Milestones are millstones for Titans
Battling cellar dwellers Gold Coast can be forgiven for wishing it wasn't popular forward Anthony Laffranchi's 200th NRL game against Newcastle on Saturday, with milestone games proving millstones around their neck this season.
With just four wins in 2011, the Titans are fighting to avoid the wooden spoon and would love to celebrate Laffranchi's special achievement with a win.
However they have reason to be concerned - the Titans have lost five of their six games in which players have celebrated career landmarks.
It's made them so paranoid about the milestone jinx that champion halfback Scott Prince went out of his way last weekend to keep the media focus off his 100th game for the club.
The hoodoo looked dead and buried with the Titans leading North Queensland 12-0 only to lose 28-20.
Preston Campbell (250 NRL games), Scott Prince (250 NRL games and 100 games for the club), Luke Bailey (200 NRL games) and Mat Rogers, who recently came out of retirement to play his 200th NRL game, all lost their milestone games this year.
The only player to celebrate a win was departing hooker Nathan Friend, the first Titan to play 100 games against the Sydney Roosters in round eight.
Laffranchi was aware of the poor run when asked about his 200th game at the weekend.
"Personally I feel good (about it) but I think we've had a few this year that haven't been on the back end of good results," said the 30-year-old forward,
Reminded that Prince didn't want to mention his milestone before the Cowboys game, Laffranchi said he regarded it as a personal achievement to be proud of.
"You wouldn't think you'd play one or 10 let alone 200," he said.
"It's a great achievement but the focus is on getting a win against Newcastle on Sunday."
Laffranchi, who will join English Super League club St Helens after this season, said the Titans needed to play for a full 80 minutes after a 10-minute lapse let the Cowboys back in the game.
The former Wests Tigers forward said he wanted to end his days with the Titans on a winning note and not leave the club without giving his best in his last few games.
"You always want to win and finish on a high," he said.
"If I look back on my career at the Titans, it's been a great five years and very successful.
"I've played all my rep footy and my best footy here at the club under Carty (John Cartwright) and the playing group here.
"I've got fond memories of the Titans and I've reached some milestones as well."
Laffranchi said while it was a disappointing end he was still enjoying training and being around the boys.
It hasn't been all lows either for Laffranchi, who won a grand final with the Tigers in 2005 and represented NSW and Australia while playing with the Titans.
"There's a few highlights I can look back on when I finish after 11 seasons in the NRL," he said.
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