http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/09/15/137371_gold-coast-titans.html
Spray scores Titans coach $10,000 fine
Luke Turgeon | September 15th, 2009
Gold Coast Titans coach John Cartwright at training on the Gold Coast yesterday.
JOHN Cartwright will reach into his own pocket after the NRL last night imposed a $10,000 fine on the Titans following revelations the Gold Coast coach had approached match officials during Saturday night's qualifying final against Brisbane at Skilled Park.
As debate continued to rage over the Darren Lockyer `dive' saga, the bitter fallout took another twist after it was revealed Cartwright gave whistleblowers Ben Cummins and Ashley Klein a half-time spray during a chance meeting on his way to the Titans sheds.
It is the second time Cartwright has fallen foul of the NRL for confronting officials after he paid $5000 for approaching video referee Steve Nash against Manly in 2007.
Titans boss Michael Searle said Cartwright had already offered to pay the fine.
"When he stuffed up, Carty said he would pay it," said Searle.
"If he didn't have emotion in that game then he should give it up, fair dinkum.
"He walked down his normal path and was in the centre tunnel and they walked through the centre tunnel as he was walking into the dressing sheds.
"He was clearly very guarded with what he said in the press conference and that was smart, but his blood was boiling at half-time."
NRL rules state that under no circumstances are match officials to be approached, questioned, or harassed in any way by club officials either during or after a match.
"Coaches have ample opportunity to give reasonable opinions on refereeing decisions to the media and, in the days following, to the referees' coaching staff but it is unacceptable for them to approach the referee at the game," said NRL chief David Gallop.
Lockyer's reputation takes a dive
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/09/14/137101_gold-coast-titans.htmlLuke Turgeon | September 14th, 2009
Broncos skipper Darren Lockyer appears to milk a penalty in the 43rd minute. Pictures courtesy of Channel 9
IT is the `dive' that would have made Beijing gold medallist Matthew Mitcham proud.
All that was missing was a pair of Speedos, as Australian Test captain Darren Lockyer turned it on for `judges' Ben Cummins and Ashley Klein to milk a crucial penalty against the Gold Coast on Saturday night.
In the 43rd minute the Broncos skipper collapsed to the Skilled Park turf after a seemingly innocuous bump from Titans centre Chris Walker.
Lockyer lay sprawled out for up to a minute, before a penalty was awarded and Broncos teammate Corey Parker potted a gift two points, shooting Brisbane to a 30-10 lead.
"It is not normally in Locky's nature to take a dive and if he did, it is a bit of a blemish on a fantastic career he has had," said Titans co-captain Luke Bailey.
"Walks isn't going to hurt too many people at the best of times -- no disrespect to him -- but he hasn't got too much shoulder or chest on him. But I didn't think there was much in it."
The Lockyer penalty has infuriated the Titans, compounded by Brisbane centre Israel Folau's push to the back of Walker in the first half that went unpunished and resulted in a Broncos `benefit of the doubt' try.
The converted Folau try and the Parker penalty goal gifted the Broncos eight points, the difference between the two sides (40-32) when the full-time siren sounded.
Titans coach John Cartwright blasted the match officials' performance as `disgraceful', blaming them for snuffing out a miraculous second-half fight back from the Gold Coast.
"If you are going to penalise that (the Lockyer bump), you have got to be fair and disallow that try (to Folau)," said Bailey.
"And I thought the Gold Coast couldn't stoop any lower. But, I have lived here long enough to know we have grown into a bunch of sore losers and sooks. Obviously the bulletin forgot to actually review the footage, you know, the footage showing Chris Walker going out of his way to plant one on Darren Lockyer who wasn't involved in the play. Typical thug, typical Gold Coast, typical whinging bunch of sooks. You're a disgrace Titans, the 16th Licence should have gone to Perth or Adelaide"
"I think Walks got pushed over. If you are going to penalise one team you have to penalise the other.
"Like Carty said, he wasn't happy with the refs' performance and neither were we."
The Broncos yesterday declined to respond to suggestions Lockyer deliberately took a dive.
But a Brisbane official said Lockyer was unfazed by the speculation.
The man at the centre of both incidents, Titans' former Origin flyer Chris Walker, stopped short of branding Lockyer a diver yesterday but said the incident was `disappointing'.
"I know that I didn't give him what he said I gave him and that is disappointing from the Australian captain," said Walker.
"It was around the shoulders and all it was, was just a push.
"It wasn't with the shoulder and there wasn't any malice in it.
"It is disappointing for a player of his stature in the game to do what he did."
Cartwright was in a more relaxed mood at the Titans recovery session at Currumbin yesterday following a heated post-match press conference on Saturday night. But he maintained his frustration at officials.
"I would have hated to go out in that fashion," said Cartwright, whose side would have been eliminated if the Bulldogs lost despite finishing the season in third.
"We probably won't get a lot of credit for the way we played but I thought our forwards answered their critics.
"We were in it right to the death and to come back the way we did has given us a lot of heart."
Cartwright furious over refs calls
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/09/13/136761_gold-coast-titans.htmlLuke Turgeon | September 13th, 2009
John Cartwright ponders what could have been after what he descirbed were glaring inconsistencies.
FURIOUS Titans coach John Cartwright blasted inconsistent refereeing for costing the Gold Coast victory against the Brisbane Broncos in their historic finals debut on Saturday night.
Incensed at the number of calls that went against his side in the first half and several puzzling decisions which stunted their brave fightback, Cartwright took aim at whistleblowers Ben Cummins and Ashley Klein after the match.
"It was disgraceful," said Cartwright.
"Some decisions that went against us definitely cost us the game.
"They scored a lot of points off the back of things that went against us.
"It is a semi-final and we got penalised twice for pushing.
"Ashley Harrison in the first penalty of the game, after it went 10 or 12 minutes with both sides offside and both sides fighting in the ruck like hell, gets penalised for pushing. "Chris Walker gets penalised for pushing.
"I am just aggro and I hate doing it because it was such a great game of footy. "It was just wrong." Titans fullback Mat Rogers was taken to hospital by ambulance for scans after being knocked out cold in the lead-up to the final try of the game.
As Rogers lay motionless on the turf in backplay, Titans trainer Trevor Gillmeister tried to stop the match but was ignored by officials.
A couple of plays later, with the margin at just two points, Broncos prop Dave Taylor plucked an intercept to race away for the winning try. Cartwright said his players were shattered.
"I know Gilly wasn't happy, he was worried about Rogers who was out cold and he was trying to get the game (stopped)," said Cartwright. "We are very fortunate to have Chris Close (in the sheds) who has got tears running down his face talking to those boys.
"All we can do is take the positives out of that.
"We are in the lap of the gods now and I still say through no fault of our own.
"Over-achievers, whatever you want to call them (Broncos), they did nothing wrong and deserved to win the game."
Prince, who had a running battle with Cummins all night, was similarly scathing in his assessment.
"It is difficult, especially when you are playing against a very experienced team in the Broncos," said Prince.
"You just can't give them that, especially with possession and field position, they are going to hurt you.
"I guess at the end of the day that is exactly what happened in that first period.
"We fought back and showed some courage but I think the damage was done."
Titans managing director Michael Searle said he was tremendously proud not only of his players but the passionate and vocal home crowd.
"The crowd lifted the players, they really did," said Searle.
"I thought they were outstanding.
"I am so proud of our fan base and so proud of our players.
"It just reinforces what this club stands for.
The season appears over for Titans utility Josh Graham, who suffered an ankle injury.
<H1>Bite slur `masks Souths slump'</H1>http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/08/17/108971_gold-coast-titans.html
Luke Turgeon | August 17th, 2009
Gold Coast Titans player William Zillman arrives back at Coolangatta Airport after playing South Sydney
FURIOUS Gold Coast officials yesterday sank their teeth into Souths boss Shane Richardson after he vowed to bring down Titans fullback William Zillman over biting allegations.
Titans managing director Michael Searle and head coach John Cartwright took aim at Richardson, saying his comments were simply aimed at deflecting attention away from the Rabbitohs' failed finals bid.
"It is typical of Shane Richardson," said Searle.
"Their season is over, so it reeks of that. This is just a good opportunity for them to divert the attention away from themselves really because they have had another failed season."
