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Five things we learned from Titans’ loss to Sea Eagles

No finals footy, a clueless coach and a defence like a wet paper bag. Make no mistake this is a club in crisis. Here’s what we learned from another Gold Coast defeat.

What now for the Titans? Image: AAP Image/Dave Hunt
What now for the Titans? Image: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

1. Titans hierarchy need to fix a club in crisis. The Manly debacle means the Gold Coast have now missed the finals eight times in the past nine seasons. They have the lowest attendance in the NRL and poor Titans fans deserve better than what the club is dishing up.

2. Titans coach Garth Brennan is in the firing line as Mal Meninga prepares to table his club review. With the Titans unable to make the finals, Gold Coast bosses need to make an honest decision about whether Brennan can make the club a title contender. He has won 12 of 39 games for a 30 per cent success rate.

Jarrod Wallace struggled to make an impact. Image: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Jarrod Wallace struggled to make an impact. Image: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

3. Jarrod Wallace didn’t help his Origin III selection prospects. Facing the axe for the decider, the Titans and Maroons prop needed a barnstorming game but he was largely well contained, managing 109 metres from 13 runs. It may not be enough to save him.

4. Gold Coast need to overhaul their defensive structures. They conceded 582 points last year and some of their tryline efforts were not up to NRL standard. Moses Suli could have driven a Hummer through a gap when he scored in the 52nd minute. The Titans need to rediscover the defensive mongrel of their formative years.

What now for the Titans? Image: AAP Image/Dave Hunt
What now for the Titans? Image: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

5. The sooner troubled halfback Ash Taylor returns for the Titans, the better. Tyrone Roberts tried hard in his 150th game but the Titans desperately need their star $1 million playmaker Taylor to give them some direction.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/titans/five-things-we-learned-from-titans-loss-to-sea-eagles/news-story/4f12951108ba6946c6b80f5dbab9bc25