Gold Coast Titans NRL 2022: Biggest off-season news
A Queensland club has set a Covid-19 record with a stunning 22 positive Omicron cases. SEE THE FULL LIST
Titans
Don't miss out on the headlines from Titans. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE Gold Coast Titans have set an NRL record for Covid-19 cases with 22 confirmed infections within the club’s top 37 players.
Just 14 healthy players trained in the rain at Titans HQ on Friday with 23 others under orders to stay away from the Parkwood campus, including one close contact who has not yet tested positive.
Nine cases were detected on Thursday evening and an additional 13 players were turned away from training this morning.
It is the highest number of players forced into isolation in the NRL to date.
Million-dollar backrower David Fifita and three of four members of the Titans spine are among the isolating group.
Several players from the group currently training are understood to have already recovered from the virus.
Just half of the club’s 18 high performance coaching staff attended training as club CEO Steve Mitchell revealed half a dozen coaching and administration staff had also come into contact with the virus.
Head coach Justin Holbrook and assistant coaches Jim Dymock and Jim Lenihan supervised training.
“We have quite a few away infected at the moment,” Mitchell said.
“We have north of 20 at the moment and a few staff that are positive as well.
“Everyone seems to be reacting differently. Some are asymptomatic, some have normal symptoms and some have the flu. They’re complaining about aches and pains and things ... but nothing serious.”
The Titans boss said although the infections had been unfortunate the timing could not have been better for the club.
“I’m looking forward to a really positive year,” he said.
“I think we’re going to be strong and to go through this in this period, as opposed to April, is probably a really positive thing.”
Trial season is still seven weeks away with the Titans set to tackle the Brisbane Broncos at Cbus Super Stadium on February 19.
Mitchell said he hoped the club’s Covid situation would be resolved within the month.
The second wave of returning players are due back at training within the week, pending negative tests.
Mitchell praised the response of NRL executives Andrew Abdo and Graham Annesley for marshalling the code’s response to the outbreak.
GOLD COAST TITANS COVID-19 STATUS (JAN 7 2022)
Training: 14
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, AJ Brimson, Phillip Sami, Isaac Liu, Tanah Boyd, Beau Fermor, Jojo Fifita, Sam Mclntyre, Aaron Booth, Jamin Jolliffe, Herman Ese’ese, Esan Marsters, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui, Isaac Matalavea-Booth
In isolation: 23
David Fifita, Moeaki Fotuaika, Jayden Campbell, Toby Sexton, Corey Thompson, Brian Kelly, Kevin Proctor, Jarrod Wallace, Sam Lisone, Erin Clark, Tony Francis, Greg Marzhew, Joe Vuna, Patrick Herbert, Tom Weaver, Will Smith, Shallin Fuller, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Paul Turner, Treymain Spry, Klese Haas, Jaylan de Groot, Ben Liyou
More to come.
More Coverage
Originally published as Gold Coast Titans NRL 2022: Biggest off-season news
Hunt’s Dragons future up in air as Queensland rival circles
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has broken his silence on a scathing post-season review of Ben Hunt that could see the under fire star offloaded to an Queensland rival.
Hasler eyes more changes at Titans after another horror finish
Des Hasler is adamant the Titans have shown signs of growth in 2024 despite finishing in the bottom four for the third straight year. But he is eyeing more changes at the club.