Cartwright ’bitter’ at gala snub

NSW assistant coach John Cartwright is bitter at being snubbed from the Gold Coast Titans’ 10-year anniversary function, saying it wouldn’t have happened at “the good clubs where I have worked”.

The event to honour the club’s team of the decade on Saturday at Royal Pines will be 50 minutes from where Cartwright is in camp with the Blues at Kingscliff. But the man who coached the Titans in eight of their first 10 years didn’t make the invite list.

“I’m a little bit confused and bitter. I don’t know a lot about it other than it’s a 10-year anniversary of the Titans coming into the competition,” he said.

Cartwright conceded he left the club in 2014 under strained circumstances.

“I don’t really have an idea why I haven’t been invited but I didn’t leave on the best terms,” he said.

“I let some of the people responsible know my thoughts.”

Titans CEO Graham Annesley said the anniversary dinner was for past and present players, not officials.

“This is the club’s annual Charity Ball. The team of the decade will be acknowledged as voted for by the general public,” Annesley said.

“No administrators or coaching staff, past or present, were part of the public vote.”