Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook knows the potential of his side and is hoping a good week at training will help produce a quality start against their North Queensland rivals.
Conceding over 20 points in the first 40 minutes of both contests over the last fortnight before winning the second half but not the game in the affairs against Parramatta and Manly, the Titans mentor is confident his team can start chalking up the wins should they perform across the entire match.
"We've been training great all year and what's letting us down is not being able to do it for 80 minutes in games," Holbrook said.
"There's plenty of fight in the side and we showed that again last week, not conceding a try in the second half again, but there are periods that we are not doing well enough that we've got to get right."
Match: Cowboys v Titans
Round 7 -
home Team
Cowboys
5th Position
away Team
Titans
12th Position
Venue: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville
With the team disappointed to only have two wins from their first six matches of the season... going down in every match by less than eight points, Holbrook knows it's time to start putting together a few wins to get the Titans season back on track.
"We're not happy... no one plans on losing games," Holbrook said.
"When that happens, obviously the weeks get hard and that's normal, but in terms of that, win or lose, we prepare the same every week. We do the same amount of work. We just have to turn it around.
"We're not far off. Four tries all at the end of the day last week, but we're not happy with it and we've got to start winning games."
David Fifita is outrageous
Besides bringing home the two competition points, the biggest aim of this weekend's clash against the Cowboys will be to stay in the contest when the momentum goes against the side, which will go a long way in helping the team stay in the grind for the entire 80 minutes.
"I think when when momentum is not going our way, hopefully we can turn it quicker," Holbrook said.
"Unfortunately for us, when we concede one, we're conceding three or four tries and then we're getting our act together and scoring three or four ourselves.
"It's probably when we're on the back foot, being able to handle a lot better than what we have done so far this year, because for large periods, we've been terrific, but for the full 80 minutes, we haven't and we know that's what we've got to get better at."
If a must-win Queensland derby on ANZAC weekend wasn't enough motivation to leave nothing on the field for the win, the Gold Coast will also play for the Corporal Cameron Baird VC trophy.
A proud Titans member, Corporal Baird was killed in the line of duty whilst tasked to a Second Commando Regiment raid on a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan.
Renowned for always being the first among his unit to run towards the enemy fire and the first through the doorway of any stronghold, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroic actions during the raid and his father Doug shared the story of his son's bravery at training this week.
"It's a special weekend for us through Doug and Cameron Baird and what Cameron has done for our country and obviously being Titans fans which is terrific," Holbrook said.
"Throughout the whole NRL weekend and throughout the whole country, ANZAC weekend is special for everybody and we're lucky with we're living the lives we're living because of those guys.
"It is a special weekend and it's one that we'd love to win a game of footy just to play a little contribution to the weekend."
