Zeb Taia has a place in Gold Coast rugby league history when he becomes the 300th player to represent the region in the NRL/ARL competitions.
The Titans have continued the tradition of numbering the region’s representatives that started with the Giants who entered the competition with Newcastle Knights and Brisbane Broncos in 1988, while also recording our own playing list that began with the Titans in 2007.
The 31-year-old debuts for the Titans against his former Newcastle Knights teammates on Sunday as Titans’ player No. 106.
However, there were 196 pre-Titans players – starting with inaugural Giants captain Billy Johnstone and ending with Cameron Durnford who was the last Chargers debutant in 1998.
However, two players – Preston Campbell and David Myles – represented the Chargers and the first-season Titans – which leaves 300 players who have run onto the field in first grade over the period spanning 28 years and 21 seasons.
“It’s a nice milestone to return to the NRL on and I hope I can mark it with a win against my old club,” Taia said.
Fellow new boy Chris McQueen also has s special number which, presumably, will find its place in the form of ink onto his body sometime in the future.
McQueen has his South Sydney player number of 1070 tattooed on one side of his neck and, remarkably, now becomes Titans player No. 107!
The club numbers players according to their debut dates. If there are more than one debutants on the same day, they are entered in sequence of jersey number.
Last season David Hala became Titans No. 100 and Leva Li 101. On Sunday we have seven newcomers in Nathan Davis (102), Tyrone Roberts (103), Ash Taylor (104), David Shillington (105), Taia (106), McQueen (107) and Leivaha Pulu (108).
