A TURBULENT HISTORY: THE GOLD COAST TITANS’ UP AND DOWN NRL EXISTENCE
May 2005 – NRL announces Gold Coast expansion bid had been accepted into the competition from 2007 season onwards.
September 2005 – Club confirms Titans as their nickname following a public competition.
March 2007 – Titans play first NRL match, a 20-18 loss to St George Illawarra at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
March 2008 – Titans play at their newly-built stadium in Robina for the first time, claiming a 36-18 win over North Queensland in front of a crowd of 26,974.
September 2009 – Titans finish third in NRL regular season to reach finals for the first time. They lose both a qualifying final and a semi-final to be eliminated.
September 2010 – Another finals appearance after finishing fourth in regular season. Lost to Sydney Roosters in preliminary final in best-ever finish.
September 2011 – Titans finish last on competition ladder after picking up just six wins in the 2011 season.
March 2012 – Auditors reveal the Titans are $25 million in debt and near bankruptcy due to problems with the club’s property arm.
April 2012 – Club announces it’s selling its purpose-built Centre of Excellence in a bid to reduce its debts.
July 2012 – Club founder Michael Searle steps down as chief executive following the debt problems. Englishman David May appointed chief executive.
October 2012 – Foundation captain Scott Prince leaves the club despite having a year to run on his contract. Prince would later join rivals Brisbane on a two-year deal.
June 2013 – David May quits as CEO less than a year into the job.
October 2013 – Former NRL administrator and NSW state politician Graham Annesley appointed Titans CEO.
August 2014 – Foundation coach John Cartwright steps down with club facing a fourth straight season without finals football. Assistant Neil Henry appointed head coach. Michael Searle also announces he’s leaving the club’s board.
September 2014 – Club announces it’s leaving its Robina HQ with the property lease expiring. Reveals plans to move to a new training complex in the northern Gold Coast suburb of Coomera.
October 2014 – Titans fined $300,000 for salary cap breaches by the NRL.
December 2014 – Representative forward Greg Bird is stripped of the co-captaincy and fined after a public urination incident. Young utility Paul Carter is sacked for a second drink driving conviction in six months and outside back James Roberts is fined for a separate drunken incident.
February 2014 – Club stands down Jamie Dowling and Beau Falloon with the pair facing charges of supplying drugs, reportedly cocaine. The news also forces club to leave its training base at the Southport School after pressure from student’s parents and school stakeholders.
