After another uninspired performance that exposed their lack of experience and ability, itโs official โ the Gold Coast Titans are the worst team in the NRL.
The Tigersโ win over Brisbane means the Titans are alone on the foot of the table, trailing the Concord club by two competition points and now having a worse for-and-against.
Their loss to Canberra exposed the same problems that have plagued the side all season, with a number of soft tries conceded and 44 missed tackles in the 36-24 defeat.
The club have now lost nine games in a row, and have won just one of their past 15 games as they close in on the club-record losing streak of 14 consecutive matches.
Though he looks to have secured his future for now, coach Justin Holbrook cut a familiar figure in the post-game press conference, once again citing inexperience as the key contributor to the defeat.
In a worrying sign for the remainder of the current campaign, it appears Holbrook already has his sights set on 2023 and the arrival of playmaker Kieran Foran.
โWe let in too many soft tries and were chasing the game. Itโs the same issues, inexperience in key positions is whatโs costing us,โ Holbrook said.
โInexperience is what weโve got. We canโt change that for now but we can change it for next year, weโve just got to get on with it. Kieran (Foran) canโt get here quick enough.
โWe want to get better and shuffling guys around makes it hard, but I canโt keep leaving it the way it is. Weโll have to make another few changes again next week.
โThatโs what weโve got to do at the back end of the year, get guys experience and exposure.โ
โThe inexperienced spine makes it so difficult, particularly on our forwards. Itโs just the position weโre in.โ
The Titans former lead playmaker, Jamal Fogarty, was instrumental in the Raidersโ success once again since his return from injury.
The Titans โ and Holbrook โ have already come under fire this year for their decision to let Fogarty go to free up cap space for highly-paid stars like David Fifita. As Fifita has struggled with injuries and form, the true cost of Fogartyโs departure has become glaringly obvious.
Though few could argue the potential Fifita brings to any side, the decision to release an experienced half and go with inexperience โ at a point when the Titans looked to be building to something โ could ultimately cost Holbrook in the end.
