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For Chris McQueen, it's simply being able to leave his boots in his locker overnight safe in the knowledge they will be there waiting for him in the morning.

For assistant coaches such as Terry Matterson, it's being able to grab a player from the weights room or lounge area to go over some video without having to search through two demountables or walk 60 metres across-field looking for them.

For administration staff such as chief operating officer Tony Mestrov, it's having a chat with coach Neil Henry about recruitment and retention without the hassle of a 20-minute drive across town.

They're the simple things Titans staff and players are now enjoying at the multi-purpose high performance centre at Parkwood International that has the potential to make all the difference.

ARLC Chairman John Grant was on hand on Tuesday morning when the Aquis Gold Coast Titans High Performance Facility is officially opened, members of the public invited to see the full range of facilities and equipment for the first time.

Only three members of the current Titans squad – William Zillman, Ryan James and Anthony Don – ever trained at the ill-fated Centre of Excellence at Robina, the majority of the squad only knowing the makeshift facilities first at The Southport School and then Pizzey Park, home to the Burleigh Bears, the past two years.

Whether it was in spite or because of the sub-standard facilities they trained in every day, the Titans squad came together in 2016 and by qualifying for the finals series achieved what many deemed was beyond them at the start of the season.

They now have the best of everything at their fingertips but Zillman insists that the same willingness to work hard is what is required in order to make even greater inroads in the Telstra Premiership in 2017.

"It's an amazing thing for us to be up here," Zillman told NRL.com. "It's a great facility and I'm sure one of the best in Australia for a sporting team.

"In saying that, the last thing it's going to do is win you premierships. You still have to put the hard work in and we all know that.

"It's great to have a home base up here but at the same time we need to train just as hard, if not harder, and learn more than we did last year.

"We've got all the state-of-the-art equipment, the gym's amazing, we've got our pools and ice baths that the admin side of the club have provided for us and now it's our turn to repay them and turn that into results."

Prop forward Ryan James, who is tipped to captain the club in 2017, has seen a myriad of training bases in his seven years in the top grade at the Titans and believes the inclusive nature of the Parkwood facility that will encourage member and fan engagement represents an important step in their 10th year.

"I think it's probably the seventh one I've been to at the club but this is the best one so far," James said.

"Last year we trained out of a tin shed and on the Burleigh back-fields so it just came down to hard work.

"I've been at the club eight years now and the facilities are second to none. I've seen a lot of the NRL ones and this seems to be up there with one of the best. We've got everything here that we need and everyone is under the one roof.

"I've seen the club go through many facilities and to be somewhere close to home and it seems to be in an easy enough position for everyone to travel to, it's going to be great for after-game functions and things like that too."

Always one of the leaders in pre-season torture tests, Zillman is already liking what he is seeing in terms of attitude on the training field and believes their Parkwood base will bring the squad even closer together.

"The way it is set up here, as a team we're spending a lot more time together," said Zillman.

"We're having meals provided for us every day so the team is eating together rather than fragmenting off and doing your own thing in between training.

"We've got a squad that is really willing to train hard and learn and a coaching staff that are setting real high standards for us.

"It's early days at the moment, we're only two weeks into pre-season training, but we're seeing a lot of good signs so far.

"It's all laid out for us to perform like the boys did this year and hopefully go one or two better again."

 

Acknowledgement of Country

Gold Coast Titans proudly acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connections to the lands, waters and their extended communities throughout South East Queensland.