— reporting by AAP
Josh Hannay has been left baffled by the NRL’s fixturing as Gold Coast prepare for their first game at their home ground in 49 days.
The first-year Titans coach joked he had to use a navigation app to get to the team’s last training session for their clash with ladder-leading Penrith.
The Panthers’ State of Origin trio Isaah Yeo, Brian To’o and Nathan Cleary will be rested, but Gold Coast representatives Jojo Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui are a chance to back up.
Saturday’s match is the Titans’ first at Robina Stadium since losing to Canberra on May 2, so long ago that rookie halfback Zane Harrison had not yet debuted.
“I had to chuck [Robina] Stadium in the nav this morning to kind of remember where it was,” Hannay joked.
The 16th-placed Titans have played only four home games in 2026, with one of those at Brisbane’s Lang Park for Magic Round.
Each of the NRL’s 16 other teams have played at least six through 15 rounds, with Wests Tigers and Cronulla (8) playing twice as many as Gold Coast.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup meant Robina Stadium was unavailable for the first three rounds of the NRL season.
But the fixturing since then has been frustrating and confusing for the Titans, who have travelled to Auckland and Townsville among 14 flights in total for the year.
“We’re in an entertainment industry, right? Just for the club as a whole, it’s hard to connect with your supporters when you’re not playing at home,” Hannay said.
“The club does a tremendous job, given that fact. But ultimately, home games are where you get that true connection. The supporter connects with the team, they can see it live and we just haven’t had that opportunity.”
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