YOU might remember headlines a month ago saying Southeast Queensland was deluged with rain. You might remember the same headlines a month before that. Fact is, it's been raining like nobody's business here on the Gold Coast for the past few months, and it's still raining.

Despite the club's best efforts, the endless deluge hasn't made for the ideal pre-season. You have to wonder if rain-drenched training pitches have had anything to do with long-term injuries to our young AIS star James Brown and Brazilian import Jefferson, both of whom suffered serious leg and foot damage during "seemingly innocuous non-body contact manoeuvres".

We also have Jason Culina suffering a hamstring injury and our first-choice goalie Jess Vanstrattan suffering a "niggling back injury". Both will miss tomorrow's NQ game. Can we blame the rain for that? Well, why not?

I guess I could blame global warming instead, but then we'd have to start talking about coal mining entrepreneurs. And honestly - who wants to go there?

Better to look on the bright side of life, like our new Dutch defender Bas Van Den Brink (if he ever scores a last-minute winning goal, a "Back Van Den Brink" headline is already written).

"Life is more laid back here and you have space to move," Bas told the Gold Coast Bulletin this week. "It's summer back in Holland now and it's still warmer here in winter."

Seriously? Warmer here? Maybe that's just more of that famous Dutch humour.

I suggest the weather has a lot to do with the sluggish ticket sales ahead of tonight's game against North Queensland Fury. The CEO of Gold Coast Soccer has suggested that a lot of fans will turn up at the gate, but that's assuming it ever stops raining. The latest forecast is "rain easing to a shower or two early" so we could be lucky.

North Queensland's form coming into this game is also hardly very inspiring for fans, particularly at $25 a ticket for a trial match.

Yeah, I know it's supposed to be the grudge match of the century, but of course the Round Two matchup is the one that will really count.

Still, even without Fowler and Culina, it should be an engaging duel between the A-League's two new clubs. A lot of players are still fighting for their positions on the field, while a few are fighting to restore their professional reputations. Both coaches are still trying to find playing combinations that gel, and should make good use of their substitutes.

Gold Coast United can expect a solid performance from their full-strength back line, whom Giggles has had plenty of chances to bond with in goal. With Culina, Brown and Jefferson absent in midfield, Zenon Caravella will need to work closely with Robson, Panta and Matthew Osman. We look a little weak here, but only by comparison with the rest of the squad.

Up front, Tahj, Milson and Porter will be hunting for goals, but Andrew Barisic has also been in hot form lately. Smeltzy might start on the bench after his Confederations Cup adventure. With all due respect to North Queensland, I'm tipping a 3-0 win for the Gold Coast.

Weather permitting, of course.