Titans set NRL deadline for Turner - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Titans set NRL deadline for Turner

By Daniel Pace 14/11/2006 06:52:21 PM Comments (0)

The Gold Coast Titans have given rebellious Melbourne winger Steve Turner less than two weeks to start training with the new NRL club.

As the Titans undertook their first public training session, managing director Michael Searle said the club wanted the 22-year-old flyer on the Gold Coast by Monday, November 27 to help integrate with his new teammates.

"His biggest fear is that his teammates won't accept him," said Searle.

"He'll definitely get sledged by the boys but that'll be all over in a couple of days.

"I'm sure they'll come up with a nickname for the rest of the season."

The Titans announced the recruitment of Turner in June but the Penrith junior insisted he had not signed a contract and subsequently re-signed with the Storm in August.

The NRL has sided with the Titans in the bitter tug-of-war and has refused to register the three-year contract Turner had signed with the Storm.

Turner's manager David Riolo and Storm chief executive Brian Waldron are refusing to comment on the simmering issue.

Gold Coast players involved in the NRL grand final and current Tri-Nations series have been excused from training until late next month.

Preston Campbell, Daniel Conn and Jake Webster are recovering from injuries.

"They rode about 30 kilometres today on a bike," said Searle.

"The rehab group seriously works harder than the other players."

The Titans have had a taste of life under tough fitness guru Billy Johnstone, with about five players throwing up during Monday's weights session.

Once the sledging is finished with Turner, prop Michael Henderson's attention will shift to his former St George Illawarra teammates as the Titans face the Dragons in their first premiership game on Sunday, March 18 in Brisbane.

"There should be a lot of fireworks," said Henderson, who learnt his trade under Australian and NSW props Jason Ryles and Luke Bailey.

"It'll be good to get that game out of the way.

"There'll be a bit of playful banter. It's all part of it."

Titans coach John Cartwright said Henderson was guaranteed a starting spot in the front-row, with only Bailey and James Stosic the other specialist props in the squad.

"We've got three genuine front-rowers," Cartwright said.

"He's here as a starting front-rower and he'll get his chance at that through the year."

Cartwright said Henderson, 22, had all the right ingredients to form a devastating combination with Bailey.

"He's young, he's tough, he's come out of a side that's made the top four in their last three years and he's played with great front-rowers," Cartwright noted.

"He's a bit of a character in the side and he's very popular but that's not why we got him here.

"He's very talented and he wants a crack at that front-row spot."

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