It’s Hip to play fair
Brennan warns young firebrand to ignore rivals’ baiting
GOLD Coast coach Garth Brennan has warned newly re-signed forward Keegan Hipgrave to rise above the baiting or expect a demotion to reserve grade.
The 21-year-old is tipped for big things and last week committed to a Titans side that will boast a pack full of representative forwards next season.
Hipgrave has earned a reputation for his aggressive on-field ways and this week described himself a “controlled loose cannon”.
Last month he became the first NRL player in 16 years to be sin-binned twice in one game, spending two stints off the field in his side’s Round 14 loss to South Sydney.
Brisbane’s pack also got the better of him and, after conceding another ill-timed penalty in the weekend’s loss to Newcastle, Brennan said Hipgrave needed to stop being taken advantage of by opposition nigglers.
“He’s got to be smarter than that. That’s just being dumb,” Brennan said.
“You’re going to play against a lot of players that are very good at that (niggling).
“If you’re going to bite every week then you’re going to be spending a fair bit of time on the sideline and if you’re doing that you’re going to be spending a bit of time at (Queensland Cup feeder clubs) Tweed or Burleigh.”
Hipgrave gets the chance to heed Brennan’s advice when the Titans take on the eighth-placed New Zealand Warriors at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday.
Kane Elgey is on standby for boom Titans five-eighth AJ Brimson as he battles to overcome a concussion suffered on Saturday.
Elgey has not played at NRL level since Gold Coast’s Round 7 loss to North Queensland in April.
A groggy Brimson was helped from the field in Newcastle after copping a heavy hit while attempting to make a tackle.
Veteran second-rower Will Matthews has been named to make his return for the game, with prop Leilani Latu set to be relegated to 18th man.
For the Warriors, Blake Green and Tohu Harris have been included but they lose suspended prop Adam Blair.
Out-of-favour Titans recruit Bryce Cartwright is set to return for Tweed Heads after almost a month out following a broken hand.
Cartwright had been dropped by Brennan before the injury after a string of poor defensive efforts.