Banned Titans to make NRL return

Gold Coast are confident they’ve made the right call by reinstating five players stood down for alleged drug offences.

The Titans confirmed on Tuesday that Greg Bird, Dave Taylor, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Jamie Dowling and Beau Falloon had all been reinstated to the first team after missing the opening two games of the NRL season.

The quintet had all been stood down after being served with notices to appear in February on charges of possessing and supplying cocaine following a Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission investigation.

The Titans board made all five available for selection after Sydney QC Tony Bannon provided independent legal advice recommending any disciplinary action by the club be held off until the criminal proceedings against each player are resolved.

The club has reserved its right to impose a punishment depending on the outcome of the cases against each player.

All five players have signalled their intention to plead not guilty to their charges.

Within hours State of Origin pair Bird and Taylor as well as reigning player of the year Falloon had been named in the Titans’ starting line-up to take on Newcastle on Sunday.

Titans chief executive Graham Annesley said the decision to bring the players back into the fold had nothing to do with the club’s 40-0 thrashing by Penrith in Bathurst last weekend.

“We’ve been trying to get this resolved as quickly as possible,” Annesley said.

“We needed to make a longer-term decision about whether the players would continue to stand down or whether they would be able to play. Last week’s result played no role in it whatsoever.”

Annesley said he was confident sponsors and fans would understand the players have a presumption of innocence and accept the decision to reinstate them.

“I hope the general public would understand the board has taken a very deliberate and considered approach to this and made sure they’ve received all available advice before making their decision today,” he said.

“The board is obviously still concerned about the reputational damage that’s been done to the club and … should anyone be found guilty through the courts, then the club will take a hard line on that.”

The five players were immediately back in the fold on Tuesday, joining their teammates for a weights sessions before taking in a massage at their Burleigh training base.

Their first training session back with the team will be on Thursday.

Titans coach Neil Henry said he had no issues with bringing the trio named in his starting lineup straight back into the team.

He was also confident the squad will handle the inevitable scrutiny that will come with having five players with matters before the courts within their ranks.

“When you’re talking about players of that calibre, they’re experienced players,” he said.

“They’ve been working hard behind the scenes, keeping their fitness levels … they’ll be starting behind the eight-ball a little bit because they just haven’t had that match experience.

In other changes to the Titans’ line-up, prop Matt White will make his return from a hamstring injury off the bench while Josh Hoffman has been moved to fullback with Will Zillman moving from the No.1 jersey to Hoffman’s centre spot.

Matt Srama, Mark Ioane, Lachlan Burr and Agnatius Paasi are the players making way.

Titans: Josh Hoffman, Anthony Don, Josh Roberts, William Zillman, David Mead, Aidan Sezer, Daniel Mortimer, Luke Douglas, Beau Falloon, Nate Myles, Ryan James, David Taylor, Greg Bird. Interchange: Eddy Pettybourne, Matt White, Ryan Simpkins, Kierran Moseley.

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