It may have been tough but Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook says he had no choice but to dump some of his biggest names after the Titans slumped to one of the NRL’s worst losing streaks.
Holbrook denied he was making a statement by wielding the axe for Sunday’s clash with Wests Tigers in Brisbane, saying it was a “hard decision”.
Overall he cut five players from his 17 including former representative players Jarrod Wallace, Nathan Peats and Shannon Boyd.
But the Titans mentor admitted something had to give after they fell to their 14th straight loss stretching back to last season.
The Gold Coast’s string of defeats will extend past 12 months with another loss against the in-form Tigers at Suncorp Stadium.
“It was a hard decision but I am just trying to pick our best 17 to play the Wests Tigers,” Holbrook said.
“I am not trying to make a statement … not blaming those (dumped) guys for a second.
“But as a team we haven’t been good enough. We’ve got to be smarter how we go about it.”
Holbrook claimed former Queensland forward Wallace and ex-Test prop Boyd’s axing was more a match fitness issue.
“Jarrod Wallace, he’d been struggling a bit with his back since the isolation period so he just needs a couple more weeks of training, similar to Shannon Boyd,” he said.
“It’s nothing more than that.”
In the case of ex-NSW rake Peats, Holbrook said he wanted to tinker with his spine, blooding Erin Clark who is set to work in tandem from dummy-half with bench utility Tanah Boyd.
It will mark Clark’s first NRL game since his sole match for the Warriors back in 2017.
After being released by the Warriors and ill-fated Canberra stint, Clark earned a two-year Titans contract in January following a train and trial deal.
“It’s a bit of a second chance for his (Clark’s) NRL career,” Holbrook said.
Holbrook has lost his first three games in his rookie year at the Titans helm, adding to their woeful overall run.
But he insisted their shocking streak wasn’t a distraction.
“It’s a new start to a new season, everything before that is forgotten about,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Tigers may be buzzing from their come from behind last round win over Cronulla but coach Michael Maguire said they would not be taking the Titans lightly.
“I have learned in this competition that anyone can get a win if you want to turn up,” he said.
“We have to make sure we turn up with the right attitude.”
STATS THAT MATTER
* Titans have their best winning percentage against the Wests Tigers (57.1), claiming 12 of 21 games including five of the past seven
* Titans will be aiming to avoid becoming the first team to lose 15 straight games since Newcastle (2016-17)
* Titans have conceded at least 24 points in 14 straight games, equalling the record set by South Sydney (2005-06).