Former Gold Coast Titans teammates to clash in NRRRL

They used to be teammates on the biggest stage, but now a trio of former Gold Coast Titans players will come up against each other in the NRRRL this weekend.

Former Gold Coast Titans players James Roberts, Tyrone Roberts and Luke Douglas will all line up in the Northern United v Lower Clarence clash in the NRRRL. Picture: supplied

It wasn’t all that long ago that Luke Douglas called Tyrone Roberts and James Roberts teammates.

Lining up for the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL, Douglas played alongside ‘Jimmy the Jet’ for two seasons in 2014 and 2015 before spending a year with Tyrone in 2016.

However on Saturday the 38-year-old will be out to thwart his old teammates when Douglas’ Lower Clarence Magpies take on Northern United in round seven of the NRRRL at Oakes Oval in Lismore.

“It’s so good to see,” Douglas. “A lot of people if they’re coming to an end or want to pull up stumps will start to concentrate on their family or life after footy and not give two hoots. But it’s so good to see them helping out that Northern team.”

The trio, who are all from the Northern Rivers, have a remarkable 708 games of NRL and UK Super League experience between them, with Douglas playing in his fifth season in the NRRRL and both Tyrone and James Roberts joining Northern United in the off-season.

Luke Douglas is the captain-coach of the Lower Clarence Magpies. Photo: Lower Clarence Magpies RLFC

They are part of a string of former NRL figures playing or coaching in the local competition that includes Byron Bay captain-coach Todd Carney, Tweed Coast Raiders coach Brent Kite, Evans Head Bombers playmaker Roy Bell and Mullumbimby coach Chris Anderson.

While just four rounds of the rain-affected season have been played so far, Dirawongs halfback Tyrone Roberts has been among the standouts so far, scoring three tries and laying on a host of others as Northern United have won two from their first three games.

“It’s like he’s almost still too good for Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League,” said Douglas of the 32-year-old playmaker.

“Northern might just need a little special something in the middle, someone organising at halfback to get them humming for the finals and really compete and go deep. So he might be the difference this year.

Tyrone Roberts joined Northern United after a season with Burleigh in the Q Cup. Picture: Dylan Parker Photography

“On an opposition level, I won’t like too much coming up against him. Running close to the line, he’s always had a good running game even though everyone thinks about his passing, so it’ll definitely be full alert everywhere on the paddock. But it’s good to have someone of his calibre in the competition.”

And while they might have only spent one season together at the Titans, Douglas has plenty of fond memories playing alongside the halfback.

“He’s definitely a quality player, was great to have round the club, a great family man and local fella,” he said.

“He was a fan favourite and good across the paddock: could goal kick, was a good organiser and had a good head on his shoulders. I like a halfback who gets around the paddock and tells you what to do. When you’re in the middle busting your backside, I like halfbacks who tell you where you should get to on the field, and if you’re not there, they’re asking questions.”

James Roberts last played for the Wests Tigers before retiring from professional football at the end of the 2022 NRL season. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

And while they’ll come face to face this weekend, Douglas said he could well have been laying the platform for his old teammate Tyrone if he had have scrubbed up on his sales skills.

“I can’t even sell raffle tickets to my Nan, let alone get someone over the line with a contract. But when I was at Ballina he’d just come back from England and the Ballina guys asked me to get in contact to see if he wanted to come back to Ballina,” said Douglas.

“He’s a local junior, they were all guns blazing trying to get him to come back and be the halfback, but that’s when he went up to the Gold Coast and Broncos and continued his professional career.”

And although Douglas might have the inside knowledge on some of the finer details of his old teammates’ abilities, he won’t be trying too hard to make a statement when they run his way on the field.

“Against players like that, all the old coaches would say that you’d rather just tackle them and not worry about trying to get a shot on. I’ll just try to make sure I get a hand on them, let alone put a shot on. And that’s what I’ll be telling the teammates too, to just hold our line, no dummies and try and do what we can to try and nullify their ability on the field.”

Northern United host Lower Clarence on Saturday at 2:45pm at Oakes Oval, Lismore.