Gold for Gold: Titans vow to deliver first Gold Coast premiership

Gold for Gold!

That’s the motto inspiring the Titans NRLW players to become the first team from the Gold Coast in any sporting code to win a premiership.

Wooden spooners last season, the Titans are now just one win from history after a 12-0 semi-final shutout of the highly fancied Sydney Roosters to set up a grand final clash with premiers Newcastle at Accor Stadium on Sunday.

Titans coach Karyn Murphy – after whom the medal awarded to the player of the match in the premiership decider is named – has also added to her legendary status by becoming the first woman in charge of a grand final team.

“Right from the start, we said we wanted 'gold for Gold', and we have never shied away from the fact that was our end goal,” former New Zealand Rugby Sevens star Niall Williams-Guthrie said.

“To have put ourselves in the position where we are only 70 minutes away from doing that is just credit to the girls, our coaching staff and our management.”

Titans players re-enforced their ambition after securing a finals berth with a 30-6 defeat of the Raiders in the last round of the regular season and veteran forward Steph Hancock said that had left her convinced they would beat the Roosters.

“We were confident, but not cocky, and that is obviously the major goal next weekend,” Hancock said.

Hopefully we can be the first ever Gold Coast team to win because you can't take that away from a side to be the first to win a grand final in any sport.

“Hopefully we can be the first ever Gold Coast team to win because you can't take that away from a side to be the first to win a grand final in any sport.

“That's massive and we have known that. From the Tweed to Logan, it's a massive community and our focus is to make the Gold Coast proud.”

Hancock is one of four players to have tasted premiership success with the Broncos teams that dominated the first three seasons of the NRLW, along with Shannon Mato, Brittany Breayley-Nati, Jessika Elliston and Lauren Brown.

The team also has five players - Chantay Kiria-Ratu, Destiny Mino-Sinipati, Rilee Jorgensen, Sienna Lofipo and Dannii Perese - who made their NRLW debuts this year.

Captain Georgia Hale has played all six seasons of the NRLW for the Warriors and Titans but is also in her first grand final.

“It’s been a long journey but I’m very lucky to be alongside girls that have been in this position before, having led into a grand final week or being premiership winners before," Hale said.

“There's a feeling within the group that we want ‘gold for Gold’ - that's what we're after and it's within arm's reach now.”

While the Knights are expected to have more support at Accor Stadium after drawing a crowd of 12,689 for last Sunday’s semi-final against the Broncos, Titans players feel the Gold Coast has gotten behind them this season.

Williams-Guthrie said the players wanted to repay the fans with an historic premiership.

“The community is so supportive of us," Williams-Guthrie said.

"They always come out to our trainings and and even when we play at Cbus … on numbers it didn't seem like that many, but when you're out on the field it feels like the stadium is full from the support you get.

“For us to be able to give back in this way, and to be part of our first premiership winning team – and of the men's NRL and any sport on the Gold Coast - would be massive.”