Longer holiday? Give me a break
TITANS coach Justin Holbrook has slammed a push for NRL players to receive extended holidays this year as Gold Coast sets its sights on hitting 2021 with momentum.
The Titans will be out to equal a club record five straight wins when they host Newcastle at Cbus Super Stadium on Friday night in the final round of the season.
The Titans are out of finals contention but can finish the year in ninth spot with a win, which would be their first victory against a top eight team in 2020.
Eight teams will then embark on an off-season holiday. However, the exact length of the break remains unclear.
Holbrook said he wanted the Titans to report for preseason training on November 16, giving them seven weeks off, but the Rugby League Players’ Association was pushing for a longer break.
Players are usually entitled to eight weeks’ holidays, but Holbrook said that was “ridiculous” given the COVIDaffected season had run a month later than normal.
“The game’s getting quicker and people are getting injured more due to not being up to speed with the game. We’re going a bit too far the other way as a collective game,” Holbrook said.
“We haven’t got time for that (longer break) this year. We’re finishing the season later and they’re going to have more time off, then next year starts at the same time.
“It will depend on the RLPA and those agreements. They’re trying to give the players more time off, which is crazy.
“I want the players to enjoy their break. I’m really proud of how we’ve finished the season. It’s a reward for the hard work they’ve put in all year.”
Holbrook is desperate for the Titans to get stuck into their 2021 campaign as quickly as possible and build on the momentum of this year.
Knocking off the Knights would be the icing on the cake for Holbrook’s class of 2020, which has overcome a poor start to the year to finish the season in hot touch.
The Titans’ eight wins in 19 games have all come against teams below them on the ladder, and Holbrook said the Knights would present a tough test for his resurgent team.
“We’re going up in class, we’re facing a top eight side desperate to win a home semifinal,” he said.
“About nine weeks ago we started really gelling together. We came close against Penrith and were a bit unlucky against the Roosters. We’ve been thereabouts a couple of times with the top sides.”
The game will be the final Titans appearance for South Sydney-bound Jai Arrow, while Ryan James (Canberra), Nathan Peats, Dale Copley and Tyrone Roberts will also be farewelled.