Gold Coast Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui says his side needs to “take a look in the mirror” following a sixth loss of the season, as coach Josh Hannay ponders wholesale roster changes.
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The beleaguered Queensland side were never really in the contest in their 28-12 defeat to the Canberra Raiders on Saturday, with skipper Joe Tapine and fullback Kaeo Weekes terrorising the Titans defence all afternoon.
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The performance led the Titans captain to offer a frank assessment afterwards, telling reporters: “We didn’t get our game on, we tossed up a lot of s**t”.
“We need to look in the mirror at ourselves, if we want to be the team that we’re striving for we’ve got to turn up and start making progress,” Fa’asuamaleaui said.
Titans coach Hannay was slightly more measured in his observations, prefacing his answers by telling reporters he needed to be careful about what he said.
“I think we started with a soft mentality,” Hannay said.
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Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Josh Hannay.Source: FOX SPORTS
“We came here to work hard for each other, and yeah we had a couple of chances but the reality is we were never really in it.
“We probably stayed close for a period there but we never had the energy or the intent to actually deserve anything today. We got what we deserved in the end.”
The Titans have strung together some decent footy at times in 2026, posting two wins. However, for whatever progress the side has made, they fell apart at the seams at Cbus Stadium on Saturday, with a poor 68 per cent completion rate, 14 errors and 38 missed tackles.
“I’ve seen a difference in our guys from a defensive mindset but that first half was a step back,” Hannay said of the performance.
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“You feel like – and the group feels like – you’re on the right track, but to have a first half like that burns because it feels like a step back and it is.
Asked whether the Titans squad has the depth to be making significant roster changes, Hannay said: “We’ve got the depth to cover positions if we feel like that’s the best step to take”.
Interchange Cooper Bai was again one of the Titans strongest against the depleted Canberra outfit, putting up 94 metres, three tackle breaks and 30 tackles in his 41 minutes.
The 19-year-old gave Hannay cause to consider him for more minutes as he ponders broader roster changes in the coming weeks.
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“I think regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench his minutes will be the same,” Hannay said. “I think the thing about coming off the bench is the sting has gone out of the game and that’s a big shift for a young middle forward – to deal with the heat of the start of a game.
“When the time comes he’ll be ready. He started in New Zealand last week, that was a hostile environment and he didn’t look out of place. We’ll see what happens in the future.”
