Skilled Park, home of the Titans, opened to much fanfare in round 1, 2008. The Titans belted the Cowboys, 36 to 18 that night, with Jordan Atkins scoring four tries. They averaged a lofty home crowd of 21,600 that season. It was a sellout on opening night. In 2009, they finished third on the ladder, boasting names like Prince, Rogers, Campbell, and Bailey, but went out in straight sets, losing to the Broncos and then the Jarryd Hayne inspired Parramatta. Home games were major events with hundreds of Titans flags waving in the breeze on the eastern side of the ground. The future seemed assured. Since that year, there has been little to cheer about. There have been good signings, good patches of form and false dawns. They have been in the cellar for years, seemingly with no way out.
Clubs in this situation need a circuit breaker, a new coach, new signings. Not discards or veterans looking for one last pay cheque, or a crop of promising juniors willing to dig in for the long haul. The Titans may have finally found such a formula, although it is still a long way from fruition, if it happens at all. Hannay is a good coach, the improvement is clear to see, there is hope, more hope than there has been for years. The freakish Campbell, Kini, Harrison, Bai and Hau are young players who can provide a better future, alongside Tino, Mo, Brimson, Fermor and company. Their recent performances show genuine improvement, victories over Brisbane and Penrith and an agonizing last-minute loss away to the Melbourne Storm.
The Titans are averaging crowds of 16000 this year. That sounds like a rubbery figure to me. Most of them are hidden away in the corporate areas, I presume. I recently dropped my son at a game there and was surprised to see lots of families walking to the stadium wearing their full Titans kits, mum, dad, and the kids. Initially, I saw that as an act of cruelty by the parents. How could you do such a thing to your own children, surely, they would be better off supporting the star-studded Broncos or the Roosters, anyone really, except the Tigers. I recall the Titans and the Tigers played a Thursday night game at CBUS in 2022. Brimson scored at the death as the Titans snatched an 8 to 6 victory. It would have to be one of the worst NRL matches ever played. Both teams were eons away from what you expect to see in the NRL. It was a wet night to boot. But no, that is not what being a supporter is all about. Hard times are part of the journey. Imagine the sheer joy of seeing your perennial strugglers rise and win the premiership after years of heartache. There would be nothing better. I hope those parents and kids I saw walking to the ground that day can sit around one day and talk about the day the Titans won the premiership.
The best hope of breaking the drought this year would seem to be the “Warriors,” never winners and on a 31-year drought. Apart from the relative newcomers, the Dolphins, Parramatta haven’t won for 40 years, Canberra, 32, Newcastle, 25, Bulldogs, 22 and Tigers, 21. Throw in the Titans/Giants, Sea Eagles, who must be up there near the Warriors, in all, that is 7 clubs on 20+ year droughts. Could I cheer for a NZ team to win the NRL? I do not know. I never thought I could, but maybe if they played Penrith going for five in six years, I might.
Speaking of droughts, a Mr R Stuart of Canberra has coached a team to a premiership, in his first year as a head coach of the Roosters in 2002, almost 24 years ago. This is his 23rd year of NRL coaching, although he also coached Australia from 2006 to 2008 and NSW Origin in 2005, for a win, 2011, for a loss, and 2012, another loss. Despite winning an Origin series, he famously forgot that there was a shield presentation after the game to the winners, not sure if it was 2011 or 2012.
His Raiders had a good win on the weekend over the Bulldogs. Ricky was in a more talkative mood at his presser after the game. It was not his usual petulant one-minute offering that you often get after a loss. He was keen to give it to the “D@#$” in the media that have had the temerity to be critical of his spluttering “green machine.” He even granted an interview to the ABC on Sunday afternoon, where he was in good touch, although the interviewing crew seemed at pains to hose in his pocket and not run the risk of upsetting him. If you are not familiar with the narrative, Canberra gets a raw deal from everyone, the NRL, the referees and even players do not really want to go to the Raiders. He is fighting the good fight against all odds in the nation’s capital. It will be a heartwarming story if he manages to end his, now, 24-year premiership drought, no doubt.
If you want to watch a great yarn about drought breaking, have a watch of “Joy in Wrigleyville,” the story of the Chicago Cubs world series win in 2016. The Cubs broke a 108-year drought, having last won in 1908. Now that is a drought. Not one person that witnessed their last win was alive to see the next one, and generations of fans had gone to their graves without ever seeing a win. Tears flow freely as fans relate generational stories of their parents and grandparents who did not live long enough to witness the 2016 victory.
So come on fans, keep dusting off that old retro jersey and head out and support your team. One day it might all be worthwhile. I remember going to the grand final in Sydney in 1991 and seeing all the old Penrith, vertical brown and white striped “Chocolate soldiers” jerseys as Penrith won their first ever premiership. No one ever thought they would see that day, and of course, Royce Simmons was a two try hero. Ricky was on the losing side that day, playing for the Raiders. Penrith has gone on to win five more, so it can happen. And Ricky, you keep fighting the good fight down there in Canberra. If you win another one, I will begrudgingly tip my hat to you and say, ‘Well done.” Maybe. Or is somebody, the delivery boy from McDonalds, or anyone, going to say, after a quarter of a century, “Ricky, you have done the work, but CAN YOU DELIVER?”
Talk to you all next week.
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Interesting thoughts prospector- I was one of about 8 thousand (with my rabid tigers supporting nephew) at the titans 8-6 win over the Tigers at Skilled – it still rates as the worst NRL game I’ve watched- and the bus trip home with my catatonic nephew added to the memory. Surely the North Sydney Bears WA renewal goes to a drought back to 1922!