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Titans No.6 race ramps up with Gordon to keep heat on

3 minute read

Former Wallabies playmaker Carter Gordon has added a new dimension to the three-way battle to be the Gold Coast's long-term five-eighth.

Jayden Campbell is the front-runner to start the season in the Gold Coast No.6 jersey but he will need to fire to keep his spot in a hotly contested position.

The addition of former Wallabies No.10 Carter Gordon to the NRL squad and the presence of versatile Queensland representative AJ Brimson will keep Campbell more than honest.

Veteran Keiran Foran will play halfback but Titans coach Des Hasler will have an eye on the short and long-term options at No.6

Gordon trained before the Christmas break in the halves, as did Campbell and Brimson.

Foran, previously recovering from ankle surgery, is set to be integrated into team field sessions now that the training has recommenced in 2025.

Gordon, 23, will likely start the season in the Queensland Cup at five-eighth alongside fellow Titans squad member Tom Weaver but he did not make a code switch to linger in the second tier.

Campbell and Brimson have both previously said their preferred position is fullback but Titans' 2024 player of the year and New Zealand Test sensation Keano Kini will play No.1 this year after his stunning breakout season.

Kini has been training at fullback this pre-season with 21-year-old Jaylan De Groot slotting in during opposed sessions as his understudy.

Campbell, 24, played the last 11 of his 15 NRL games in an injury-impacted 2024 at five-eighth but the Titans lost their final five matches of the year to slide to a disappointing 14th.

Carter, while new to rugby league, is a class act who has represented his country.

"Carter is a fast learner and picks things up quickly," Foran said.

"He is an intelligent young guy so it doesn't take him long to adjust and learn the intricacies of the ball playing part of rugby league. He has a lot of great attributes.

"You can just see how much he wants to carve out a career in rugby league and I have no doubt he certainly will. 

"I'm not too sure where Carter will fit in. There are a lot of options we have got considering the spine players we have here."

Brimson had a frustrating year in 2024 due to injury and played just 13 games where he lined up at fullback, centre, five-eighth and on the bench.

The Titans did not win any of the six games he played at centre and it is an experiment the club is unlikely to continue with. He is more suited to one of the spine positions but which one is yet to be nailed down.,

"We've got a great young group here and a number of spine players we've tinkered with over the last 12 months. We will look at where everyone can fit," Foran said.

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