Home and away
Titans face fight to keep games at Cbus when action resumes
THE Titans could be forced to play home games in Brisbane as the NRL scrambles to finalise venues for the revamped season.
The NRL has sounded out Suncorp Stadium about the possibility of hosting Titans home games in a bid to minimise the number of venues it needs to be compliant with strict biosecurity protocols.
The first two rounds of the new-look season were released yesterday without any venues assigned to the games ahead of the May 28 kick-off.
The Cowboys and Titans will clash on Friday, May 29, at what is expected to be the new Townsville Stadium.
But the Titans’ Round 4 home game against Wests Tigers on Sunday, June 7, could be hosted at Suncorp Stadium instead of Cbus Super Stadium at Robina.
The NRL is looking to minimise the venues it hires because it will implement stringent measures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.
That could see the Titans forced an hour up the M1 to play home games.
The NRL will next week finalise its stadium arrangements and Titans CEO Steve Mitchell said the club would deal with any decision.
“We will make it work,” he said. “It’s not ideal but the circumstances at the moment aren’t normal.
“The playing group, coaches and administration are excited to be back.
“We will make do and get through the challenges we’ve got in front of us to get back on the paddock. We’d love to be playing at home though.”
The Cowboys will have two home games to start the new season and will host Cronulla in Round 4 on June 6.
The game will be Cowboys fullback Valentine Holmes’ first against his former club since his NFL return.
Meanwhile, Bryce Cartwright is set to be dropped from his starting spot as Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook weighs up mass changes.
Cartwright fronted for training yesterday after his exemption from the Queensland Government to avoid having a flu vaccination.
The 11th-hour exemption came after Cartwright received documentation from a doctor outlining why he should be exempt from having the vaccination which all other Queensland-based NRL players have received.
Cartwright and teammate Brian Kelly were stood down from training last Friday, with Kelly returning on Thursday after agreeing to a flu jab.
But Cartwright’s weeklong showdown with the Government and NRL is set to come at a cost, with the forward behind the eight-ball in the lead-up to the May 28 NRL season reboot.
Despite starting in the first two games of the 2020 season, Cartwright trained with the Gold Coast’s secondstring team in a yellow shirt yesterday morning.
He was replaced in the starting 13 by young forward Keegan Hipgrave, who has been cleared to return after missing most of last season with concussion issues.