Titans eyeing prop in raid on Roosters
THE Titans have formulated plans to raid the Roosters, with Gold Coast eyeing rising Sydney prop Fletcher Baker after snaring hooker Sam Verrills.
Verrills, 23, has been released from his 2023 contract with the Roosters to sign a two-year deal with the Titans until the end of 2024.
The 2019 premiershipwinning hooker’s move to the Gold Coast comes on the back of the Roosters beating the Titans for the signature of Melbourne Storm star Brandon Smith.
The Titans went in hard for Smith last year only to be trumped by the Roosters and will instead start Verrills in the No. 9 jersey next season.
The Titans have gone through most of the 2022 season without a genuine dummy-half and paid the price, currently sitting last with only three wins as coach Justin Holbrook fights for his future.
Verrills and Manly’s veteran five-eighth Kieran Foran – who will confront the Gold Coast at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday – are the two players Holbrook is banking on to spark a Titanic resurrection next year.
After making his NRL debut in 2019 and starting at hooker in the Roosters’ grand final win against Canberra, Verrills has played 43 games in an injury-interrupted career.
“Sam has great vision and is a real threat from that hooker position,” Holbrook said. “He’s learnt his craft under Origin hooker Jake Friend and has been able to really shine in that number nine jersey for the Roosters in recent seasons.
“We’ve got great experience joining our spine next year with the arrival of Kieran Foran and our key positions will be further bolstered with Sam’s arrival.
“When you add those two players to our mix of exciting young players who have come through our pathway programs here on the Coast like AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell and Toby Sexton, we’re really confident with the squad we are building for next year and beyond.”
Verrills isn’t the only player the Titans want to lure north from Bondi.
Emerging prop Baker has come on the radar of the Gold Coast’s recruitment department as the club prepares to farewell forwards Jarrod Wallace, Herman Ese’ese and Kevin Proctor.
Baker, 22, is a towering middle forward at 194cm and 107kg and has played 30 NRL games since debuting last year.
While he hasn’t been able to crack the Roosters’ best 17 recently, the Sydney club has a high opinion of Baker and is unlikely to let him go without a fight.
Baker is contracted to the Roosters until the end of the 2023 season, making him a free agent from November 1 this year.
The Roosters released Verrills from his 2023 contract but they are unlikely to be as accommodating with Baker, who has a long-term future at the Tri-Colours.