The Gold Coast Titans\u2019 annual Leagueability Presentation brought Cbus Super Stadium to life recently on September 9, with more than 250 people gathering to celebrate one of the most meaningful nights on the club\u2019s calendar.<\/p>\n
The evening recognised the achievements of over 65 players and 32 volunteer coaches, but more than that, it was a celebration of inclusion, community and the unifying power of rugby league.<\/p>\n
Among those in attendance were representatives from the NRL, QRL, Cbus Super Stadium and Tweed Seagulls, alongside the Titans\u2019 owners, board, Chairman Dennis Watt, CEO Steve Mitchell, along with Nick Marshall OAM and Leon Robello.<\/p>\n
NRL and NRLW players Cooper Bai, Sam Stephenson, Taliah Fuimono and Jamie Chapman joined the festivities, as did club legend Preston Campbell OAM, who has been a passionate supporter of Leagueability since its very first game.<\/p>\n
Awards were presented across the three Leagueability divisions, with program sponsors proudly stepping forward to honour the players.<\/p>\n
All Abilities (Presented by Kinetic)<\/p>\n
Most Improved \u2013 Rory Cambage
Coaches Award \u2013 Ary Keegan<\/p>\n
Inclusive (Presented by MyPayNow & Neumann Steel)<\/p>\n
Most Improved \u2013 Lenny Holman
Coaches Award \u2013 Abigail Hinckseman<\/p>\n
Adaptive (Presented by Griffith University & Bendigo Bank)<\/p>\n
Most Improved \u2013 Matthew Guild
Coaches Award \u2013 Tim Wesner<\/p>\n
Female Player of the Year – Kyra Humphrey<\/p>\n
Each award recipient received thunderous applause from teammates, families and supporters, showing just how much these milestones meant to the players and their communities.<\/p>\n
A Special Honour
One of the most emotional moments of the evening was the presentation of the inaugural Hudson Wicks Medal. Created to recognise a player who epitomises sportsmanship, spirit and determination, the honour was awarded to Michael Baker from the Adaptive Tackle team. His commitment on and off the field made him a worthy first recipient, and the ovation he received showed the deep respect he holds among his peers.<\/p>\n
Player of the Year Nominees
The night concluded with the announcement of the Player of the Year nominees, who will now be recognised on stage at the Titans\u2019 Awards Night alongside the club\u2019s elite players:<\/p>\n
All Abilities \u2013 Matthew Johnstone
Inclusive \u2013 William Weir
Adaptive \u2013 William Forrest
Thanks to Ignite Travel, each nominee also received a $1000 travel voucher as part of their prize.<\/p>\n
Titans Chairman Dennis Watt described the event as the perfect reflection of what Leagueability represents.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeagueability is about so much more than football,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s about inclusion, community and giving every player the chance to shine.<\/p>\n
“To see the pride on the faces of players and their families tonight is something very special, and it shows just how important this program is to the Titans and to our region.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Preston Campbell OAM, who has been involved in the program since its beginning, the night carried deep personal significance.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeagueability holds a really special place in my heart,”he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I\u2019ve been lucky enough to be there from day one, even playing in the first game.<\/p>\n
“To see how it\u2019s grown is incredible and the love, care and joy these players bring to rugby league is what makes it so powerful.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s not just about football, it\u2019s about family, friendship and belonging.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Families of the participants also shared their gratitude for the program.<\/p>\n
Lisa Forrest, whose son William was among the nominees, reflected on the impact Leagueability has had on her family.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeagueability has given William not only the chance to play the game he loves, but also a sense of belonging,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The friendships, the support and the opportunities have been life-changing for him and for our whole family.<\/p>\n
“Tonight was a moment we\u2019ll never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the players who take the field each week, to the volunteer coaches and sponsors who proudly stand behind them, the Leagueability Presentation was a reminder of what makes the program so meaningful.<\/p>\n
It was an evening built on care, connection and community, and another powerful demonstration of why rugby league is known as the greatest game of all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Gold Coast Titans\u2019 annual Leagueability Presentation brought Cbus Super Stadium to life recently on September 9, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":175337,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-175336","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nrl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-national-rugby-league","11":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","12":"tag-nrl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}