Any died-in-the-wool rugby league fan living on the Gold Coast for the last 30 odd years must have a pool room absolutely jam-packed with merchandise and memorabilia by now, chronicling the eventual rise of the Gold Coast Titans in 2007 from the ashes of its failed predecessor glitter strip rugby league teams in the Giants, Seagulls, Gladiators and Chargers.
For some reason rugby league has seemingly had only a tenuous toehold on the Coast, but now, after celebrating 18 years in the NRL, it looks like the Titans are there to stay.
The Gold Coast Titans have had some absolute champions represent the club over the years, along with a few well known lemons and pretenders, but who makes their greatest team of all time?
Here’s my team, and the only selection criteria is that they must have played a minimum of 40 top-grade games for the club.
Fullback: Preston Campbell
With due respect to the quicksilver William Zillman, who has played the second highest number of games for the Titans and the most at fullback, I can’t go past the uniquely gifted Preston Campbell for the No.1 jersey. The 2001 Dally M winner was an established star by the time he joined the Titans in 2007, and he continued his inspirational form for the Gold Coast. In 2019, he was named as the club’s first life member.
Wingers: Anthony Don, Alofiana Khan-Pereira
The Titans have been blessed with some outstanding wingers over the years, with the likes of Phillip Sami, Ashley Gordon and David Mead all great finishers with plenty of pace, but the two best in my opinion are club stalwart and Titans’ top try scorer Anthony Don, who rarely let an opportunity to score a try go by, and the electrifying Alofiana Khan-Pereira.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira is tackled by Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Aged just 23, and with 44 tries from as many games, Khan-Pereira appears to have the rugby league world at his feet and is poised to become the Maroons’ next big thing.
Centres: Matt Rogers, Phillip Sami
There’s far less choice here unfortunately. There’s the hot and at times very, very cold Brian Kelly and the reliable if uninspiring pair of Brett Delaney and Dale Copley, but perhaps on offer are Matt Rogers and Phillip Sami.
After his stint in rugby, Rogers turned out for the Titans in their inaugural season and although his very best years were behind him, he still performed well, whether at centre, fullback or five-eighth, and crossed for 32 tries in his 77 games. The underrated Phillip Sami is better known as a winger, having represented Queensland on two occasions, but is also a very good centre with both speed and power to burn.
Five-eighth: Greg Bird
With Rogers at centre, Greg Bird is a must for the five-eighth role. There was nothing fancy about Bird’s game, and while he was a polarising individual, teammates just loved to have him in their side. Tough, versatile, fiery and controversial, there were few better competitors, and he was good enough to play 17 Tests for Australia and 18 games for NSW during his time with the Titans.
Halfback: Scott Prince
Scott Prince takes the seven jersey in a canter. After stints with the Cowboys, Broncos and Tigers, the 2005 Clive Churchill Medal winner was the Titans marquee signing and co-captain in 2007, and he continued his great form with the fledgling club, being named RLIF Halfback of the Year in both 2008 and 2010, Dally M Halfback of the year in 2010, and represented both Queensland and Australia during his time on the Coast.
He is arguably the Gold Coast’s greatest ever player.
Front rowers: Luke Bailey, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
The Titans have been fortunate enough to have some good middle forwards over the years, with the likes of Ryan James, Moeaki Fotuaika, Luke Douglas, Jarrod Wallace, Michael Henderson, Matthew White and Nate Myles all giving the club great service, but they’ll have to fight it out for a place on the bench behind starting props in Luke Bailey and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
If Scott Prince was the club’s star marquee signing when they entered the NRL then Bailey, a powerful and non-stop performer, was the heart and soul that the new club needed to gain credibility. Big Tino now captains the club and there’s no more intimidating sight on the field than the Queensland and Kangaroo enforcer.
Hooker: Nathan Friend
The choice here is between the dogged, grafting style of Nathan Peats or the more inventive Nathan Friend. I’ll opt for Friend, a very good hooker who found his way to the Gold Coast after struggling for time in the top grade during stints with both Brisbane and Melbourne.
He soon established himself as the Titans first choice hooker before missing most of the 2011 season due to injury, headed to the Warriors for four years in 2012, and returned to the Titans for his final season in 2016.
Second rowers: Mark Minichiello, Anthony Laffranchi
At the risk of offending the few remaining fans of Lazy Davy, the second rowers in this side are two hard working types in Mark Minichiello and Anthony Laffranchi.
Minichiello spent time with both the Roosters and South Sydney before joining the Gold Coast in 2007, where he went on to become one of the club’s true stalwarts and record holder for most games for the club, while Laffranchi won a premiership with the Tigers before becoming part of the Titans’ inaugural team and was one of the club’s best performers during his time there, going on to represent both NSW and Australia.
Lock: Ashley Harrison
Who better to provide some brains for this brawny pack than the super-fit and skilful workhorse in Ashley Harrison. Equally at home at lock, five-eighth or in the second row, Harrison came to the Titans in 2008 after stints with Brisbane, Souths and the Roosters, and went on to become a regular member of the Queensland side between 2008 and 2013.
Bench
In selecting the bench I’ve gone for a hooker, a utility back, and two front rowers.
Hooker – Tough tackling NSW Origin representative Nathan Peats is an obvious selection here.
Utility Back – The versatile AJ Brimson wins this role and can acquit himself well almost anywhere in the backline.
Front Rowers – I can’t go past Nate Myles as one bench option, as nobody in their right mind enjoyed playing against the Maroons’ enforcer, and he’ll be joined by the big Tongan representative in Moeaki Fotuaika.
Here’s how they line up, showing the number of games they each played for the Titans.
1. Preston Campbell (103)
2. Anthony Don (152)
3. Matt Rogers (77)
4. Phillip Sami (121*)
5. Alofiana Khan-Pereira (44*)
6. Greg Bird (129)
7. Scott Prince (C) (124)
8. Luke Bailey (150)
9. Nathan Friend (121)
10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (67*)
11. Mark Minichiello (173)
12. Anthony Laffranchi (102)
13. Ashley Harrison (117)
14. Nathan Peats (70)
15. AJ Brimson (114*)
16. Nate Myles (75)
17. Moeaki Fotuaika (143*)
That’s a pretty handy side with a tough pack of forwards and some very exciting backs, but did I leave anyone out?
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