Young gun Cartwright must learn when to fire
GOLD Coast coach Garth Brennan has labelled gun recruit Bryce Cartwright as a work in progress still learning when to “pull the trigger” in attack.
Cartwright was one of six players to make their Titans debut in a stirring 30-28 comefrom-behind defeat of Canberra on Sunday.
Trailing 18-0 after 11 minutes it was looking like a nightNRL mare introduction for the rookie NRL coach, with Cartwright and his fellow middle defenders brutally exposed.
The former Penrith talent had a game-high seven missed tackles, while he threw in a several speculation flick passes that didn’t come off in what Brennan labelled a mixed debut.
But the coach said his 26 tackles to go with nine runs and three tackle breaks offered glimpses of what lies ahead.
“It was up and down; he did some good things but he did some things I’d prefer he didn’t do,” Brennan said. “But he’ll learn from that ... he’s only 23 and he hasn’t played a lot in the middle or lots of minutes in the last 18 months either.
“He’s a handful, he’s just got to know when to pull the trigger and when not to, because there was a few times there … where he shouldn’t have pulled the trigger and he did.”
Fellow newcomers Jai Arrow and Michael Gordon had solid first games in Titans colours, while Mitch Rein was among the side’s best off the bench at hooker.
Brennan praised Rein and bench forwards Morgan Boyle and Max King, the latter of whom made 130 running metres and helped turn the tide in the middle of the park.
“The bench made a difference when they came on,” he said.