Burden of expectation
Boyle facing a new challenge after rookie-season heroics
HULKING Titans forward Morgan Boyle says his opportunity to fly under the radar has passed.
Boyle delivered a rookie campaign full of promise, playing 15 games last season, including six in the starting side.
With a series of bright performances highlighted by his monstrous 177m running effort in Round 10 to engineer a miracle Gold Coast win over Melbourne, Boyle attracted a mountain of interest from rival clubs before recommitting to the Titans until the end of 2020.
He’s the first to admit that 2018 is proving to be a sterner test of his abilities already.
Boyle has averaged running 62m a game across the opening three rounds and has missed 16 per cent of his tackle attempts to date.
A big part in the matter, he feels, is the fact he is no longer an unknown quantity.
“I haven’t played the footy I have wanted,” he said.
“I missed out on the trials but that’s no excuse. It does seem that everyone is up and alert (about me) a lot more than last year.”
A shoulder injury suffered during a pre-season training collision with Jarrod Wallace hasn’t helped his cause, forcing him out of both trials and immediately putting him on the back foot.
Boyle though says it is not a concern and assured fans he would be able to get through the season before requiring any surgery.
“It’s fine. Just strap it up, put the brace on it every week – a lot of players have to do it,” he said.
In a relatively small Titans pack that regularly features Jai Arrow (101kg), Will Matthews (98kg) and Keegan Hipgrave (102kg), Boyle stands above all at 194cm and 111kg.
It’s a factor that allows him to add a different dimension off the bench but Boyle said his size has little impact on his role in the team.
“Just make a difference when you go on,” he said.
The Titans face the Broncos this Sunday at Suncorp Stadium.