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Emotions high for Titans

Emotions high for Titans

09/02/2011 03:41:44 AM

Emotions are running high on the Gold Coast as the Titans plan to farewell a host of players leaving the club with a win over Parramatta in Saturday night's bottom-of-the-table clash at Skilled Park.

The tourist strip club will avoid the wooden spoon if they can knock off the Eels but they have far more motivation heading into the match aside from their desire to dodge the dreaded booby prize.

Clinton Toopi (retirement), Riley Brown (Newcastle local league), Luke Capewell (Broncos), Anthony Laffranchi (St Helens), Will Matthews (Dragons), Preston Campbell (retirement), Esi Tonga (Parramatta), Nathan Friend (NZ Warriors), Brad Meyers (retirement), Mat Rogers (retirement), Shannon Walker (rugby sevens) and Joe Tomane (ACT Brumbies) have all either left the club or will do so at the end of the season.

It's the biggest player exodus in the Titans' short history and Laffranchi said the realisation that the current group would never be together again was starting to sink in.

"As the week's winding down with this, the last session, it's starting to get a little emotional," he said.

"Saturday night will be a great occasion and one I'll cherish."

Laffranchi was the Titans' fourth ever signing after jumping ship from the Tigers in 2007 and over the course of his five-year spell at Robina, it proved to be an inspired move.

It was at the Titans where Laffranchi, who grew up in Murwillumbah, just 13km south of the Queensland border, earned his first ever State of Origin and Test jumpers.

"I've played my best footy here," he said.

"I'm happy outside of rugby league here, and that plays a big part in your performance."

"I'm definitely settled here on the Coast, with family and friends here. It's great to have your support network behind you."

"Being an inaugural member (of the squad), our fourth signing... just seeing the club build itself from the ground up has been the most proud part."

Murwillumbah junior Laffranchi said although they will be spurred on by the forthcoming player departures, him and his team-mates cannot avoid the spectre of the spoon.

"It's there in our face," he said.

"But purely, there's going to be a lot of emotion on Saturday night."

"You just want to finish the year on a high and it just comes into account that we are playing for the wooden spoon."

"That's something I haven't had in my career and I'll be doing everything possible on Saturday night (to avoid it)."

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

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