The Titans have signed former junior prodigy Greg Leleisiuao and ex-Warrior Erin Clark.
The duo both penned two-year deals after impressing with train-and-trial opportunities over the pre-season.
Having spent the last couple of years in his native New Zealand, Clark said he fell back in love with the game.
“It was a good freshen-up being back home, but it actually reignited that spark and I’m proud to have been able to secure a contract,” Clark titans.com.au.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity, but I’ll be making sure I’m ready to fill any spot I can in season 2020. I want to keep working hard.”
Leleisiuao, a former highly-rated member of the Titans' NYC side, has spent the last three seasons at Parramatta.
The 22-year old was excited to return to the Gold Coast and the opportunities that lie ahead.
“It’s great to be back home surrounded by family,” he said.
“It was a risk coming back and trying to get into the (Titans) system, but I’ve really enjoyed the pre-season and now I’ve earned the contract I really want to continue putting in that effort.”
New Titans coach Justin Holbrook said the pair deserved their spot in the squad.
“It’s great to have Greg back at the club,” Holbrook said.
“He’s been fantastic the whole time at training and it’s great to have been able to reward that effort.
“Erin was a really promising player coming through the ranks and he’s been really training hard.
“He’s lost close to 10kg before coming into training and the skill he has, along with the way he has applied himself, has shown that he is worthy of an opportunity.
“Every club needs depth and both of these men have shown that if and when they get an opportunity to play NRL, they will be ready.”
So stoke Leleisiuao is back I just commented about him the other week. I was spewing when he left to the Eels he’ll need to have a fair crack to get in the 13, I say 13 because he won’t make the bench not a utility well he wasn’t when he was at Titans and I don’t watch NSW cup to see his progression. But yeah like I’ve said before his game reminds me that of a young Matt Utai it’d great for him to ascend to a player of that Excalibur.
I can’t remember Erin Clark so I can’t say I’m happy yet hopefully that changes.
Greg was never going to play first grade with us.
Even if Sivo and Fergo are out there are others ahead of him.
Great little attacking player but an absolute turnstile in defence.
Thanks for contribution to our club Greg.
Yeah Kev I was hoping there was a defensive improvement from under 20s because the 20s comp had high scoring games like I said I haven’t seen him play since he left Titans. Hopefully Holbrook and Dymock can sort his Defensive reading out along with the other half of the squad
That has been his only failing isdonisgood.
Fast and hard as hell to tackle but couldn’t tackle to save his life.
Hopefully Dymock can get him sorted in defence because we couldn’t. In saying that we have a very average defensive coach.
Good luck to him (Leleisiuao), and probably the right move for his career at this stage.
Slightly off topic, and not trying to stick the boot in, but I look at the Titans lineup and think it would easier to build a squad from scratch, from players off contract in the short term than fixing what they’ve got, even with the best coach in the world.
Like I said, I’m not trying to stick the boot in, but to me I’d be O.K with a few players/positions as it stands, on current form (centres being Peachy/Kelly etc), but then it quickly descends to IF (IF Taylor can find form, IF Peats remains injury free etc), and losing Arrow is/will be a major blow.
As a Parra supporter I’ve been there done that on more occasions than you can poke a stick at, but (and maybe because) I’m not seeing much light at the end of the tunnel for the Titans.
Both great signings, Clark as a good utility option and Leleisiuao who is a real shot at finding a spot on that right wing next season.
As I said. Titans and dogs to play in the GF this year. For the Spoooon.
Eelsalmighty not off topic at all but on form of some of that squad easy to think that way as usual players coming to end of contracts will miraculously find a heart and form. We have 10 players off contract this season I feel 4 of them will be resigned for 21 which will free up alot of cap space towards a rebuild then a further 13 players off contract 21. Holbrook should be able to put together the squad he wants in that time. Titans have had the problem not a bad team just bad team work and too many self indulged players.
What did you have in mind for the Titans rebuild Eelsal?
The Titans have already gone down the road of buying quite a few Panthers players. Just like the Eels have. So, is that way of doing a rebuild out? 😁
GOLD COAST TITANS
2020 off contract
Dale Copley, Anthony Don, Keegan Hipgrave, Ryan James, Leilani Latu, Nathan Peats, Kevin Proctor, Tyrone Roberts, Treymain Spry, Sam Stone
2021 off contract
Tanah Boyd, Bryce Cartwright, Erin Clark, Darius Farmer, Brian Kelly, Greg Leleisiuao, Tyrone Peachey, Jonus Pearson, Mitch Rein, Treymain Spry, Ashley Taylor, Kallum Watkins, Jai Whitbread
My rebuild would consist of insisting Ryan James grows back his hair back and has his balls surgically reimplanted back in his sack. I hate what the referees forced him to do to his game when he was the most penalised player in the game I don’t know if people remembered his aggression before he became a whining little puppy. They tried to do it to SBurgess but thankfully he didn’t comply ,they better not try to do it Hipgrave I do enjoy an animal on the field. The games becoming too much about the flashiness rther than the physicality IMO.
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2020/01/10/erin-clark-and-greg-leleisiuao-rewarded-for-effort-with-nrl-contracts/
If they can’t crack grade I’m sure NASA are looking for some more rocket scientists
I’m sick to death of Titans recruitment they either pay overs for average players or recruit players who are fringe players of other teams who are looking for an easier way into first grade then leave anyway when they make grade or my absolute favourite the unwanted NRL star who turns out to be nothing but a disruption. It does my head in I hope it changes.
Yer Titans are up there with warriors as one of the worst run clubs in the NRL. It seems every year Titans highest payed players are the worst on field.
When these next few seasons come around even though they’ll have the money, they should change there tactics in recruiting. They need to start looking in rather then out for talent as not only do titans have the best junior systems at there disposal but also both QLD Cup teams are both very strong and packed with talent that could fill out a 30 man roster.
isdonisgood, “not a bad team just bad team work”. Agreed.
When I look at the predicted line up for 2020 it just looks average/weak, but when I look deeper, as in where would you start/focus in order to fix it, not too many players stand out. I think Cartwright is an easy one, Taylor if he can’t find form, but there’s that IF again. If he does (find form) you could be building a team around him (and Roberts).
As per my earlier post, this is why it feels like it would easier to simply start again (build a team from scratch), but obviously that’s not an option, although as you point out it could change significantly over the next year or two, so I think your coaching staff are paramount (more so/much more so than most clubs) in the short term.
If you can’t start showing some positive signs this year, you’ll be paying (probably way) overs for new players, and I don’t see you freeing up that much cap space this year. That’s assuming the 4 you expect to resign are:
James (assuming he returns in form from injury). Isn’t he on $700k and captain. You just signed Tino for that, and he’s basically a talented rookie. I think James will be looking for an upgrade.
Roberts, Hipgrave, and Proctor (on a 2 year deal). I’d throw in a fifth (resigning) being Peats, but even if you don’t you’d be spending that money on an equivalent hooker, and possibly Latu as a sixth. But then this (looking at who is potentially being resigned) isn’t changing the team. It takes me back to the original issue, being it’s not a bad group of players, but an average/weak looking team.
Yeah warriorsemg I know you could definitely relate, how warriors haven’t been successful is beyond comprehension.
Eelsal I wouldn’t resign any player with a less than 90% tackling efficiency. Defence wins games and Titans leak too many points I know that’s high but in saying that a wooden spoon team needs to restructure around something. I feel it’s easier to make improvements on attacking skills rather defensive(only imo). In saying that a player also needs to offer something in attack a prime example Peats solid defensively but has shown nothing in attack nearly all successful teams have had point scoring hookers or an ability to set tries up. No way about Latu goooonnneee.
Isdon…
Watching Wests last year. They certainly improved their defence & won games because of it. Especially early in the season. So just changing coaching staff can bring about such a change.
Penrith’s defence was not to bad at times . They struggled to score points when near the try line.
Often it just comes down to not having the right cattle. Then lacking belief .
Yeah I agree about the lack of belief EOD defence certainly is an attitude. I also notice at times players don’t trust their inside man and expose holes outside them Titans more so than others.
Hopefully like you said as in Tigers that Titans will improve under the new coaching staff. Hurry up March I hate the off season.
Isdon…
You never know. They may just have the right coach now. The last one had a good success rate, but in lower grades. I thought he’d be much better with the first grade squad . It didn’t look like that bad a squad .
What do you think of Peachey in the centres ? He can be great at getting the ball over the try line , but can get run over the top of by bigger opposition centres. I think Penrith found that out about him & were never quite sure what his position should be?
Although I’m no Queenslander, I’d cheer on the Titans to beat many other teams , if they made the finals? It’s just nice to see teams who’ve struggled have a bit of success .
EOD, I thought Titans under Brennan would be much better to but a coach can only organise a game plan it’s up to the players to implement it and casual as Brennan was talking to the media you could constantly hear the frustration when saying that wasn’t the plan.
As for Peachey if Arrow is released early I’d play him at lock and only play him if he’s performing.
You’re dead right he was liability at times defending in the centres at least defending closer to the middle it’s a bit tighter at times and he has extra help there.
It’s funny to say you’d cheer the Titans on you find alot of Nrl supporters have a soft spot for them I put it down to them have been performing so terribly people take pity.