gold Coast Dolphins, the Central Coast Bears and the Wellington Orcas, there would not be a 16th team included in the 2006 NRL competition. Reasons given to the Gold Coast was the National Rugby Leagues concern over the quality and capacity of their homeground, Carrara Stadium, which is an oval and only seats 16,000 (although it has been known to fit in 23,000 after minor redevelopment).
Although their bid was knocked back, the consortium continued to push heavily in 2005 for a Gold Coast NRL team, changing the entry year to 2007. The Gold Coast received a massive boost when the Queensland Government announced they would spend A$100 million on a new, 25,000-seat rectangular stadium in Robina for the Gold Coast should they be accepted into the 2007 competition. The stadium would not be completed until early 2008 yet the promise of a new first-class facility was enough for the NRL to accept the Gold Coasts bid and on 27 May 2005, NRL CEO David Gallop announced that the Gold Coast franchise would be the 16th team in the 2007 NRL season.
In the time since the Gold Coast was admitted, the Titans completed a vigorous recruitment drive, they announced the signing of Sydney Roosters assistant coach John Cartwright as the Titans first head-coach and successfully signed contracts with established players such as Dally M Medal winner Preston Campbell, Queensland & Australian representative Scott Prince, New South Wales & Australian representative Luke Bailey and enticing former league player Mat Rogers back from rugby union.
2007–2008: Laying the foundations
In February 2007, the Titans played their historic first game in a trial against the previous season's Minor-Premiers and Grand Finalists Melbourne Storm, previously the newest club in the League (apart from the merged teams). They were beaten in the club's first hit-out but over the following weeks, Cartwright fielded his full strength team in two other pre-season trials, winning 22–10 over the Parramatta Eels for the club's first victory. The following week in the team first played in front of their home fans on the Gold Coast, they ran out 28–6 winners over the Penrith Panthers. Although merely trial matches, the signs were positive for the Titans' debut season to come.
The Titans played their first official match in Round 1 of the 2007 NRL season against the St George Illawarra Dragons. Their first game was moved from their home ground, Carrara Stadium, to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane due to the huge demand of fans eager to see the new Gold Coast outfit in action, and on 18 March 2007, in front of over 42,000 people they made their debut. Gold Coast performed admirably but after falling 14 points behind in the second half 20–6 they couldn't manage a full comeback losing a tight match 20–18. Former Queensland State of Origin winger Chris Walker, who had been released by Melbourne Storm due to off-field troubles in 2006, started his rugby league comeback scoring two tries and two conversions for a 14-point haul for the Titans.
The close loss to the Dragons wouldn't last long in the memories of Titans fans as a week later the Gold Coast franchise recorded their first official victory in another tight match, winning 18–16 against the Cronulla Sharks at home. The start of the season saw the Titans only manage four wins in the first ten rounds but a mid-season five-week-long winning streak of four wins and a bye saw the Titans sitting in the top four at the conclusion of Round 15. The streak was ended in a poor 22–6 loss against the New Zealand Warriors at home, then they slumped to a 5-match losing streak which included a golden point loss to the Brisbane Broncos in Round 17 and a 56–10 loss at the hands of the Canberra Raiders in Round 18. The Titans wouldn't register another win until Round 21, but by then they had already slipped to 11th position and needed to obtain maximum points from the final four rounds to confirm a spot in the finals in their maiden season. The side only managed one win from the final four matches, however, missing out on the finals. In the final round, a 50–6 thrashing at the hands of [Melbourne Storm] ended the Titans' debut season on somewhat of a sour note, with the young Gold Coast franchise finishing the season in 12th position with 10 wins, 14 losses and a bye for 22 competition points.
Despite having an outdated home ground (Carrara Stadium) as they waited for their new stadium (Skilled Park) to be completed, the Titans had the second-highest average attendance of all NRL clubs for 2007.[3]
At the end of 2007 Luke Bailey and Anthony Laffranchi were named co-winners of the club's inaugural Paul Broughton Medal for best and fairest player of the season.[4]
In their debut season, the Gold Coast club had turned over $16 million.[5]
The 2008 NRL season was the Titans' second in the National Rugby League. A major boost for the Titans was the signing of past Queensland representative Ashley Harrison from the Sydney Roosters.
The Titans played their first official match at their new Stadium, Skilled Park, against the North Queensland Cowboys with the final score being 36–18. Rookie Jordan Atkins became only the second person in the history of Australian rugby league to score four tries on debut, alongside Canterbury's Tony Nash in 1942. The sellout 26,974-strong crowd assisted the Titans in firmly establishing that they were a force to be reckoned with in 2008.
The club went on to hit top place on the NRL ladder for the first time after round 6. They managed to maintain top spot on the ladder all the way until round 11, when a loss to Wests Tigers saw them forfeit top spot to the Sydney Roosters, who led in points differential. At the conclusion of Round 14, the Titans were equal first on points, fourth on points differential, employing a perfect home record for inspiration. Despite facing a tough home stretch, the Titans placed admirably in their pursuit of an inaugural finals campaign.
One of the Titans' strongest points in 2008 was the form of halfback Scott Prince, who earned selection for State of Origin. However early in Game 3, his arm was broken, putting him on the sideline for the season. Subsequently, the Titans lost four straight games.
They finished their season at 13th on the NRL ladder.
This year their turnover increased to $22 million and the club posted a $1.5m profit.
2009–2010: First finals appearance
The Titans secured four new signings for the 2009 season in Sam Tagataese, Matthew White, Jackson Nicolau and Raiders speedster William Zillman.
Similar to the Titans previous seasons, they find themselves on top of the competition ladder after six rounds sitting on ten premiership points alongside their rivals the Brisbane Broncos. Early victories against the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Melbourne Storm away from home without skipper Scott Prince, silenced many of their critics who believed they could not win away from the holiday strip or without their veteran halfback.
Many of the Titans NYC side made their debut and turned into regular first-graders, such as Esi Tonga, David Mead and Kevin Gordon. Kayne Lawton, Bodene Thompson and Selasi Berdie also made their NRL debut.
The club's most successful season so far saw them finish in 3rd position, which was in 2009. They were 2 points behind the competition front-runners St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Canterbury Bulldogs. In the 2009 finals series, they lost their qualifying final 40–32 against the Brisbane Broncos, then lost the semi-final 27–2 against the Parramatta Eels.
The Titans signed five new players for the 2010 season in Joe Tomane, Marshall Chalk, Riley Brown, Clinton Toopi, Greg Bird and Steve Michaels
The Titans lost a number of players for the 2010 season, including Ben Jeffery, Brenton Bowen, Chris Walker, Daniel Conn, Brett Delaney and Siosaia Vave.
For the second year in succession the Titans qualified for the finals, finishing 4th and thereby earning a home qualifying final against the fifth-placed New Zealand Warriors. The Titans' 28–16 win, coupled with losses for two other top four teams, meant that the Titans earned the week off and a right to host a preliminary final at the larger Suncorp Stadium, which turned out to be its 100th ever premiership match. The Titans lost to the resurgent Sydney Roosters, 32–6, ending their season one week short of the Grand Final. After 2010 the Titans finished up 4th overall in the 2010 NRL season, with Mat Rogers retiring at the conclusion of the season.
2011–2012: The wooden spoon and player turnover
During the off-season the Titans lost inspirational five-eighth Mat Rogers to retirement.
To date the Titans have recorded their worst ever start to a season, losing four of their first five matches against St. George Illawarra, Melbourne, the Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland by scorelines of 16–25, 16–38, 10–12 and 16–20 respectively. They never recovered from their horror start to the year only winning 6 games all year which is their worst season to date finishing on 16 points and receiving the wooden spoon.
The Titans signed seven new players for the 2012 season including former Australian and NSW representative Jamal Idris and current QLD representative Nate Myles former Cronulla Sharks prop Luke Douglas They also lost key foundation players such as Preston Campbell, Anthony Laffranchi, Nathan Friend and Mat Rogers.
The club started their 2012 with an impressive 18–0 win over the North Queensland Cowboys away from home. However, the success was very short lived, losing the next 5 in a row, 4 of which were at home. Round 7 saw Aidan Sezer make his NRL Debut Against the Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval. The Titans produced a 26-14 upset, with Sezer scoring in his debut. Debutant for the Titans Jamal Idris coughing up 2 tries in the round 7 match up. The next two games were losses.
From rounds 10–21, the Titans managed a mid season revival. In the period, the club only lost three times, with seven wins and two byes. The revival was not enough to push them into the finals, as they lost 4 of their last 5 matches.
Financial problems
In March 2012 it was found that the Titans had fallen into $35 million debt. The team fought wind-up proceedings in the Federal Court and managed to survive the crippling situation. Newly appointed CEO David May revealed that the club was debt free in 2013.
2013–2014: Promising starts, mid-season fadeouts and salary cap breach
The Titans only signed a handful of players for the 2013 season, most notably Australian and Queensland representative Dave Taylor, as well as controversial halfback Albert Kelly, who had been sacked from his previous 2 clubs. The club, however, also lost their captain Scott Prince to the Brisbane Broncos.
The club managed to win 4 of their first 6 matches to put themselves in the top 8. They then lost consecutive matches against the Newcastle Knights and the New Zealand Warriors. Since then, the club and won another 4 from their next 6, to put them at 5th on the ladder. An injury to form centre Jamal Idris for the rest of the season derailed their promising campaign. The club their next 4 matches, seeing them slide outside the top 8. Prop Ryan James hit a purple patch of form in the last 6 rounds. However, the club only managed to win 3 of these 6 games, which wasn't enough to push them inside the top 8. The Titans finished on 26 points, 2 points behind the 8th placed North Queensland Cowboys
During the season, the Gold Coast Titans managed to break their biggest ever winning margin (heading into the season) 3 times. Their biggest ever win before 2013 was by 26 points against the Parramatta Eels back in 2007. In 2013, the club managed a 36-point win over the Canberra Raiders, a 38-point win over the Parramatta Eels, and a 28-point win over the Wests Tigers. Another positive to come out of the season was the new halves pairing of Albert Kelly and Aiden Sezer, who played the majority of the season alongside one another.
Before the 2014 season started, the Gold Coast Titans lost marquee centre Jamal Idris to the Penrith Panthers. The centre left the club only 2 years into his 5-year contract, because he wanted to be closer to his family in Sydney. The Titans didn't sign any marquee players for the 2014 season, but did pick up Penrith's centre Brad Tighe, Melbourne utility Maurice Blair, and the Bulldog's forward Paul Carter. One of the Titan's foundation players, Luke O'Dwyer, also retired.
The beginning of the 2014 season look promising for the Titans. The club managed to win 5 of their first 6 games, putting them at outright 1st on the NRL ladder. This period included a 4-game winning streak, including a nail biting Queensland derby against the Brisbane Broncos, and a controversial 2-point win over the Melbourne Storm in Melbourne. In rounds 7 and 8, the club recorded a 2-point loss to the Panthers, and a 14-point win over the Wests Tigers in Sydney. However, the promising start to the year ended there. The club then suffered 6 straight losses, 5 of which were at their home ground. Round 17 saw the Titans record their first win in over 2 months, with an ugly 4-point win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs. However, the club then suffered a defeat by the out of form Canberra Raiders on the Gold Coast. In round 19, the Titans travelled to Newcastle for the cornerstone match in the 'Rise for Alex Round'. The Titans managed to produce a 22-6 upset win. Since then, however, the club has lost another 6 straight games, including a dismal 42–0 loss to the New Zealand Warriors. This would be the first time the club has been held to nil since their inception in 2007.
In round 24, prop Luke Douglas would miss his first ever game since his debut in 2006, after being suspended as a result of the 2011 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks supplements scandal. His record streak was halted at 215 consecutive games.
From round 11 to round 20, David Taylor produced his best patch of form since joining the club. This included 5 tries in 6 games, and also earned him a recall into the Queensland State of Origin team for games 2 and 3 of the 2014 series. Halfback Albert Kelly also had a promising start to the season, scoring 5 tries in the opening 5 games, 4 of which were intercept tries. Foundation coach John Cartwright would coach his last game in round 22, after announcing he would be standing down from the role. Assistant coach Neil Henry will coach the club for the remaining 4 rounds.
The Titans were able to end the difficult year on a high upsetting the Bulldogs who went on the play in the grand final at home 19–18.
After an investigation by the NRL into the Titans and five other clubs (Brisbane Broncos, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Newcastle Knights and Sydney Roosters), the Titans were fined AU$300,000.
2015–2019: NRL takeover; Return to the Finals and disastrous years
On 24 February, the club was placed into voluntary administration and its licence was transferred to the NRL in February 2015.
One day before the 2015 NRL season kicked off, Daly Cherry-Evans announced he would join the club on a four-year deal starting from 2016, with the deal reported to be worth over $1 million a season. Titans Chief Executive Officer, Graham Annesley, stated "I think this signing sends a positive sign to the rugby league world that this club does have a future and it can attract quality players and it can turn itself around." [6] However, on 3 June 2015, Cherry-Evans reneged his deal with the Titans, and re-signed with the Manly Sea Eagles.[7]
After the money from Cherry-Evans' contract was freed up, due to him no longer joining the club for the 2016 season and beyond, the Titans signed a handful of players during the off-season. Signings included halves Tyrone Roberts and Ashley Taylor from the Newcastle Knights and Brisbane Broncos respectively, former Titans hooker Nathan Friend from the New Zealand Warriors, props David Shillington and Zeb Taia from the Canberra Raiders and Catalans Dragons, and premiership winning second-rower Chris McQueen from the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The first half of the Titans' season was shaky, having won six games, and also losing six games, sitting in the Top 8 by the end of Round 13. During this time, the Titans added New Zealand Warriors centre Konrad Hurrell to their roster, as well as former Parramatta hooker Nathan Peats, who was forced out of his former club due to the club's ongoing salary cap scandal. On 3 August, the club ultimately made up for the reneging of Daly Cherry Evans by signing 2 time Dally M medal winner and cross code superstar Jarryd Hayne,[8] who was available to play for the club immediately and was signed until 2017. By Round 26's end, the Titans won 11 games, drew 1 and lost 12, earning 27 premiership points in total. This allowed the Titans to return to the NRL Finals for the first time since 2010, after the 9th placed Wests Tigers lost 52-10 to the Canberra Raiders. The Titans played the Brisbane Broncos in a controversial elimination final on 10 September and were knocked out 44–28, ending their 2016 season.
2017 was a year to forget for Gold Coast as they finished 15th on the table at the end of the season. Star recruit Kevin Proctor was stripped of his co-captaincy responsibilities in May after allegations relating to drug use while in camp with the Kiwis and Hayne's ankle injury and shifting between fullback and centre became a distraction more than a solution. There was also the ongoing feud between coach Neil Henry and Hayne which resulted in Henry's tenure coming to an end after their Round 24 loss to Parramatta.[9] To make matters worse, the Titans suffered their heaviest loss to date, losing to the Broncos 54–0 at Cbus Super Stadium.
On 18 October 2017, Gold Coast appointed Garth Brennan as their new coach. At the end of 2017, Jarryd Hayne left the club to rejoin Parramatta for the 2018 season ending one of the most turbulent times in the club's history.[10][11]
Before the 2018 NRL season began most experts predicted Gold Coast to be contending for the wooden spoon come season's end but the club shocked many critics after winning 3 of their first 5 matches. Gold Coast then went on an inconsistent run of form and ended finishing 14th on the table at the end of the regular season.[12]
Gold Coast started the 2019 NRL season badly with the club losing the first four matches before finally recording a victory in Round 5 against Penrith. On 14 July 2019, Gold Coast head coach Garth Brennan was terminated by the club following a 24–2 loss against Penrith which left them rooted to the bottom of the table.[13] In the aftermath of Brennan's termination, Gold Coast CEO Dennis Watt refuted claims that the struggling club would be relocated to Brisbane saying "For the benefit of Titans Members, fans and sponsors, here are the facts: We are the Gold Coast Titans, and that is how we will stay". Watt later said that the appointment of the next coach would be the club's last stand saying "We're in no doubt that this is it, This is the last stand, we have to get it right, There are plenty of other people banging on the door who would probably like to launch teams elsewhere".[14][15]
On 31 July 2019, Gold Coast announced that St Helens coach Justin Holbrook would be the club's new head coach starting in 2020.[16] In Round 20 of the 2019 NRL season, the Gold Coast suffered their second heaviest defeat as a club losing 58-6 to the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Interim head coach Craig Hodges described the loss by saying "The fear is that it is the habit they allow...that becomes acceptable for them individually whether they stay here or whether they move on to other places, And if that’s what they take out of this season, if that’s their legacy moving forward from this season, I think that’s a terrible tragedy".[17][18]
On 5 August 2019, Gold Coast co-captain Kevin Proctor wrote an open letter to the club's fans, apologizing for their performance against the Sydney Roosters. Proctor wrote "As a playing group, we were humiliated, embarrassed and appalled at the result and the way that we played as a team, I don't have any explanation for why the game panned out the way it did, It has been a hard year, and you deserve better than the results we have delivered, and we're sorry. We will not give up. We hope that you will not give up on us".[19]
In Round 22 of the 2019 NRL season against the Parramatta Eels, the Gold Coast lost the match 36–12 at Cbus Super Stadium which all but confirmed that the club would finish last and claim the wooden spoon with just 3 games remaining.[20] The Gold Coast were officially handed the wooden spoon the following week as they lost 24–8 against Melbourne at AAMI Park. The wooden spoon capped off a bad year for sport on the Gold Coast as the other team representing the region, the Gold Coast Suns, finished last in the AFL.[21][22]
2020–present: Holbrook appointed, On-field improvement, Back to the Finals
At the start of the 2020 NRL season, the Gold Coast lost their first three matches before defeating the Wests Tigers 28-23 at Suncorp Stadium. The victory was the club's first win in 364 days.[23]
The Gold Coast improved significantly in Holbrook's first season, finishing in 9th position, the club's best finish since 2016. The club finished the season with a five game win streak over St. George, Canterbury-Bankstown, Brisbane, Manly-Warringah and Newcastle, however only one of those wins were against a team who made the finals. They also had close losses against Penrith (who finished 1st) and the Sydney Roosters (who finished 4th).
The club recruited heavily for the 2021 NRL season, securing the signings of forwards David Fifita, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Herman Ese'ese.[24]
In the 2021 NRL season, the club secured 8th position with a 44-0 victory over New Zealand on the last day of the regular season, the best in club history. The Gold Coast reached the finals after highly unlikely circumstances after going into the final round in 11th place. The club needed both Cronulla-Sutherland and Canberra to lose their matches and they were also required to win their match over New Zealand by more than 12 points.[25]
In week one of the 2021 Finals Series, the Gold Coast played in the elimination final against the Sydney Roosters where they lost 25-24 ending their season.[26] Following the conclusion of the 2021 NRL season, Gold Coast CEO Steve Mitchell declared the club would be launching a strategic plan over the next nine years which included the club winning two premierships by 2030 and having sold out crowds for every home game at Cbus Super Stadium with every seat being allocated to a member of the club. The statement was considered bold by sections of the media given the fact that no Gold Coast team had ever reached a grand final before and that the club also had the lowest number of memberships in the NRL.[27][28]
The Gold Coast started the 2022 NRL season looking to build on 2021 and make back to back finals appearances for the first time since 2010. However the Gold Coast would only win two of their opening four matches and then went on to lose 16 of their next 18 games. By round 20, the Gold Coast sat bottom of the table and were in danger of claiming another Wooden Spoon, however the club would win three of their last four matches to finish 13th on the table.[29]
Season summaries
Emblem and colours
Although they were accepted into the National Rugby League, they were without a name after dropping "Dolphins" in order to avoid legal action from the Redcliffe Dolphins. The consortium aligned themselves with Gold Coast Radio Station 90.9 Sea FM, and set up a competition in which listeners could submit possible names for the new team. This was shortlisted into ten names, which through online voting was shortened to three: Titans, Stingers and Pirates. Online voting continued, with team being branded as the Gold Coast Titans on 21 September 2005. After the team name was chosen, fans were given six jerseys to vote for on the club's website, with option 6 ultimately being successful.
In October 2021, the Titans unveiled a new logo for the first time since their admission into the NRL. The re-designed logo brings in the Titans' core colours that were designed to reflect the Gold Coast and modernises the iconic emblem.[30] The logo remains true to the Gold Coast origins and retains the representation of the Titan out the front with a look of intent and fierceness.[31]
- Gold Coast Titans – Jerseys
2007-2009
Stadium
For their first season in the National Rugby League, the Titans played out of Carrara Stadium on Nerang-Broadbeach Road, while their 27,000-seat stadium, known as Skilled Park through sponsorship in Robina, was being completed. Carrara Stadium was cited as one of the main reasons the Gold Coast bid was rejected in their first attempt to rejoin the NRL, due to the fact that Carrara only seated around 16,000, and was an oval.
Work on the new stadium commenced at the end of 2005, and the facility was ready for play before the start of the 2008 NRL season. The project was managed by the same company that constructed Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Cricket Ground – Queensland's largest and most famous stadium, and Stadium Australia – the Sydney 2000 Olympic Stadium. The new stadium has a capacity of 27,400 – 2,400 more than originally planned for. It has since been renamed Cbus Super Stadium.
Titans TV
The Gold Coast Titans operate a TV channel, Titans TV, that serves the Gold Coast area and is carried by Foxtel on the Gold Coast. Its main programming features match highlights and player biographies.
Players
Although other players may play for the Gold Coast Titans during the year, all NRL clubs are required to select a top 30 First Grade squad at the beginning of the season. Below is the list of their first grade players.
| Top 30 Squad - 2023 NRL Season | Development Players | Coaching Staff | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| Head coach Assistant coach
Updated: 25 February 2023 | |||||
2023 Signings & Transfers
Gains | Losses
|
Player stats
Representative players
Player records
CoachesThere have been 7 coaches of the Titans since their first season in 2007. The current coach is Justin Holbrook.
Most tries(as of the end of the 2022 season)
Most points(as of the end of the 2022 season)
(*) player still active in the Gold Coast Titans team. Most games(as of the end of the 2022 season)
|
Team Stats
Head-to-head records
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tigers | 25 | 16 | 0 | 9 | 64.00 |
| Bulldogs | 21 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 52.38 |
| Knights | 27 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 48.15 |
| Eels | 23 | 11 | 0 | 12 | 47.83 |
| Raiders | 29 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 44.83 |
| Sea Eagles | 25 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 44.00 |
| Warriors | 31 | 12 | 0 | 19 | 38.71 |
| Cowboys | 29 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 37.93 |
| Dragons | 28 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 35.71 |
| Roosters | 23 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 34.78 |
| Sharks | 25 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 32.00 |
| Panthers | 23 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 30.43 |
| Broncos | 33 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 30.30 |
| Rabbitohs | 21 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 28.57 |
| Storm | 26 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 26.92 |
Finals Appearances
Honours
Club
- Premierships: Nil
Individual
The Paul Broughton Medal, a 400 gram pure titanium medal, is awarded annually to the Titans' best and fairest player for the season.[32] 'The Preston' is named in honour of foundation player Preston Campbell and is presented to the player who truly embodies what it is to be a Titan.
Sponsorship
James Frizelle's Automotive Group & Audi Centre Gold Coast, a local car dealership, signed on as the first major sponsorship partner for the franchise, with a deal lasting three years.[46]
The Gold Coast Titans officially became the "Jetstar Gold Coast Titans", on 20 September 2006, with the announcement of a five-year multimillion-dollar naming rights sponsorship[47] with Jetstar.
Later in 2006 Castlemaine Perkins, brewer of XXXX beer, signed a five-year sponsorship agreement with the Titans.[48] Using the XXXX Bitter brand, Castlemaine Perkins is now a Platinum Sponsor of the Titans.
Manufacturers
- 2007–2009: Reebok
- 2010–2013: Adidas
- 2014–2016: BLK
- 2017–2018: Classic
- 2019–present: Dynasty Sport[49]
Naming rights
- 2007-2012: Jetstar
- 2013–2014: iSelect
- 2015–2017: Aquis
- 2018: TFH Hire
- 2019-2021: NEDS betting
Chest sponsors
- 2007–2011: Jetstar
- 2012–2014: iSelect
- 2015–2017: Aquis
- 2018: TFH hire
- 2019–2021: NEDS betting
- 2022–present: MyPayNow
- 2023 -2025: AVS Security
Back sponsors
- 2007–2009: Marina Quays (Top) / Australian Gas & Power (Bottom)
- 2010–2011: Australian Gas & Power (Top) / ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Bottom)
- 2012: iSelect (Top) / Learn Earn Legend (Bottom)
- 2013: Illuminated Water (Top) / BetEzy (Bottom)
- 2014: Global Road Technology (Top) / BetEzy (Bottom)
- 2015: Jabbry.com
- 2016–present: TripADeal.com.au
Sleeve sponsors
- 2007–2010: ABC Brick Sales
- 2011–2014: Coral Homes
- 2016: Ladbrokes
- 2017–2018: TripADeal.com.au
- 2019–2020: TFH hire
- 2021–present: emoney
- 2022–present: Macro Mike
Shorts sponsors
- 2007: DTBS (Front) / Harvey Norman (Back)
- 2008–2011: Professional Investment Services (Front) / Harvey Norman (Back)
- 2012: Audi Centre Gold Coast (Home) / Jetstar (Away) / Harvey Norman (Back)
- 2013–2014: Hyundai (Front) / Zarraffas Coffee (Back)
- 2015: LEDified (Back)
- 2016-2017: Frizelles (Front) / LEDified (Back)
- 2019: Frizelle Sunshine (Front) / NEDS betting (Back)
- 2020–present: Harcourts Coastal (Front) / Coral Homes (Back)
Supporters
The official Gold Coast Titans supporter group is known as "The Legion". The Legion was formed in late 2006 via the Titans online forum. The Legion was founded during the Panthers pre season 2007 trial match with 3 fans (Brad Newman, Steve Lippis and Dennis Mulheron) in attendance under the Northern goal posts at Carrara Stadium. The trio gained support from other fans and the Legion started to get momentum and numbers. They continued to congregate under the Northern goal posts for several years until the Legion were moved to the Eastern stand at CBus Super Stadium and now those core group Legion members are known as "The Legion Frontline".[50][51][52]
Home crowd figures
| Season | Members | Home Attendance | Difference from previous season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | - | 21,489 | — |
| 2008 | - | 21,618 | 129 |
| 2009 | - | 19,178 | 2440 |
| 2010 | 5,400 | 17,877 | 1301 |
| 2011 | 8,560 | 15,428 | 2449 |
| 2012 | 7,500 | 14,405 | 1023 |
| 2013 | 7,228 | 14,028 | 377 |
| 2014 | 8,284 | 13,194 | 834 |
| 2015 | 11,508 | 11,236 | 1958 |
| 2016 | 10,278 | 13,798 | 2562 |
| 2017 | 10,914 | 13,370 | 428 |
| 2018 | 6,792 | 14,556 | 1186 |
| 2019 | 6,517 | 10,726 | 3830 |
| As of 2019[53][54] | |||
Notable fans
- Michael Caton, TV personality[55]
- Joel Parkinson, Australian surfer[56]
- Margot Robbie, Actress
- Samantha Stosur, Australian tennis player[57]
- Bernard Tomic, German-born Australian tennis player[58]
- Kenny Wallace, Australian canoeist
Cheer squad
Feeder clubs
Since joining the National Rugby League for Season 2007, the Titans have aligned themselves with three Queensland Cup clubs:
- Tweed Heads Seagulls (Current)
- Burleigh Bears (Current)
- Ipswich Jets (Former)
In 2009, the Burleigh Bears linked with the Brisbane Broncos. However, by the end of the year this arrangement was cancelled, and the Bears re-linked with the Titans.
During preseason before the 2017 NRL season, the Gold Coast Titans announced the new affiliation with the Central Queensland Capras
Women's team
On 14 June 2021, Feeney was announced as the inaugural coach of the Gold Coast Titans NRLW team,[61] following the expansion of the competition for the 2021 season.
Current squad
| 2022 NRLW | Coaching Staff | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
| Head coach
Updated: 27 February 2022 | ||||||
Netball Club
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2023) |
References
- ^ Gould, Phil (21 December 2003). "NRL expansion talk excites Gold Coast". The Sun-Herald. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
- ^ English, Ben (10 October 2009). . Herald Sun. Herald and Weekly Times. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
- ^ Gallop, David (2007). (PDF). Australian Rugby League Limited. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
- ^ abc.net.au (4 October 2007). "Bailey, Laffranchi share Titans' top honour". ABC News. Australia: ABC. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- ^ Badel, Peter (13 September 2009). "Michael Searle proud of Gold Coast Titans". The Sunday Mail. Australia: Queensland Newspapers. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ^ "DCE coup proof of Titans bright NRL future". 7 March 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Cherry-Evans Manly deal worth up to $10m". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ "Hayne returns to NRL with Titans". Nrl.com. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ "Titans 2017 season review". 5 September 2017.
- ^ "Garth Brennan will coach the Titans in 2018".
- ^ Otto, Tyson (29 November 2017). "Humiliating Hayne wake-up call". News.com.au — Australia's Leading News Site.
- ^ "Gold Coast Titans 2018 season review". 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Gold Coast Titans sack coach Garth Brennan". The Guardian. 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Coach choice Titans' last stand: chairman". Katherine Times. 15 July 2019.
- ^ McMurtry, Andrew (18 July 2019). "Gold Coast Titans hit back at relocation rumours". News.com.au — Australia's Leading News Site.
- ^ "St Helens head coach set to leave Super League leaders for Gold Coast". BBC.
- ^ "Horror show for Holbrook as Roosters run riot". NRL. 4 August 2019.
- ^ "'Terrible tragedy': Why Gold Coast Titans players should fear for their futures after loss to Roosters". Fox Sports. 4 August 2019.
- ^ "Proctor's apology to Titans fans". NRL. 6 August 2019.
- ^ "Not good enough blasts Arthur despite comfortable win". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 August 2019.
- ^ "Melbourne Storm defeat Gold Coast Titans after scare". News.com.au.
- ^ "Suns meet with AFL as Martin seeks trade". 7News.
- ^ "Holbrook win just the start for Gold Coast". www.nrl.com.
- ^ "How will your side fare next season?". www.sportingnews.com.
- ^ "Gold Coast Titans beat Warriors 44-0 to clinch NRL finals berth, Canterbury defeats Wests Tigers 38-0". www.abc.net.au.
- ^ "'He's taken it hard': Shattered Titans rally around Herbert after blowing win". www.nrl.com.
- ^ "Four titles by 2030: New look Titans aiming high". www.nrl.com.
- ^ "Why the Titans' vow to have two NRL premierships by 2030 isn't crazy". www.sportingnews.com.
- ^ "Titans' million-dollar man goes missing as Holbrook rues costly mistake: Brutal Review". www.foxsports.com.au.
- ^ NRL: Titans - A new generation of Titans - Titans
- ^ NRL 2021: The Dolphins, Gold Coast Titans, why new club fought to protect name - NRL
- ^ Turgeon, Luke (20 September 2007). . The Gold Coast Bulletin. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013.
- ^ "Bull, Boof winners of Paul Broughton Medal". goldcoast.com.au. Retrieved 4 October 2007.
- ^ Marshall, Matt. "Preston Campbell wins Titans player of year award". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 26 September 2008.
- ^ Gardini, Adam. . Gold Coast Titans. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
- ^ Dew, Jake. "Luke Bailey wins Paul Broughton Medal". goldcoast.com.au. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ Dew, Jake. "Bailey wins third Paul Broughton medal". goldcoast.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ Meyn, Travis (5 October 2012). "Top award for superior Myles". goldcoast.com.au.
- ^ Meers, Daniel (26 September 2013). "Feathers in the cap for Bird". The Gold Coast Bulletin.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ^ Boswell, Tom (22 September 2015). "Luke Douglas wins Gold Coast Titans' Paul Broughton Medal". Gold Coast Bulletin.
- ^ "Ryan James wins Paul Broughton Medal". Titans.com. 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Ryan James wins second Paul Broughton Medal". Gold Coast Titans. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Teenager Moeaki Fotuaika wins Titans Paul Broughton Medal". Gold Coast Titans. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "2020 Rookie of the Year Award". titans.com.au. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ . Gold Coast Titans Media Release. 5 September 2006. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008.
- ^ . Gold Coast Titans Media Release. 20 September 2006. Archived from the original on 22 July 2008.
- ^ . Gold Coast Titans Media Release. 21 December 2006. Archived from the original on 21 July 2008.
- ^ Australia, Dynasty Sport |. "Dynasty Sport Partners With The Gold Coast Titans". Dynasty Sport | Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "The Legion - Gold Coast Titans". Facebook.com.
- ^ "Titans Fans – your club needs you". Goldcoastbulletin.com.au. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ "Titans fans rally to team's cause". Goldcoastbulletin.com.au. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
- ^ . Attendances 1957-2010. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
- ^ "National Rugby League - 2019 Annual Report" (PDF). NRL.com.
- ^ Anker, Kerryn. "Michael Caton lends voice to Titans cause". goldcoast.com.au. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- ^ "Titans tragic Joel Parkinson picks his NRL 'dream team'". The Courier Mail. 1 March 2010.
- ^ "Samantha Stosur - Tennis Australia". Tennis Australia.
- ^ Turgeon, Luke (14 July 2011). "Bernard Tomic back home for visit". goldcoast.com.au.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ "The Hogs Breath Cafe Sirens". Facebook.com.
- ^ "Feeney to lead inaugural Titans NRLW side". titans.com.au. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
External links
- Gold Coast Titans
- Daily Telegraph – Gold Coast Titans 2007 season feature
- Gold Coast Titans Reddit Page
•2018 Northern Rivers announced joining the Titans