Renee Cohen praised for her Gold Coast Titans community work, targets even further improvement

RENEE Cohen is the Gold Coast Titans’ secret to success.

RENEE Cohen is the Gold Coast Titans’ secret to success.

While an NRL premiership has eluded the Parkwood club in their first 12 seasons, they have increasingly been hailed for their work off the paddock and Cohen is the tireless behind-the-scenes figure responsible for much of it.

The 36-year-old has worked with the Titans for more than a decade now, starting out as an NRL-employed development officer before moving into her current role as Gold Coast’s community and game development manager.

Having grown up in the Northern Rivers and seen her father Graham play league for teams including Ballina, Cohen is all about making an impact in the community.

“You don’t realise what a difference these players make to people’s lives and also what a difference it can make to the players’ lives, how they can understand that there are people out there that are doing it a lot tougher than what the rest of us are,” she said.

Renee Cohen. Picture: Steve Wyper

“So yeah, I am extremely passionate about it and I think that is what the club has been built on. We need to give back, we need the community to see that we want to support them so they support us.”

Three Titans – Preston Campbell, Luke Douglas and Ryan James – have won the prestigious Ken Stephen Medal for their work in the community.

Cohen credits the dedication of players and has identified the next step to take their work up another level.

“We have got to work out what they are passionate about and what they have an affinity to – it might be a family member that might have been diagnosed with MS, for example – so we work really closely with the players to really find their feet as an ambassador,” she said.

Ethan Sloane from the Mudgeeraba Special School dressed up for his recent school formal and to help him enjoy his night Titans player Ryan James and Konrad Hurrell helped get him there. Picture: David Clark

Cohen’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by Titans powerbrokers.

“Renee has few peers in professional sport,” said chairman Dennis Watt.

“She lives out the old saying that ‘people don’t really care what you know until they know that you care’. Renee genuinely cares.

“She has been the spearhead for connecting the club and the players with areas of need in the community from the earliest days of the club.

“I often talk about the Titans having a huge heart in terms of their commitment to the community and assisting those in need. In that regard, Renee is the club’s standout leader.

“She is quite inspirational.”

Cohen added she is pleased to see the rise in opportunities in various capacities for women within the sport: “We have still got a long way to go, which I can’t wait to see.”