Titans CEO Steve Mitchell was in Lismore Thursday as the Gold Coast Titans gear up to head south to Lismore on Saturday, February 7 for a major community celebration.
As part of the build-up to the 2026 season, the entire NRL squad and coaching staff will host a free, family-friendly open training session and fan day at Crozier Field, giving fans a rare chance to get up close with the players in one of the final sessions before the club’s first trial match.
Titans CEO Steve Mitchell, speaking in Lismore on Thursday, said the visit was about more than just training, that it was a celebration of the region’s rugby league roots and strong community spirit.
“We are very, very excited about being in Lismore on the 7th of February, as this is one of our really important community regions," he said.
Highlighting the growth of rugby league in the area, with local Group 18 participation at record levels.
“We’ve got three of our current first-grade squad out of the Northern Rivers in Zane Harrison, Jaylen DeGroot and Josh Patston, who’s out of Lismore and played his entire career here, and he has a very exciting year ahead of him."
The day is set to be action-packed, starting with an open training session with the Titans affiliate club Tweed Seagulls joining the NRL-side at 9.30am, followed by a full team signing session at 11.30am.
Fans will be able to watch the session, meet players up close, collect autographs and take photos, with plenty of activities planned for kids and families throughout the morning and early afternoon.
“There’ll be a big crowd,” Mitchell said when asked about the local support.
“Lismore people are sport-mad. It’s a big rugby league community here too, and just giving them an opportunity to get in front of the squad that’s coming this year is great … there’ll be lots of kids and lots of families here.”
Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg endorsed Mitchell's sentiment.
"This is fantastic for Lismore that an NRL side would come here to have a training session and for the club to expand their fan base," he said.
"Also, for the players to see the devastation that the 2022 flood has caused a community in their backyard."
In the lead-up to the fan day, the Titans squad will be visiting local schools across the Northern Rivers to deliver the Try Time Tales program, which is part of the club’s ongoing commitment to community engagement.
The night before Lismore training event, the club will join a sports dinner at the Northern Rivers Hotel, where players and supporters can connect in a more relaxed setting.
Reflecting on the significance of regional engagement, Mitchell reinforced the importance of connecting with Members and fans.
“If you disconnect with your communities and the people that actually come to your games and play your game, you become just a retail shop front, which we’re not," he said.
"We need to be in our regions.
"The only reason that the game is here is because of the people who follow the game, play the game, volunteer, buy tickets, and come to our games.”
This fan day follows a successful Titans trial in Lismore in 2022 and comes at a time when the town continues its proud recovery from the devastating floods of recent years.
Whether you’re a lifelong supporter or just getting into rugby league, Crozier Field on February 7 will be the place to be for a great community days and chance to get up close and personal with NRL talent.
The Saturday fan day will commence with training against Tweed Seagulls at 9.30am, followed by a signing session at 11.30am - click here to register to attend.
The Titans will also welcome the Ipswich community to their opposed training session against the Jets this Wednesday, January 28. More details available here.
