the centennial season

March is finally here, and for the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans, it’s time to put the training to the test

WORDS JASON SINTOME

Maiden match

March is a historic month for the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans with co-captains Scott Prince and Luke Bailey preparing to lead their team mates into battle against the North Queensland Cowboys in round one on 14th March. The match also marks the official opening of Skilled Park, a AU$160 million world-class stadium, right in the heart of the Gold Coast.

There are a number of match-ups for Rugby League purists to look forward to, with Prince up against Australian half-back Jonathan Thurston, and Titans 2007 best-and-fairest winner Anthony Laffranchi continuing his push for a representative call-up. In the backs, the Bowen Boys will be at it with Jetstar

Titans recruit Brenton looking to outshine his cousin Matt.

Rugby League Centenary 2008

It’s the biggest year in Rugby League’s history with all 16 NRL Premiership clubs celebrating 100 years of the 13-a-side game in Australia.

The Jetstar Gold Coast Titans, while just 24 games old, are looking forward to the start of centenary celebrations because the region is steeped in Rugby League history and folklore.

To mark the occasion, the Jetstar Titans will wear a specially designed playing strip for their round six, heritage-round match against the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. A capacity crowd of more than 50,000 is expected as the League’s newcomers take it to big brother.

JETSTAR GOLD COAST TITANS COACH JOHN CARTWRIGHT

How has the squad shaped up after your tough pre-season training regime?
I’ve seen a very pleasing transformation across the squad – we’re certainly a lot bigger and stronger than we were this time last year and I don’t think that we have sacrificed speed or agility.

Has it been hard motivating the team after the hype of the Jetstar Titans’ first year?
No. Motivation is never a problem when you have leaders like Prince and Bailey who strive for perfection. They are great benchmarks for the others to look up to and this year we have established a leadership group at the club, which includes Anthony Laffranchi, Mark Minichiello and Nathan Friend who are three of the best trainers in the game.

Who impressed you most during the pre-season campaign?
Apart from the players mentioned, Josh Graham has put in the hard yards. It’s good to see Mat Rogers training without the niggling injuries he carried through last season. Daniel Conn is another who was plagued with injury last year and he’s working really hard to make sure he’s in the selection mix and our new boys Aaron Cannings, Matt Cross and Ashley Harrison have also impressed me.

Predictions for 2008?
I’m not big on predictions, but I’d be lying if I didn’t target the finals series as a definite goal. We let ourselves down towards the end of last season and that’s been a real sticking point during the off-season, so certainly to finish somewhere in the top eight.

Jetstar Titans radio
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2008 Centenary Events Calendar Highlights:

MARCH TO SEPTEMBER
Harvey Norman Regional Celebrations
Rugby League will celebrate the contribution regional Australia has made to the game over a 100-year period by hosting 10 regional celebrations across New South Wales and Queensland.

MARCH TO JULY
Toyota Centenary Cup
A grass-roots knock-out competition to find the best bush footy team in Australia.

5 MARCH 2008
Season Launch of the 2008 Telstra Premiership
The NRL will host the official Premiership launch in Sydney.

16 APRIL 2008
Captains’ Table Centenary Ball
Held in Sydney on the eve of the anniversary of the Premiership’s first round, the public can purchase tables and a highlight will be the naming of the official Team of the Century.

18–21 APRIL 2008
Anniversary of the first-ever Premiership round on 20 April, 1908
NRL clubs play against each other in heritage jerseys on the basis of the eras they first entered the competition.

HERITAGE ROUND
– Wests Tigers v South; Parramatta v Manly
– Newcastle v Roosters; Cowboys v Warriors
– Bulldogs v Dragons; Cronulla v Penrith
– Broncos v Titans; Storm v Raiders

9 MAY 2008
Centenary Test – Sydney
Cricket Ground

Anniversary of the first ever-Test between Australia and New Zealand in 1908 with both teams wearing heritage replica jerseys for the occasion.

10 JUNE 2008
100 Years of Queensland v New South Wales
A gala event in Brisbane to mark a century of interstate Rugby League between Queensland and New South Wales and to announce the Queensland Team of the Century.

30 SEPTEMBER 2008
Men of League Ball, Sydney
Players from the past honour champions and help the needy.

5 OCTOBER 2008
2008 NRL Grand Final
Telstra Stadium hosts the 2008 Premiers – a match destined to become part of the history books.

25 OCTOBER TO 22 NOVEMBER 2008
The Centenary World Cup Final, Suncorp Stadium
The World Cup returns to Australian soil for the first time since 1977. Watch 10 nations compete in the crowning moment of the 2008 Centenary Year.

SKILLED PARK NUMBER FACTS:
27,000 Seating capacity
23,000 square metres of fabric roof
16,300 metres of precast concrete seating plats
2,500 tonnes of structural steel used
Two 500-person function rooms
100 open corporate boxes
25 enclosed corporate suites
16 food and beverage outlets