Titans glad to be home TITANS SHARKS
Wallace embraces fortress after travel struggles
GOLD Coast’s NRL return to Cbus Super Stadium couldn’t come soon enough, with star prop Jarrod Wallace revealing the side fell short of the goals they set for their six-week travel block.
The Titans have not played at their Robina home field since Round 1, when they charged home to stun Canberra.
Since then, their travel path has taken them to Auckland, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Gladstone, Penrith and Townsville – and now back to the Coast, at last, to face Cronulla tonight at 5.30pm.
Wallace said a mission had been set to win four games in the six-week period between true home games and conceded they were disappointed to emerge with only two victories.
“A couple of us said we would like four from the six travelling,” he told the Bulletin.
“We were a little bit off but it wasn’t dire straits … now we have just got to be focusing on the rest of the year and now we’re back at home, that crowd and that atmosphere always helps us.
“And just that feeling of being in our sheds, being on our field always helps you as well.
“That’s our fortress where you don’t want to get beaten.
“We have still got plenty of games there to do that. We have got some tough games coming up too, especially the Sharks.”
Though unable to meet their lofty expectations, the side are still within striking distance with a 3-4 record.
“We would like to be going better but we’re definitely not going terrible,” Wallace added.
“It’s just such a tight comp at the moment. We’re not in a bad position.”
The match will be Wallace’s 100th at NRL level and he’ll get to lead the team out ahead of his old Titans under-18 teammate Ryan James.
“We played SG Ball together in 2009 so it’s going to be great running out behind him for his 100th game,” said James, now the club’s NRL skipper.
“He has come back to where it started and hopefully he can finish it here as well. I’d love to play with Jarrod longterm and I think we go well together up in the front-row.”
James was equally excited to return to Cbus, where they last year trounced the Sharks 30-10 in torrential conditions.
“Hopefully it’s going to be a packed stadium,” he said.
“The field is looking in the best condition it has looked in and I’m just stoked to be back home playing in front of my family.”