Is this a sign the Toowoomba/Mustangs return to Q cup next year. The Western Mustangs now have an affiliation agreement with the GC Titans. It would seem strange for an NRL club to set up a pathway with an entity that doesn't play at Qcup level.
The Aquis Gold Coast Titans are pleased to announce that an affiliate agreement has been reached with the Western Mustangs and their associate teams throughout the Toowoomba and south-west Queensland region.
The two-year commitment will see the Gold Coast Titans and Western Mustangs operate a Football Affiliation Partnership that will look to benefit both parties and the development of rugby league players and staff in both areas. All teams within the Toowoomba and south-west Queensland region will continue to compete in their own competition with the Mustangs acting as a feeder team to the Titans alongside the other affiliated clubs.
Titans players’ surplus to requirements will be offered to the Western Mustangs as part of the affiliate program and in-turn, the Western Mustangs, will have a definitive pathway opportunity to help their development.
Chief Operating Officer Tony Mestrov is excited about the opportunity to work with the Western Mustangs.
“The Toowoomba and south-west region of Queensland has large participation numbers and to have an affiliation with the Western Mustangs is a good opportunity for the Titans,” he said.
“It is great for the players in that region to know that they now have a development pathway and will be given a definitive path to a potential NRL career.”
On top of the playing arrangements, Titans coaching staff will conduct coach education sessions for both the junior and senior groups throughout the area. The club will also hold additional education nights for the parents of players, focusing on topics relevant to elite youth.
“These partnerships are based on much more than the on-field arrangements,” Mestrov added.
“The education sessions will give a lot of people access to the experienced coaching and welfare staff here at the Titans which will give them the opportunity to learn from people involved in rugby league at an elite level.”
Western Mustangs Chairman Paul Reedy is pleased that an agreement has been reached with the Titans.
“The most important thing is that the players within our region will be able to stay at home and play in their local area but they will now know that they have a direct path through to an NRL club, which is what any young player is striving to become,” Reedy said.
http://www.titans.com.au/news/2016/10/14/titans_reach_affilia.html
