Gold Coast Titans power rankings: We assess the players on fire and those who need to lift

They were helped by a dreadful Newcastle performance but the Titans are back. The Bulletin has assessed the players who are firing right now and those who still must lift to take the squad to the next level.

THEY were helped by a dreadful Newcastle performance but the Titans are back.

Their 38-14 win at Cbus Super Stadium marked Gold Coast’s second win on the trot and represented signs of the team fans had expected to see in 2019.

The Bulletin has assessed the players who are firing right now and those who still must lift to take the squad to the next level.

TITANS POWER RANKINGS: THE BEST FIVE

1. Right now, Tyrone Roberts is the Titans’ standout player. He was pivotal to their win over Penrith and was even better against his former club.

Tyrone Roberts of the Titans scores a try during the Round 6 NRL match against the Knights at Cbus Super Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

Roberts was clearly the dominant half, peppering Newcastle’s back three with pinpoint kicks, scoring a try from 40m out and making a try-saving tackle on Kalyn Ponga. One glaring second half blemish aside, you would think he is the club’s big money half.

2. Jai Arrow. Seriously, can any positive Titans list not feature this guy? Arrow didn’t rack up the monstrous numbers against the Knights that he did in Cronulla but week after week, he turns up and gets the job done without fail.

Jai Arrow takes a hit-up. Picture: Getty Images

Oh, and he still did still make 29 tackles and 168m on Sunday afternoon.

3. Dale Copley might not be the first guy you think of in a relatively star-studded Gold Coast squad but gee he is playing well for a bloke who couldn’t even make the top 17 in Round 1.

Dale Copley. Picture: Getty Images

Copley is playing like a man with a point to prove: He is tackling hard and running even harder. Eleven tackles breaks across the past two weeks is evidence of that.

4. Tyrone Peachey. During a winless opening four rounds, Peachey consistently looked like the player who might just spark something out of nothing.

Tyrone Peachey. Picture: Getty Images

He has given the Titans the strike weapon out wide they have been craving, and his versatility came in handy when injuries struck; he saw time at left centre, right centre and held his own at left second-row.

5. Forget Copley, here’s the real bolter: Jai Whitbread. The 21-year-old prop is just three games into his NRL career but he looks like he well and truly belongs.

Jai Whitbread. Picture: AAP Image

After a busy burst off the bench against the Panthers, Whitbread provided excellent impact for coach Garth Brennan in 41 minutes of action that netted 16 tackles, no missed tackles and 125 running metres. His emergence comes at a timely moment given the injury cloud hovering over Ryan James.

FIVE WHO NEED TO LIFT

1. Ash Taylor was eerily quiet even when the home side got on a roll. Taylor wasn’t a certain starter during the week after coming off injured against Penrith and perhaps that showed.

Ash Taylor. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Either way, it has been a long time since we saw the supremely talented half who lit up the Gold Coast in 2016 and 2017 at his very best.

2. Shannon Boyd came to the Titans for a fresh start but it has been slow going. This was probably his best outing yet, which is promising, getting the side on the front foot by running 91m in his opening stint.

Shannon Boyd. Picture: Getty Images

Now the challenge is to produce the goods more frequently – and to build his game time up from 38 minutes.

3. OK, it might seem strange to include a player who watched the Round 6 win from the sidelines but that’s half the point here with Kevin Proctor.

Kevin Proctor was ruled out late with a quad/hip injury. Picture: AAP Image

Gold Coast’s burgeoning young talent are turning up the heat and they showed they can get the job done in the Kiwi veteran’s absence.

4. There’s a long road back from a torn pectoral for Nathan Peats, so Mitch Rein must make his mark. Rein was generally impressive in his first season at the club last year; he needs to stand up and own the No.9 jersey now.

Mitch Rein. Picture: Jerad Williams

Don’t get me wrong, he’s not doing a bad job. Rein is a defensive workhorse but let’s see a bit more of that dynamic dummy-half running game to help the forwards roll forward.

5. It’s a similar story to Proctor when it comes to Keegan Hipgrave, given that a back injury kept him out of action against Newcastle. The enforcer looks like a long-term part of the Titans pack but he has started 2019 slowly.

Keegan Hipgrave against the Knights last year. Picture: AAP Image

If he can get his body right and fire up, he has the game to add an extra dimension to Brennan’s game day 17.