Great’s blast, dual Titans signings and shock exit of star

The Sniper is back with all your Gold Coast sporting gossip.

THE Sniper is back with all your Gold Coast sporting gossip.

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CRICKET

GOLD Coast Dolphins legend Andrew Robinson clearly hasn’t lost it.

The only Dolphins batsman to pass 10,000 first grade runs, the 38-year-old came out of retirement in third grade last month and made an immediate impact with a run-a-ball 45.

However, the club opted to use his talents in first grade for their last three Twenty20s and after going unused in his first two games, he smashed 41 not out off just 25 balls – including three sixes – coming in at no.8 in Sunday’s loss to Norths.

Batsman Andrew Robinson. Picture Mike Batterham

“I managed to scratch a few around,” was the former Queensland star’s appraisal.

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FOOTBALL

LONG-serving Broadbeach United co-coach Damien Barker has taken on a new role with Surfers Paradise for this year’s Gold Coast Premier League but it could have been a very different story.

New Surfers Paradise Gold Coast Premier League coach Damien Barker, formerly with Broadbeach United.

Barker informed the Dolphins of his intention to leave prior to the exit of co-coach Lee Vernon in November and he admitted he may have stayed on if he’d known there was a chance to continue in the top job by himself.

“Maybe it would have been something I’d have considered,” he said.

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RUGBY LEAGUE

WHICH Rugby League Gold Coast club has picked up two former Titans players for the looming A grade season?

This club was already a title threat in 2019.

CRICKET

WHICH Gold Coast cricketer still has to pay for rounds at a certain local golf course, despite working there as a greenkeeper?

FOOTBALL

A GRUELLING off-season training regimen has paid off for Oskar Dillon, who signed with A-League newcomers Western United last week.

Oskar Dillon (right). (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

However, the 20-year-old former Gold Coast Knights defender revealed there had been some trying moments as he fought to stay in peak physical condition over the NPL break.

“I was just training with Poz (Knights boss Adem Poric) doing absolutely s*** stuff to try and stay fit,” Dillon said.

SPORT

A HIGH profile Gold Coast coach has been blindsided by the news one of his most talented players would be leaving the team, hours before pre-season training was due to begin.

The player in question has informed his employers he’ll be playing in Brisbane in 2020, but seems to have forgotten to mention that to his current coach on his way out the door.

Switching clubs to play closer to home is no crime but the poor handling of this move will leave egg on everyone’s faces.

BASEBALL

A LEADING Gold Coast baseball coach has rubbished suggestions a star pitcher, who also leads his team with the bat, was the Gold Coast’s answer to Babe Ruth.

Actually, maybe that’s fair enough. No player in history has ever been as good at both pitching and batting than the former Yankee.

BASEBALL

COOMERA Cubs fans had better get used to checking their team’s schedule twice – Wednesday reshuffle now makes two midweek games in a row the Cubs have had moved at late notice.

Caleb Puscher batting for Coomera. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

Sundays are proving to be busy days with two weeks of Wednesday fixtures crammed into weekend double-headers.

RACING

All of the connections of Dusty Tycoon could be coming to Channel 7 television presenter and fellow part-owner Liz Cantor instead of trainer Robert Heathcote for specific advice leading into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Cantor does the weather for Channel 7 and has been keeping a close eye on the forecast for the weekend.

“Dusty has never run on a wet track. For months I have been praying for rain but I have had to hold those prayers off and hope it’s dry until after Saturday.

“It’s actually looking pretty favourable. There are showers, picking up around 4pm Saturday afternoon.

“If we can maintain that timing then I’ll be happy.”

Last year’s Classic started at 4pm. It could be close to being a wet track.

RACING

Trainer Matt Dunn’s planned trip to Japan this Sunday with wife Keira could add to enormous celebrations and become a trophy tour should they win the 2YO Classic.

The duo have Lady Banff running in the $2 million race and are due to fly overseas the next day.

The group joked about Keira taking the trophy with them should they win, while their ability to even get on the plane could come under threat should their celebrations continue well into Sunday.