Gold Coast Titans
Encyclopedia
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 (NRL) premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its inaugural season on 18 March 2007. Since 2008, the Titans have played their home games out of Skilled Park, located in Robina, Queensland
Robina, Queensland
Robina is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Robina had a population of 19,182.The Robina Town Centre shopping centre and Bond University are located in Robina.- History :...

.

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 Chargers
Gold Coast Chargers
Gold Coast were a professional Rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998...

 (also known as the Giants and the Seagulls), which existed from 1988 to 1998. The re-introduction of a Gold Coast-based team, since the Chargers were cut from the NRL competition at the close of the Super League war
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...

, has been viewed as highly successful. The Titans' case is often used in arguments by those in favour of the re-expansion of Australasia's competition.

Formation

The beginnings of a Gold Coast team's bid to return to the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 began when the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...

 decided to remove the financially successful Gold Coast Chargers
Gold Coast Chargers
Gold Coast were a professional Rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998...

 from the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 at the end of the 1998 Season
National Rugby League season 1998
The 1998 NRL season was the 91st season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the inaugural season of the newly formed National Rugby League. After the Australian Rugby League and Super League organisations ran separate competitions parallel to each other in 1997, they joined to...

. 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
Michael Searle
Michael Searle is an Australian businessman and rugby league football identity. He is the Chief Executive for the Gold Coast Titans, the National Rugby League's most recently added team...

, 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
Paul Broughton
Paul Broughton is an Australian rugby league football identity. A former player, coach and club chief executive, he is chairman of the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL. He also serves on the board of the North Queensland Cowboys....

 and was labelled as "The Gold Coast Consortium" by the media. The board were constantly active in lobbying the NRL to both expand the competition and consider the Gold Coast’s bid for inclusion. They were 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.
In August 2004, the NRL rejected Michael Searle's bid for re-adding a Gold Coast team. However later, during an episode of Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...

's The NRL Footy Show
The NRL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award-winning Australian sports variety television programme, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates. Following the success of the AFL program of the same name, the Nine Network quickly developed a version for the rugby league market. The rugby league version has...

, the "Gold Coast Consortium" announced their team name and jersey to the public from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre located on the Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach, Gold Coast was opened on 29 June 2004 at a cost of $167 million and is linked by a covered walkway to Conrad Jupiters...

. 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
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...

 side the Redcliffe Dolphins
Redcliffe Dolphins
The Redcliffe Dolphins are a rugby league team from the city of Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The Redcliffe Dolphins were founded in 1947, accepted into the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1960, and since 1996 have played in the Queensland Cup....

 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
Wellington Orcas
The Wellington rugby league team are a rugby league team that represents the Wellington Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby League competitions. They currently compete in the National Zonal Competition as the Wellington Orcas.-Early years:...

, 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
Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....

, 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
Robina, Queensland
Robina is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Robina had a population of 19,182.The Robina Town Centre shopping centre and Bond University are located in Robina.- History :...

 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
David Gallop
David Gallop is an Australian sports administrator who has been the Chief Executive Officer of the National Rugby League since February 2002. He has also been the Secretary of the Rugby League International Federation since its inception in 1998.-Early life:...

 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
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...

 assistant coach John Cartwright
John Cartwright (rugby league)
John Cartwright is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

 as the Titans first head-coach and successfully signed contracts with established players such as Dally M Medal
Dally M Medal
The Dally M Medal is the premier individual award in the Australian rugby league competition, which is given to the player voted by sports commentators as the best and fairest in the competition for that year....

 winner Preston Campbell
Preston Campbell
Preston Campbell, is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

, Queensland & Australian representative Scott Prince
Scott Prince
Scott Prince is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League...

, New South Wales & Australian representative Luke Bailey and enticing former league player Mat Rogers
Mat Rogers
Matthew S. "Mat" Rogers is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He also played rugby union at the highest levels, becoming a dual-code international. The son of the late Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks legend and CEO Steve Rogers, Mat played for the Sharks...

 back from rugby union.

Inaugural season (2007)

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
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....

, 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
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...

 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
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...

. 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
National Rugby League season 2007
The 2007 NRL season was the one hundredth season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the tenth run by the National Rugby League...

 against the St George Illawarra Dragons
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the...

. Their first game was moved from their home ground, Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....

, to Suncorp Stadium
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, 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
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....

 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
Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...

 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
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...

 at home, then they slumped to a 5-match losing streak which included a golden point
Golden point
The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn rugby league football matches. The term is borrowed from soccer's now defunct golden goal.-Australasia:...

 loss to the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...

 in Round 17 and a 56–10 loss at the hands of the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...

 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. Howver, the side only managed one win from the final four matches, missing out on the finals. In the final round, a 50–6 thrashing at the hands of eventual Premiers Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....

 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
Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....

) 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.

At the end of 2007 Luke Bailey and Anthony Laffranchi
Anthony Laffranchi
Anthony Laffranchi is an Australian professional rugby league player for St Helens RLFC in the European Super League. He primarily plays in the second-row. He previously played for the Wests Tigers...

 were named co-winners of the club's inaugural Paul Broughton
Paul Broughton
Paul Broughton is an Australian rugby league football identity. A former player, coach and club chief executive, he is chairman of the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL. He also serves on the board of the North Queensland Cowboys....

 Medal for best and fairest player of the season.

In their debut season, the Gold Coast club had turned over $16 million.

2008 season

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
Ashley Harrison
Ashley Harrison is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL...

 from the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...

.

The Titans played their first official match at their new Stadium, Skilled Park, against the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...

 with the final score being 36–18. Rookie Jordan Atkins
Jordan Atkins
Jordan Atkins is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League. His positions of choice are at Wing or Centre....

 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 West 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 season

The Titans have secured four new signings for the 2009 season in Sam Tagataese
Sam Tagataese
Sam Tagataese is a rugby league player for the Cronulla Sharks.-Playing career:Tagataese attended St...

, Matthew White
Matthew White (rugby league)
Matthew White is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

, Jackson Nicolau
Jackson Nicolau
Jackson Nicolau was an Australian Rugby league footballer who played for the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL....

 and Raiders speedster William Zillman
William Zillman
William Gary Zillman is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played for the Canberra Raiders and is contracted with the Gold Coast Titans for the 2009 season.- Before the NRL :...

.

Similar to the Titans previous seasons, they find themselves on top of the competition ladder after six rounds sitting on ten premiership points along side their rivals the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...

. Early victories against the Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...

 and the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....

 away from home without skipper Scott Prince
Scott Prince
Scott Prince is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League...

, 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
Esi Tonga
Esikeli Tonga is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League...

, David Mead
David Mead (rugby league)
David Mead is a rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans Toyota Cup team in Australia. Primarily a winger, Mead is considered one of the fastest players in the NRL. He plays on the wing. He is a Papua New Guinea international.Mead attended Kadina High School and Trinity Catholic College...

 and Kevin Gordon
Kevin Gordon
Kevin Gordon is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League...

. Kayne Lawton
Kayne Lawton
Kayne Lawton is an Australian Rugby League Player for the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL.He made his NRL debut in Round 20, 2009.-External links:*...

, Bodene Thompson
Bodene Thompson
Bodene Thompson is an professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL.-Playing career:...

 and Selasi Berdie
Selasi Berdie
Selasi Berdie is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans who usually plays as a prop. He is believed to be the first player of Ghanaian descent to play in the National Rugby League.-Early years:...

 also made their NRL debut.

The clubs most successful season so far saw them finish in 3rd position, 2 points behind the competition front-runners St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Canterbury Bulldogs
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...

.

2010 season

The Titans signed five new players for the 2010 season in Joseph Tomane
Joseph Tomane
Joseph Tomane is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League competition...

, Marshall Chalk
Marshall Chalk
Marshall Chalk is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League....

, Riley Brown
Riley Brown
Riley Brown is an Australian professional rugby league player who is currently contracted with the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League . He primarily plays at Hooker.-Playing career:...

, Clinton Toopi
Clinton Toopi
Clinton Toopi is a professional rugby footballer who is currently playing for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League. His usual position is centre.-Playing career:...

, Greg Bird
Greg Bird
Gregory Bird is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

 and Steve Michaels

The Titans have lost a number of players for the 2010 season so far, including Ben Jeffery
Ben Jeffery
Ben Jeffery born 1 March 1987 in Griffith NSW, Australia is a rugby league player for the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL.Ben Jeffery's position of choice is on the wing and he can also play as a centre.-External links:***...

, Brenton Bowen
Brenton Bowen
Brenton Bowen is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently signed with the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League. Previously he played for the North Queensland Cowboys from 2003 to 2007...

, Chris Walker, Daniel Conn
Daniel Conn
Daniel William Conn is an Australian model and rugby league player for the Sydney Roosters club in the National Rugby League...

, Brett Delaney
Brett Delaney
Brett Delaney is an Australian Rugby League player for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. He previously played for the Parramatta Eels & the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL.-NRL career:...

 and Siosaia Vave
Siosaia Vave
Siosaia Vave , is a Tongan rugby league player for the Cronulla Sharks in the NRL. He was educated at St Clare Catholic High School, Chifley College and Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown. He plays as a prop. He is a Tongan international. He is a Mount Druitt resident in Sydneys West.-External...

.

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
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...

. 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
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...

, ending their season one week short of the Grand Final. After 2010 the Titans finished up 4th overall in the 2010 NRL season
2010 NRL season
The 2010 NRL season was the 103rd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the thirteenth run by the National Rugby League. The season commenced on 12 March and ended with the Grand Final, played on 3 October at ANZ Stadium...

, with Mat Rogers
Mat Rogers
Matthew S. "Mat" Rogers is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He also played rugby union at the highest levels, becoming a dual-code international. The son of the late Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks legend and CEO Steve Rogers, Mat played for the Sharks...

 retiring at the conclusion of the season.

2011 season

During the off-season the Titans lost inspirational five-eighth Mat Rogers
Mat Rogers
Matthew S. "Mat" Rogers is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He also played rugby union at the highest levels, becoming a dual-code international. The son of the late Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks legend and CEO Steve Rogers, Mat played for the Sharks...

 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
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....

, the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...

 and North Queensland
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...

 by scorelines of 16–25, 12–40, 8–14 and 12–22 respectively. This record should have been worse, at 0-5, had it not been for two Canberra errors in the Raiders match. As it stands, they currently sit 16th on the ladder. Further cruelling any chances of the Titans making a revival in 2011 is news that winger Kevin Gordon
Kevin Gordon
Kevin Gordon is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League...

 will miss the remainder of the season with a serious knee injury suffered in the 40–12 loss to Melbourne.

Their fourth game was against the Canberra Raiders which they won in golden point 23 points to 22. The Titans were the better team but lost out, but were handed a few opportunities on the back of Canberra errors such as knocking on out of a scrum feed, and an unforced knock-on by a defender running the ball back in to play off the kick. The Titans evened the score after the final siren with a scrappy try by Laffranchi. The kick that won the game was off a scrum feed, fed directly to Greg Bird who fed the ball through before the first tackle. This was the first victory for any Gold Coast team over Canberra in Canberra, after nine previous unsuccessful attempts.

Season summaries

P=Premier, R=Runner-Up, M=Minor Premier, F=Finals Appearance, W=Wooden Spoon,
(Brackets represent Finals games)
Competition Games
Played
Games
Won
Games
Drawn
Games
Lost
Ladder
Position
|R |F 2007 NRL Season
National Rugby League season 2007
The 2007 NRL season was the one hundredth season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the tenth run by the National Rugby League...

 
24 10 0 14 12 / 16 John Cartwright
John Cartwright (rugby league)
John Cartwright is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

 
Luke Bailey 
Scott Prince
Scott Prince
Scott Prince is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League...

 
2007 Gold Coast Titans season
2008 NRL Season
National Rugby League season 2008
The 2008 NRL season was the 101st season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the eleventh run by the National Rugby League. For the second year, sixteen teams competed for the 2008 Telstra Premiership title. The season commenced with the first matches played on 14 March...

 
24 10 0 14 13 / 16 2008 Gold Coast Titans season
2008 Gold Coast Titans season
The 2008 Gold Coast Titans season was the second in the club's history. Coached by John Cartwright and captained by Scott Prince and Luke Bailey, they competed in the NRL's 2008 Telstra Premiership and by Round 6, were on top of the ladder, enjoying a five-game winning streak from Rounds 3 to 8...

2009 NRL Season
National Rugby League season 2009
The 2009 NRL season was the 102nd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the twelfth run by the National Rugby League. For the third consecutive year, sixteen teams competed for the 2009 Telstra Premiership title. The season commenced with the first match...

 
24 (2) 16 0 8 (2) 3 / 16
2009 Gold Coast Titans season
2010 NRL Season
2010 NRL season
The 2010 NRL season was the 103rd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the thirteenth run by the National Rugby League. The season commenced on 12 March and ended with the Grand Final, played on 3 October at ANZ Stadium...

 
24 (2) 15 (1) 0 9 (1) 4 / 16
Scott Prince
Scott Prince
Scott Prince is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League...

 
2010 Gold Coast Titans season
2011 NRL Season
2011 NRL season
The 2011 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the fourteenth run by the National Rugby League. The NRL's main championship, called the 2011 Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship from Telstra, was contested by sixteen teams for the...

 
24 6 0 18 16 / 16
2011 Gold Coast Titans season
2011 Gold Coast Titans season
The 2011 Gold Coast Titans season was the 5th in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2011 Telstra Premiership coached by John Cartwright and captained by Scott Prince...

2012 NRL Season
2012 NRL season
The 2012 NRL season will be the 106th season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the fifteenth run by the National Rugby League. The NRL will be contested by sixteen teams for the sixth consecutive year...

 
0 0 0 0 / 16 2012 Gold Coast Titans season
2012 Gold Coast Titans season
-Gains:-Losses:-Pre-season:-Regular season:-Statistics:...


Emblem and colours

Although they were accepted into the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

, they were without a name after dropping "Dolphins" in order to avoid legal action from the Redcliffe Dolphins
Redcliffe Dolphins
The Redcliffe Dolphins are a rugby league team from the city of Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The Redcliffe Dolphins were founded in 1947, accepted into the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1960, and since 1996 have played in the Queensland Cup....

. The consortium aligned themselves with Gold Coast Radio Station 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.

Stadium

For their first season in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

, the Titans played out of Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....

 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
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...

, The Gabba – Queensland's largest and most famous stadia, and Telstra Stadium
Telstra Stadium
Stadium Australia, currently also known as ANZ Stadium due to naming rights, formerly known as Telstra Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct of Homebush Bay...

 – the Sydney 2000 Olympic Stadium. The new stadium has a capacity of 27,000 – 2,000 more than originally planned for.

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 bio's.

2011 Squad

Although other players may play for the Gold Coast Titans during the year, all NRL clubs are required to select a top 25 First Grade squad at the beginning of the season. Below is the list of 25 players.

Most Points

Points Player
581* Scott Prince
Scott Prince
Scott Prince is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League...

28 236 5
248 Mat Rogers
Mat Rogers
Matthew S. "Mat" Rogers is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He also played rugby union at the highest levels, becoming a dual-code international. The son of the late Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks legend and CEO Steve Rogers, Mat played for the Sharks...

32 59 2
130 Preston Campbell
Preston Campbell
Preston Campbell, is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

15 35 0
130 Anthony Laffranchi
Anthony Laffranchi
Anthony Laffranchi is an Australian professional rugby league player for St Helens RLFC in the European Super League. He primarily plays in the second-row. He previously played for the Wests Tigers...

32 1 0
120* David Mead
David Mead (rugby league)
David Mead is a rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans Toyota Cup team in Australia. Primarily a winger, Mead is considered one of the fastest players in the NRL. He plays on the wing. He is a Papua New Guinea international.Mead attended Kadina High School and Trinity Catholic College...

30 0 0


(*) player still active in the Gold Coast Titans team.

Most Games

Games Player Period
111* Mark Minichiello
Mark Minichiello
Markus Antonio "Mark" Minichiello is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League . He previously played for the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs...

2007–present
103 Preston Campbell
Preston Campbell
Preston Campbell, is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

2007–2011
102 Anthony Laffranchi
Anthony Laffranchi
Anthony Laffranchi is an Australian professional rugby league player for St Helens RLFC in the European Super League. He primarily plays in the second-row. He previously played for the Wests Tigers...

2007–2011
102* Scott Prince
Scott Prince
Scott Prince is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League...

2007–present
100 Nathan Friend
Nathan Friend
Nathan Friend, is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League. He plays the position of Hooker...

2007–present


Individual

The Paul Broughton
Paul Broughton
Paul Broughton is an Australian rugby league football identity. A former player, coach and club chief executive, he is chairman of the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL. He also serves on the board of the North Queensland Cowboys....

 Medal, a 400 gram pure titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....

 medal, is awarded annually to the Titans' best and fairest player for the season.
  • 2007: Luke Bailey & Anthony Laffranchi
    Anthony Laffranchi
    Anthony Laffranchi is an Australian professional rugby league player for St Helens RLFC in the European Super League. He primarily plays in the second-row. He previously played for the Wests Tigers...

  • 2008: Preston Campbell
    Preston Campbell
    Preston Campbell, is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League...

  • 2009: Nathan Friend
    Nathan Friend
    Nathan Friend, is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League. He plays the position of Hooker...

  • 2010: Luke Bailey

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.

The Gold Coast Titans officially became the “Jetstar Gold Coast Titans”, on 20 September 2006, with the announcement of a five year multi-million dollar naming rights sponsorship with Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...

 owned Jetstar Airways
Jetstar Airways
Jetstar Airways is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. It is a subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by low-cost airline Virgin Blue...

.

Later in 2006 Castlemaine Perkins
Castlemaine Perkins
Castlemaine Perkins is a brewery located in Milton, Brisbane, Australia. It is a wholly owned entity of the Japanese-controlled Lion Nathan company.-History:...

, brewer of XXXX beer, signed a five year sponsorship agreement with the Titans. Using the XXXX Bitter brand, Castlemaine Perkins is now a Platinum Sponsor of the Titans.

Manufacturers:
  • 2007–2009: Reebok
  • 2010–present: Adidas


Chest Sponsors:
  • 2007–present: Jetstar


Back Sponsors:
  • 2007–2009: Marina Quays (Top) / Australian Gas & Power (Bottom)
  • 2010–present: Australian Gas & Power (Top) / ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Bottom)


Sleeve Sponsors:
  • 2007–2010: ABC Brick Sales
  • 2011: Coral Homes


Shorts Sponsors
  • 2007: DTBS (Front) / Harvey Norman (Back)
  • 2008–present: Professional Investment Services (Front) / Harvey Norman (Back)

The Titanium Bar

The official off-field venue of the Gold Coast Titans is the Titanium Bar. It is located on Ferny Avenue in Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise, Queensland
Surfers Paradise is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Surfers Paradise had a population of 18,501....

, overlooking the Nerang River
Nerang River
The Nerang River is a river that begins in the McPherson Range in the Gold Coast hinterland and runs through Gold Coast City in South East Queensland, Australia...

.

Supporters

Home crowd figures
Season Average Attendance
2007 21,489
2008 21,618
2009 19,178
2010 17,877


Notable fans
  • Michael Caton
    Michael Caton
    Michael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...

    , TV personality
  • Joel Parkinson
    Joel Parkinson
    Joel Parkinson is an Australian surfer who competes on the ASP World Tour. Known as Parko, he grew up on the Gold Coast with fellow surfer Mick Fanning...

    , competitive surfer

Feeder clubs

Since joining the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 for Season 2007, the Titans have aligned themselves with three Queensland Cup
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...

 clubs:
  • Tweed Heads Seagulls
    Tweed Heads Seagulls
    The Tweed Heads Seagulls, often referred to simply as Tweed or Seagulls, is a rugby league club based in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, and is the only non-Queensland team to play in the Queensland Cup.-History:...

  • Ipswich Jets
    Ipswich Jets
    The Ipswich Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Ipswich, Queensland.Their name comes from nearby RAAF Base Amberley, one of the largest airbases in Australia. The Jets compete in the Queensland Cup competition...

  • Burleigh Bears
    Burleigh Bears
    The Burleigh Heads Rugby League Football Club are one of the oldest rugby league football clubs on the Gold Coast, Australia. Originally formed in 1934 playing out of Rudd Park, the club relocated to Pizzey Park in 1971, their current home ground....


In 2009, Burleigh Bears linked with the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...

. However, by the end of the year this arrangement was cancelled, and the Bears relinked with the Titans.

External links

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