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The Gold Coast Titans are a professional
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
football club, based on the Gold Coast,
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
, Australia. The club competes in the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
(NRL), Australia and New Zealand's national rugby league 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. 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 The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
began when the Australian Rugby League decided to remove the financially successful
Gold Coast Chargers The Gold Coast Chargers were a professional rugby league 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 ...
from the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
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 Michael Searle (born 16 July 1968) is an Australian businessman and rugby league football identity. He was the first Chief Executive for the Gold Coast Titans, whose inaugural season in the National Rugby League was 2007. Searle also manages an ...
, 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 (31 March 1931 – 3 December 2022) was an Australian rugby league footballer, coach and club chief executive. He was the Chairman of the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. He also served on the board of the North Queensland Cowboys. ...
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. 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 The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
'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 The Redcliffe Dolphins are a semi-professional rugby league club based in Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1947, they were accepted into the Brisbane Rugby League (BRL) premiership competition in 1960, and since 1996 have played ...
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 The Central Coast Bears were a proposed rugby league club based on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. They were trying to be included in an expanded National Rugby League competition. The propos ...
and the
Wellington Orcas The Wellington Rugby League Team (also known as the Wellington Orcas) are a rugby league team that represents the Wellington Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby League competitions. They currently compete in the National Competition. History ...
, 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 David Gallop is an Australian sports administrator, lawyer and served as the chief executive of the Football Federation Australia until December 2019. He previously served as the chief executive officer of the National Rugby League between Febr ...
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 ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
& Australian representative
Scott Prince Scott Prince (born 27 February 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played club footb ...
,
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
& 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 The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
at home, then they slumped to a 5-match losing streak which included a golden point loss to the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...
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 elbourne Stormended 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. At the end of 2007 Luke Bailey and Anthony Laffranchi were named co-winners of the club's inaugural
Paul Broughton Paul Broughton (31 March 1931 – 3 December 2022) was an Australian rugby league footballer, coach and club chief executive. He was the Chairman of the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. He also served 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. The
2008 NRL season 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, National Rugby League teams, sixteen teams competed for the 2008 Telstr ...
was the Titans' second in the National Rugby League. A major boost for the Titans was the signing of past
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...
representative
Ashley Harrison Ashley Harrison (born 18 May 1981) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for the Gold Coast Titans of the NRL. A Queensland State of Origin representative lock forwar ...
from the Sydney Roosters. The Titans played their first official match at their new Stadium, Skilled Park, against the
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
with the final score being 36–18. Rookie
Jordan Atkins Jordan Atkins (born 22 January 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the London Broncos in the Super League. His positions of choice are at or . Background Atkins was born in Stanthorpe, Que ...
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 Sam Tagataese pronounced () (born 8 December 1986) is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who last played as a forward for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL. He played for the Melbourne Storm, Gold Coast Titans and the Cronulla-Sut ...
, Matthew White,
Jackson Nicolau Jackson Nicolau (born 19 July 1987) was an Australian Rugby league footballer who played for the Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL. He was born in the North Queensland town of Innisfail. He primarily plays in the five ...
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 The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...
. Early victories against the
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 NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilit ...
and the Melbourne Storm away from home without skipper
Scott Prince Scott Prince (born 27 February 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played club footb ...
, 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 Esikeli Tonga (born 5 February 1988) is a former Tonga international rugby league footballer who last previously played for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. A Tongan international representative three-quarter or sec ...
,
David Mead David Mead may refer to: * David Mead (military general), founder of Meadville, Pennsylvania *David Mead (musician), American pop singer and songwriter *David Mead (rugby league) David Mead (born David Moore on 4 November 1988) is a Papua New G ...
and
Kevin Gordon Kevin Sysu Gordon (born 26 December 1989) is a former Philippines international rugby league footballer. A New South Wales Country and Prime Minister's XIII representative, he played as a er and for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rug ...
. Kayne Lawton,
Bodene Thompson Bodene Thompson (born 1 August 1988) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for Bradford Bulls in the RFL Championship. He previously played for the Gold Coast Titans, Wests Tigers and the New Zealand War ...
and
Selasi Berdie Selasi Berdie (born 3 February 1986) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer playing two matches with the Gold Coast Titans, as prop. He is believed to be the first player of African descent to play in the National Rugby League. ...
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 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 NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilit ...
. In the 2009 finals series, they lost their qualifying final 40–32 against the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...
, 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 Riley Brown (born 15 October 1984) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League (NRL). He primarily played as a Hooker. Background Brown was born in Bundab ...
,
Clinton Toopi Clinton James Te-Whata Toopi (born 29 February 1980) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A New Zealand international representative , he played his club football in the ...
, 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 Brett Delaney (born 26 October 1985) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played as a and forward in the 2000s and 2010s. He played for Leeds in the Super League and for the Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans in the NRL ...
and
Siosaia Vave Siosaia Vave () is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who plays as a for the St Mary's Saints in the Ron Massey Cup. He previously played for the Parramatta Eels, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Melb ...
. 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 New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
. 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 The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
,
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
, the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...
and
North Queensland North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its tropical northern part has been ...
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 Jamal Dasuki Idris is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. Idris was a junior athletics record holder and played in representative teams such as: Country, the indigenous nrl all stars New South Wales and Australia . A , he ...
and current QLD representative Nate Myles former Cronulla Sharks prop
Luke Douglas Luke Archibald Douglas (born 12 May 1986) is a Scotland international former rugby league footballer who played as a . Douglas played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL from 2006 to 2016. He also played f ...
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 The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
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 Aidan Yüçel Sezer (born 24 June 1991) is a Turkish-Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and for the Leeds Rhinos in the Betfred Super League. He previously played for the Gold Coast Titans, Canberra Raiders in the ...
make his NRL Debut Against the
Manly Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
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 Scott Prince (born 27 February 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played club footb ...
to the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...
. 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 The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
. 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 Jamal Dasuki Idris is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. Idris was a junior athletics record holder and played in representative teams such as: Country, the indigenous nrl all stars New South Wales and Australia . A , he ...
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 The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
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 Jamal Dasuki Idris is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. Idris was a junior athletics record holder and played in representative teams such as: Country, the indigenous nrl all stars New South Wales and Australia . A , he ...
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 Bradley Tighe (born 5 April 1984) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played at and and played for the Newcastle Knights, Penrith Panthers and Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League. Playing career 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 The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...
, 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 The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league club based in Redfern, a suburb of inner-southern Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and are one of nine existing tea ...
. 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 The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
. This would be the first time the club has been held to nil since their inception in 2007. In round 24, prop
Luke Douglas Luke Archibald Douglas (born 12 May 1986) is a Scotland international former rugby league footballer who played as a . Douglas played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL from 2006 to 2016. He also played f ...
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 A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
was transferred to the
NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
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 A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...
,
Graham Annesley Graham Annesley (born 26 May 1957) is an Australian former politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Miranda for the Liberal Party from 2011 to 2013. From 3 April 2011 to 28 August 2013 he was the Mini ...
, 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." However, on 3 June 2015, Cherry-Evans reneged his deal with the Titans, and re-signed with the Manly Sea Eagles. 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 Tyrone Roberts (born 1 June 1991) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup as a or . He previously played for the Brisbane Broncos, Newcastle Knights and the Gold Coast Titan ...
and Ashley Taylor from the Newcastle Knights and Brisbane Broncos respectively, former Titans hooker Nathan Friend from the New Zealand Warriors, props
David Shillington David Shillington (born 24 June 1983 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian in ...
and
Zeb Taia Zeb Taia (born 11 October 1984) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a forward for both New Zealand and the Cook Islands at international level. He played for the Parramatta Eels, Newcastle Knights and the Gold Coast ...
from the Canberra Raiders and Catalans Dragons, and premiership winning second-rower
Chris McQueen Chris McQueen (born 3 August 1987) is an England international rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League. He previously played for the Wests Tigers, Gold Coast Titans and the South Sydney Rabb ...
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 Konileti "Konrad" Hurrell (born 5 August 1991) is a Tongan professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for St Helens in the Super League and Tonga at international level. He previously played for the New Zealand Warriors and the Gold ...
to their roster, as well as former Parramatta hooker
Nathan Peats Nathan Peats (born 5 October 1990) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for Huddersfield Giants in the Betfred Super League. Peats previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Parramatta Eels and the Gol ...
, 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 Jarryd Lee Hayne (born 15 February 1988) is a former professional rugby league footballer who also briefly played American football and rugby union sevens. Hayne began his career in 2006 as a er for the Parramatta Eels, winning the NRL's Dal ...
, 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. 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 Jarryd Lee Hayne (born 15 February 1988) is a former professional rugby league footballer who also briefly played American football and rugby union sevens. Hayne began his career in 2006 as a er for the Parramatta Eels, winning the NRL's Dal ...
left the club to rejoin Parramatta for the 2018 season ending one of the most turbulent times in the club's history. 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. 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 Garth Brennan (born 18 February 1972) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who was the head coach of the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. He previously held coaching positions at the Newcastle Knights and the Penrith Panthers. ...
was terminated by the club following a 24–2 loss against Penrith which left them rooted to the bottom of the table. 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". On 31 July 2019, Gold Coast announced that St Helens coach Justin Holbrook would be the club's new head coach starting in 2020. 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 The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and association f ...
. 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". 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". In Round 22 of the 2019 NRL season against the Parramatta Eels, the Gold Coast lost the match 36–12 at
Cbus Super Stadium Robina Stadium, also known by its Naming rights, sponsored name Cbus Super Stadium, is a rectangular football stadium in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast suburb of Robina, Queensland, Robina, Queensland. The main usage is as the home gr ...
which all but confirmed that the club would finish last and claim the wooden spoon with just 3 games remaining. The Gold Coast were officially handed the wooden spoon the following week as they lost 24–8 against Melbourne at
AAMI Park The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, known as AAMI Park for sponsorship reasons, is an outdoor sports stadium on the site of Edwin Flack Field in the Sports and Entertainment Precinct in the Melbourne central business district. When complet ...
. 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 The Gold Coast Suns is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland's Gold Coast in the suburb of Carrara. The club has been playing in the AFL since th ...
, finished last in the
AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...
.


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. 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. In the 2021 NRL season, the club secured 8th position with a 44-0 victory over
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
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. 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. 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 Robina Stadium, also known by its Naming rights, sponsored name Cbus Super Stadium, is a rectangular football stadium in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast suburb of Robina, Queensland, Robina, Queensland. The main usage is as the home gr ...
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 The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
. 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.


Season summaries


Emblem and colours

Although they were accepted into the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
, they were without a name after dropping "Dolphins" in order to avoid legal action from the
Redcliffe Dolphins The Redcliffe Dolphins are a semi-professional rugby league club based in Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1947, they were accepted into the Brisbane Rugby League (BRL) premiership competition in 1960, and since 1996 have played ...
. The consortium aligned themselves with Gold Coast Radio Station
90.9 Sea FM 90.9 Sea FM (call sign: 4SEA) is a radio station on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It is part of Southern Cross Austereo's Hit Network, and is also the network hub for the regional Hit Stream, broadcasting show ...
, 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. 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. Image:Gold Coast Jersey 2007.png, 2007-2009


Stadium

For their first season in the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
, the Titans played out of Carrara Stadium on Nerang-Broadbeach Road, while their 27,000-seat stadium, known as Robina Stadium, 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.


2023 Signings & Transfers


Gains

* Kieran Foran - Manly Warringah Sea Eagles * Aaron Schoupp -
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 NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilit ...
* Joe Stimson -
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 NRL Telstra Premiership, as well as competitions facilit ...
* Sam Verrills - Sydney Roosters * Chris Randall (rugby league) - Newcastle Knights


Losses

* Herman Ese’ese - Dolphins (NRL), Dolphins * Shallin Fuller -
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional Australian rugby league club based in Redfern, a suburb of inner-southern Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and are one of nine existing tea ...
* Jamayne Isaako - Dolphins (NRL), Dolphins * Sam Lisone - Leeds Rhinos * Esan Marsters - Huddersfield Giants * Corey Thompson - Brisbane Tigers * Jarrod Wallace - Dolphins (NRL), Dolphins * Greg Marzhew- Newcastle Knights


Player stats


Representative players


Player records


Coaches

There 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


Win–loss records


Active Teams


Finals Appearances

4 (2009 NRL season, 2009, 2010 NRL season, 2010, 2016 NRL season, 2016, 2021 NRL season, 2021)


Honours


Club

* Premierships: Nil


Individual

The
Paul Broughton Paul Broughton (31 March 1931 – 3 December 2022) was an Australian rugby league footballer, coach and club chief executive. He was the Chairman of the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. He also served on the board of the North Queensland Cowboys. ...
Medal, a 400 gram pure titanium medal, is awarded annually to the Titans' best and fairest player for the season. '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. 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 with Jetstar. Later in 2006 Castlemaine Perkins, brewer of Castlemaine XXXX, 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 * 2010–2013: Adidas * 2014–2016: Beyond Limits Known, BLK * 2017–2018: Classic Sportswear, Classic * 2019-present: Dynasty Sport


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


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) / BetEasy, 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 Coral, 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 Motor Group, 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". Home crowd figures Notable fans * Michael Caton, TV personality * Joel Parkinson, Australian surfer * Margot Robbie, Actress * Samantha Stosur, Australian tennis player * Bernard Tomic, German-born Australian tennis player * Ken Wallace (canoeist), Kenny Wallace, Australian canoeist Cheer squad * The Gold Coast Hogs Breath Cafe Sirens are the cheerleading squad for the Gold Coast Titans.


Feeder clubs

Since joining the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
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 The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite c ...
. 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 The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
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 NRL Women's Premiership, NRLW team, following the expansion of the competition for the 2021 NRL Women's season, 2021 season.


Current squad


Netball Club


References


External links


Gold Coast Titans

National Rugby League – Titans



Gold Coast Titans Reddit Page
•2018 Northern Rivers announced joining the Titans {{Gold Coast Sports Teams Gold Coast Titans, National Rugby League clubs Rugby clubs established in 2007 2007 establishments in Australia Rugby league teams on the Gold Coast, Queensland NRL Women's Premiership clubs