Steve Mitchell targeting mid-table 2019 as Gold Coast Titans build up to NRL powerhouse status

NEW Gold Coast Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell wants to see the squad rise into the midfield next year as they build up to becoming an NRL powerhouse.

NEW Gold Coast Titans chief executive Steve Mitchell wants to see the squad rise into the midfield next year as they build up to becoming an NRL powerhouse.

Mitchell primarily spoke at the announcement of his appointment on Wednesday about shoring up the club’s sustainability plus working on its commercial and community sectors.

However, he is fully aware of the value of on-field success and feels the time for results is nigh.

After breaking a five-year finals drought in 2016, Titans fans have had to endure a painful couple of campaigns, celebrating just 15 victories from 48 games for end-of-season placings of 15th and 14th.

Forloon looks have been a common sight on the faces of Titans players in recent seasons. Picture: AAP Image

“There’s no doubt that success on the field helps your case as a club,” Mitchell said.

“It’s important that we compete, it’s important that we’re in the top eight and then pushing for the top four.”

Titans chairman Dennis Watt backed that up, saying the commitment of Gold Coast’s owners, staff and players to giving back to the community takes on a whole new meaning when those efforts are complemented by wins.

“The reality is all that great work is amplified and magnified when you are winning on the field,” he said.

So where does that leave expectations for 2019?

Steve Mitchell at Titans HQ. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“I’d like to see our team obviously improve on this year’s results. If we can start encroaching mid-ladder, that would be fantastic,” Mitchell said, indicating 2020 and 2021 could be when the rewards of sweeping changes may more likely be felt.

Among those changes has been the recruitment of Mal Meninga, largely to drive the sort of winning culture that underpinned Queensland’s decade of dominance in the State of Origin arena.

Mitchell himself has been part of a club’s revolution, spending six years at the North Queensland Cowboys.

“We were 15th on the ladder – the only reason we didn’t pick up the wooden spoon was because of a salary cap breach with another club – and five years later we won the premiership,” he said.

Titans players get to work in the pre-season. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“If we get the blocks right internally (at the Titans) and build the right culture and set high expectations to keep people accountable, the sky is limit.”

He plans to apply lessons from the Cowboys around “culture and good people” to Parkwood, as well as taking Gold Coast’s renowned community work to a new level to pursue becoming as publicly ingrained as the Townsville team are.

“(The Cowboys) weren’t just there as a rugby league club trying to sell tickets but we were actually delivering some value and some services into the community which made an enormous difference with regard to the way we were viewed,” Mitchell said.

“I think the Titans have gone a long way to doing that here. We have still got a long way to go.”