PRESSURE ON ELGEY
GOLD Coast NRL coach Garth Brennan has challenged five-eighth Kane Elgey to stand up when a young Titans side meets the Broncos this weekend.
Fans had high hopes for Elgey last season but 2017 proved unkind for the Tugun junior as he struggled for form.
“Kane Elgey gets a chance to play in the halves and really steer us around on the weekend and maybe put some pressure on him I suppose a little bit to take control of that football team,” Brennan said.
“He’s had a great preseason. He belongs there. He just needs to get out there and own that football team.”
GOLD Coast NRL coach Garth Brennan has challenged five-eighth Kane Elgey to stand up when a young Titans side meets the Broncos on Saturday night in Toowoomba.
Fans had high hopes for Elgey last season but 2017 proved unkind for the Tugun junior as he struggled for form.
Brennan though has thrown his full support behind his No.6 and will give him maximum opportunity to rediscover his best footy by fielding him in the club’s opening trial of the pre-season at Clive Berghofer Stadium.
Many other top-line players, including marquee Ash Taylor and incumbent skipper Ryan James, are being rested until next week’s clash with the New Zealand Warriors on the Sunshine Coast.
“Kane Elgey gets a chance to play in the halves and really steer us around on the weekend and maybe put some pressure on him I suppose a little bit to take control of that football team,” Brennan said. “He’s had a great pre-season. He belongs there.
“He just needs to get out there and own that football team.”
Brennan is excited to see a number of young guns play in anger and “show me what they have got”.
Among those are Brendan Elliot, named at fullback, and
rookie halfback Alexander
“AJ” Brimson.
Recruits Kiah Cooper, Brenko Lee, Leilani Latu, Jai Whitbread and Bryce Cartwright have all been handed starting opportunities, while their 10-man bench is filled with fresh faces.
Titans development players Tony Matautia and Moeaki Fotuaika will get a chance, as will Burleigh’s Apiata Noema, Jamal Fogarty, Blake Leary, Chris Law and Justin Tavae, and Tweed’s Cheyne Whitlaw.
Asked what he wanted to see from the 6.30pm fixture, Brennan wished for no injuries and evidence of players implementing what they had worked on so far during preseason.