Titans missing early intensity once again

It didn’t go where he wanted it to, but how often can you tell the opposition what to do?

Konrad Hurrell watched the ball wobble through the air and bounce on the ground a few metres away.

Matterson, Neil Henry’s assistant coach, let Hurrell know in no uncertain terms what he thought of his lethargy and ordered the kick-off taken again.

This time the ball went to Tyrone Roberts at fullback and the Titans rehearsed their sixtackle set. On Saturday night, Feldt’s wobbly kick-off to start the Round 4 game went in Hurrell’s direction.

It bounced and Johnathan Thurston charged through and nearly pounced on it, Hurrell just beating him to the punch.

The Titans would make 50 more tackles than the Cowboys in the first 20 minutes of the game as they trailed 10-0.

Coaches and experienced players know you play how you train and Titans forward Chris McQueen, a former Queensland Origin representative, said the Gold Coast must lift their intensity.

“If we can start our training sessions the way we want to play, start with more intensity, and carry that into a game (it would be beneficial),” he said.

“Instead of warming into our training sessions, then we get out on to the field in our games and do the same thing in games. It’s certainly something we have to address as a playing group.”

The Titans are the only team in the NRL this season to have not scored any points in the opening 20 minutes of their four matches. In the same period they have conceded 38.