7 replies to this topic

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Gold Coast Titans have debts of over 30 million dollars and have court cases on paying debts off. Yet Gallop and the NRL still allow them to sign players and throw money away on big name signings. Gold Coast should be banned from signing players until they reduce their debts. Is Gallop and co turning a blind eye to the Titans so they can be seen as a success and compete against the AFL team? Gallop last week was on about getting the Titans shut down owing all that money and starting under another name. No wonder Rugby League is not doing as well as AFL with Gallop and co still doing a poor job and having poor leadership skills.

[frombanginfront]

I really don't know why alarm bells weren't ringing about Searle and the Titans even during the bidding process for potential franchises. The bloke was juggling chainsaws even back then, and much of his supposedly sound financial planning was based on money being thrown at the club rather than any real structures being put in place. Then, when he started pushing for the independent commission to be formed that should have made some wonder about his motivation as well. Great idea, but put forward for purely selfish reasons. I raised a brow, especially when it kept being linked back to increased club revenues and supporting struggling clubs - an idea that is nothing like the sort of practice one would ever hear from an NRL club unless they themselves are struggling. Being selfless is completely alien to rugby league clubs.

The Titans need to be saved, but Searle and everyone else managing the club's finances and direction must go, rubber stamped to never be involved with the running of a club at any level ever again. If Searle can't be cut from the Titans, given his 80% control, then fine, let them die and swiftly have them rebooted.

[The Future is League]

They should have given the Gold Coast place to the Central Coast Bears and with John Singletons backing they would have been a success, and still will be if they are given a NRL place

[frombanginfront]

I don't doubt that the Central Coast Bears would work, but at the time it was seen as a logical step to go for the Gold Coast to head off the AFL who were known to be looking to place their second QLD club there. In the end it was the right move, just that it shouldn't have been given to a bloke who threw so much money into property in a highly volatile area during the peak of the bubble. Searle is an absolute clown. In the right hands the Titans will work.

[Lounge Room Lizard]

With the debts they have they shouldnt be allowed to sign players. It is not right.

[DiddyDave]

It`s not as if the Titans are on their own with their pathetic crowds,the soccer club has always struggled and there`s no guarantee that the new AFL side will continue to attract decent crowds. My wife and I always go in the away supporters end when we watch the Titans and generally there`s a lot of them depending who they play,but even they have dropped off in the last couple of seasons,except for the Warriors of course. I can see parallels here with quite a few English soccer clubs who can`t pay their way,but seem to come back more times than the proverbial dodo,so with help from David Gallop and Co,the Titans should be able to keep going. They have to,or the good people of the Gold Coast will have forked out millions for a white elephant stadium and that is in nobody`s interests. Still,it certainly has you scratching your head when they say they`re struggling one minute,then say they`ve signed David Taylor and are in negotiations to sign Cooper Cronk. Founding chairman Paul Broughton has gone,so it`s looks like Michael Searle will follow,though if he does,they`ll have to change their name,as according to today`s Gold Coast Bulletin,he owns the name!!

[DiddyDave]

In today`s Gold Coast Bulletin,it says Michael Searle`s real estate properties are worth $16.5 million,purchased under the umbrella of his many companies and says he`s the sole director and secretary of all those companies. Details are coming out that he`s been syphoning three million a year from the Titans to pay rent and bank interest on the white elephant Centre of Excellence that property experts reckon its true rental value is only about one million. It`s not all that long ago that Searle was involved in massive strife over contractors not getting paid,I think a bloke called Simpson was in continual legal confrontation with Searle and is still going to court trying to get money out of him. All in all a huge shambles,this is just the start,so don`t expect the Titans to win too many games this year,usually strife in the boardroom gets reflected on the park and it must be a huge problem for Gallop and the new ARL to keep the team playing and fulfilling their television commitments.

[R L Winger]

Gallop and Pathetic are a name and a word that go hand in hand very well.