The Titans were tipped to play finals in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010, but it didn’t take long for things to go wrong on the Gold Coast in 2022.
They won two of their opening four games but then lost 16 of their next 18 in a horrendous run that almost cost coach Justin Holbrook his job.
The Titans finished with three wins in their final four games – against fellow battlers Manly, Newcastle and the Warriors – but make no mistake, this season was a hugely disappointing campaign.
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Holbrook’s men had the fourth-worst defence by conceding 27.5 points per game and the fifth-worst attack after scoring 18.9 points per game.
The Titans showed glimpses of the potential in their young guns, and million-dollar man David Fifita scored scome breathtaking tries. But their hopeless defence and a one-man forward pack, led by Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, must be addressed ahead of next year.
Read on for the Titans’ 2022 season review.
TITANS END OF SEASON REVIEW
2022 Record: W6 L18 25% win rate
Season grade: D-
What went right: If you look closely, the talent exists.
Hidden in the lopsided score lines each week were glimpses of a side that can play finals, the problem was those sequences were so scarce.
David Fifita, Jayden Campbell, Tanah Boyd and Jojo Fifita were all born this century, and all have the potential to star in the NRL for the next decade.
Captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was their best player almost every week and was the only Titans player to get picked in State of Origin.
The star lock finished third in the NRL for post-contact metres behind Payne Haas and Joe Tapine.
Bustling backrower David Fifita looked like he was playing against children at times and scored several try-of-the-year contenders.
Second-rower Beau Fermor was another shining light, while winger Greg Marzhew finished third in the NRL for tackle breaks and Erin Clark proved he can handle playing lock.
But arguably the club’s biggest achievement this season was what they did off the field by signing premiership winners Kieran Foran and Sam Verrills for 2023.
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Sea Eagles veteran Foran will bring some much-needed experience to the halves, while Rosters hooker Verrills will bolster their spine.
The Titans copped some humiliating defeats this season but club advisor Mal Meninga told foxsports.com.au that the group never lost their morale.
“We’re comfortable with how we’ve positioned ourselves for next year, we’d just like to have had a better year this year,” Meninga said leading into the final round.
“The good thing about it all is the players haven’t dropped their bundle and the coach hasn’t dropped his bundle.
“They’re still working really hard behind the scenes. They’re still working hard in games which is great to see and a big plus for where the club is heading.”
What went wrong: Plenty.
They say defence is an attitude and most onlookers knew exactly the season the Titans were going to have after losing to the Eels 32-28 in Round 1.
After that shootout, everyone watching Gold Coast games was expecting plenty of tries to be scored in both directions – and everyone was right.
Defence appeared optional at times for the Titans throughout 2022, but where they really lacked was experience.
There were a few eyebrows raised when the club released captain and halfback Jamal Fogarty to the Raiders last summer in favour of rookie halfback Tob Sexton.
It left the club with the most inexperienced spine in the competition as Sexton, 21, AJ Brimson, 23, and Jayden Campbell, 22, were handed the playmaking reins.
Holbrook shifted Brimson from fullback to five-eighth to partner Sexton in the halves which allowed Campbell to play fullback, while hooker Erin Clark, 23, completed the spine.
“The crux of the problem at the Titans is they rolled the dice on the youngest spine in the comp,” Billy Moore told the Fox League Podcast earlier this season.
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“If Holbrook made that decision last year and said ‘let’s go with this young spine, I can teach them’, well then the axe falls on him.
“If not, the sword should fall on someone else’s head. I would like to know the logic behind that decision because in the end that young spine just hasn’t come up.
“But I will say this, Toby Sexton can play. If he has a good wingman, and that’s obviously what they’re looking for Kieran Foran to do next year, he can play that kid.
“We speak about Tom Dearden. Toby Sexton isn’t far out of that conversation if he’s shown how to play and that’s what Chad Townsend has done for Tom Dearden.”
Tanah Boyd, 22, was moved into the halves halfway through the season and was probably the pick of the playmakers in 2022.
Meanwhile, their highest-paid player, David Fifita, often looked like the least interested person on the park for large parts of games.
Fifita, who is earning a cool $1.2 million per year until the end of 2023, ended up coming off the bench for three games in the middle of the season.
The 22-year-old wrecking ball scored some scintillating tries but nowhere near lived up to his price tag.
Fa’asuamaleaui was their best player but he also conceded the second-most penalties (17) in the competition behind Jack Bird and Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
Finally, you know it’s been a bad season when a former club captain gets sacked for vaping in the sheds at halftime.
Kevin Proctor was released from the final months of his deal after posting vision of himself vaping on the toilet in an Instagram story.
The 33-year-old wasn’t playing but was wearing club colours and the Titans were widely ridiculed for his behaviour.
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The Gold Coast finished 13th on the ladder just 12 months after going within one pass of the second week of finals.
“Yeah it’s been a challenging year for the club and the team, unfortunately that’s the nature of the beast,” Gold Coast advisor Mal Meninga said.
“The club just gets judged on the team’s performance each week and we haven’t been up to scratch there, we need to improve.”
The Titans axed assistant coach Jim Dymock and high-performance coach Klint Hoare in July, but the head coach – who is signed until the end of 2024 – appears safe for now.
If Holbrook is marched ahead of next season he’ll be the third head coach sacked on the Gold Coast in the past five years.
What they need: Experience – and it’s coming.
The Titans were made to rue the mistake of releasing Fogarty and making Fa’asuamaleaui the youngest captain in the NRL.
It left the club extremely short on experience and Fa’asuamaleaui was left too much of the leadership workload on and off the field.
In Round 20, Fogarty was superb for the Raiders in their 36-24 win over the Titans as Sexton was unable to ice key moments.
Holbrook blamed the loss on inexperience and said he couldn’t wait for Foran to arrive.
“It’s the same issues – inexperience in key positions is hurting – that’s what’s costing us,” Holbrook said after the game.
“Inexperience is what we’ve got, we can’t change that now but we can change it for next year.
“Kieran can’t get here quick enough.”
COMING: Kieran Foran (Sea Eagles), Sam Verrills (Roosters).
GOING: Will Smith (released), Kevin Proctor (released).
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