Titans’ plan following equal worst start to season
The week after they equalled the worst start to a season in the club’s history, Titans players are turning their focus inward to counter growing feelings of panic.
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The Titans will spend much of this week working on coping better under pressure following the club’s equal-worst start to a season.
Boosted by the return of injured skipper Tyrone Roberts, Gold Coast are aiming to avoid a fourth straight loss when they tackle fellow cellar-dwellers the Bulldogs this weekend.
It follows a disappointing road trip up the M1 during last week’s Magic Round, when the Titans went down to an injury riddled Sharks side 26-18.
The loss was their seventh of the season and leaves the Gold Coast equal last on the premiership ladder with Penrith and Canterbury.
The last time the Gold Coast started the season with two wins from the opening nine games was 2012 when they finished 11th.
Gold Coast coach Garth Brennan described his side as “mentally soft at times” after the loss to Cronulla.
Titans centre Dale Copley said the players would look to improve the way they handle pressure situations.
“I think when the pressure gets applied to us, we panic way too much,” Copley said.
“We try and come up with the big play instead of sticking to what was working. When we’re not going so well, we tighten up a bit and we don’t play as free.
“That’s going to be a fair focus for us as a playing group this week.
“Just tipping each other off. We haven’t been great at identifying when momentum is going against us.”
Roberts returns to five-eighth this weekend at Cbus Super Stadium after a head knock in the Round 8 clash with the Cowboys.
AJ Brimson has been named at fullback in place of veteran Michael Gordon, who has been ruled out for a week with a lower-leg injury.
Brennan has shifted young prop Moeaki Fotuaika into the starting side and moved Shannon Boyd to the bench.
Youngster Jesse Arthars retains the No.14 jersey following an impressive debut against Cronulla, where he was denied two tries by the video referee.
“Certainly we’re getting to the stage where they’re really important games,” Copley said.
“The table is pretty cluttered so a couple of wins and we can shoot right up.
“As we’ve seen, a couple of losses and you can do the exact opposite.
“It’s a huge game. It’s big for the Dogs as well. They’re similar to us so no doubt it’ll be two teams really motivated to get a win.”
Originally published as Titans’ plan following equal worst start to season
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