Ann Wason Moore: Cheerleaders are the answer to the Gold Coast Titans’ woes

Consider it the opportunity to give spectators two shows for the price of one – the Titans in their two 40-minutes halves, and the cheer team in a pre-game and halftime spectacle, writes Ann Wason Moore.

Sam Verrills of the Titans leaves the field during the round 17 NRL match between Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys at Cbus Super Stadium, on June 29, 2025, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Okay, so 2025 was not the year for the Gold Coast Titans.

Sure, neither were the years 2007 to 2024 (although let’s give them full credit for making the finals in 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2021).

With home game attendance in a similar slump, there is one sure-fire way we could turn things around for 2026.

And no, it’s nothing to do with coach Des Hasler announcing his retirement. Instead, we need to focus on a whole new team.

But I’m not talking about the boys in blue and yellow. I’m not thinking of their sisters in the NRLW either.

I’m talking about embracing one of the fastest growing sports in Australia and across the globe.

Let’s hear it for cheer.

Titans cheerleaders Eva Rihanna Gelonese and Tahlea Kahupukoro. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

While the NRL has a history of hosting cheerleaders on the sidelines, with all teams fielding squads in 2006, that has now dropped to just eight of the 17 NRL teams.

But the Titans are one of the last (wo)men standing.

The pom-poms began to fall out of favour from 2007, when then-new owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Russell Crowe, said cheerleaders made spectators ‘uncomfortable’ and they were replaced with a marching band.

So let’s use this point of difference – rather than simply cheering on the Titans NRL team, let’s send the cheer squad to the middle of the field.

Consider it the opportunity to give spectators two shows for the price of one - the Titans in their two 40-minutes halves, and the cheer team in a pre-game and halftime spectacle.

Let’s be done with the sidelines and get the squad out in the centre. Because this is what people want to see.

Cheer is everywhere right now, whether it’s the traditional professional pom-pom style of athletic dance made famous by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and their epic routine to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, or the ‘all-star’ or club cheerleading style documented by Netflix series Cheer, where teams perform a competitive routine rather than cheering for other sports teams.

(L-R) Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Madeline, Kennedy, Kelee and Megan attend Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event at The Kia Forum on May 31, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

In fact, this latter style has made the Gold Coast its home, with gyms dotted up and down our coastline and the city hosting the Australian All Stars Cheerleading Federation National competition every second year, along with multiple state and interstate competitions throughout the year.

The success of Netflix series Cheer and America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders shows there is a huge audience for this sport, yet our local cheer competitions are generally only attended by friends and families of performers.

So let’s take notes and give the Titans girls the attention they deserve.

Imagine seeing a high-performance team flipping and stunting in centre-field, projected on the giant screens, showcasing talent no other NRL home-ground can offer.

As the Dallas Cowboys recently learned, fans will come to see the cheerleaders alone - which is a huge help to the club’s bottom line when the scoreboard doesn’t go their way.

Giving the squad their fair share of attention would also attract top talent, and would make a fantastic way to hone the skills of our local competitors, especially with cheer now a recognised Olympic sport and on track to make its debut in 2032 - when the Games will be held right here in southeast Queensland.

As much as we push for the inclusion of women’s sports, and it’s wonderful to see the support for the Titans NRLW and the Suns AFLW, let’s not forget that we also need to push for more recognition of sports that are traditionally favoured by women.

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics research from 2012, dancing was the most popular sport for girls, followed by swimming, netball and gymnastics, yet dance, gymnastics and cheer are not accessible to spectators in the same way that club sports like football and basketball are.

So let’s keep cheering on our home team the Titans - things can only get better, after all - but let’s also focus on boosting their cheer squad.

We have the opportunity to take the lead, to do things differently, to say ‘yes’ … because that’s what the Gold Coast does.

Go Team!

Originally published as Ann Wason Moore: Cheerleaders are the answer to the Gold Coast Titans’ woes