Why the Titans need to be 'chips in' from Round 1

After a disappointing year, which saw Des Hasler depart the Gold Coast, Jarrod Croker believes that the Titans need to start 2026 far stronger to help remove the pressure off new coach Josh Hannay.

Having finished 16th, the Titans have signed the former Cronulla and North Queensland player to a three-year contract to help revitalise the playing group.

One of the main points of focus will be on defence after conceding just under 30 points per game for 2025 (the most by any team last year).

But with his experience having worked at club and Origin level, this according to Mat Rogers should help turn the tide.

“Josh is a winner,” Rogers said on SEN’s Sportsday with Rat and Jarrod.

“He is a part of the Queensland (Origin) make-up. He’s been working under Fitzy (Craig Fitzgibbon) for a number of (years at Cronulla). They’ve made finals (and) played (in the) top four for the last few years.

“The one he’ll want to rectify is that in 2025, they had the worst defensive record in the league.”

That challenge becomes even harder considering that they have lost plenty of experience in their line-up with Kieran Foran (retirement), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Super League) and David Fifita being just some of the names that they lost over the offseason.

But if they can start the season well with a win in Hannay’s first game in charge, this could help build momentum for their season.

“I know every team wants to start well, but they’ve got to be chips in straight away (when) going to Cronulla," Croker explained.

“It’s got to be an ambush, it’s got to be setting a precedent straight away because when you’re struggling (for a period of time, there are) not many sides come out of that and have a really good season because they have a good finish to the year.

“I know the years we’ve missed the finals and we’ve come out and (gone) right ho (like in) 2019.

“We made a statement early (on and) we won a few games, and it was, ‘Oh yep, they’ve winning a couple of games’, but you keep on winning, and you start breathing it (the winning culture).

“But if you come out and lose seven (games) out of the first eight/nine, then all of a sudden Hannay’s under the pump and all the talk about the players.

“Everyone is under the pump again, so they have to go balls out (from) game one.”

The Titans play their first pre-season game against the Dolphins at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe on February 12.

Their first game of the 2026 season is on March 7 against the Sharks at Ocean Protect Stadium.