CULLING SEASON
TITANS CHOP RECRUIT
TITANS coach Garth Brennan insists he hasn’t dropped recruit Bryce Cartwright, despite his star recruit being relegated to 19th man for Friday’s crunch encounter with South Sydney.
Brennan bit the bullet and axed Cartwright to an extended bench ahead of the Cbus Super Stadium showdown with the third-placed Rabbitohs following a string of poor defensive performances.
The 23-year-old could yet earn a selection reprieve as Brennan sweats on the availability of Queensland Origin forwards Jai Arrow and Jarrod Wallace.
Brennan will give Arrow and Wallace every opportunity to back-up less than 48 hours after tonight’s Origin series opener at the MCG.
If the Origin players are fit, Cartwright will miss his first game of the season, but Brennan said he had not dropped his big-money Penrith recruit.
“It’s a case of a few guys being back, I don’t think it’s a case of being dropped,” he said.
“He came in on the back of Kevin Proctor being injured then we were down a few guys.
“It’s a case of everyone being fit and healthy and there is good competition for spots. If you are lacking in any area then you’ll miss out.
“Bryce has got a deficiency in defence he’s got to work on. He is aware of that. It’s up to him to work on those deficiencies and wait for his opportunity. “There are two guys who have got to get through Origin, so he may find his way into that 17.”
Cowboys coach Paul Green has also wielded the axe, once again dropping fullback Lachlan Coote, as well as utility Ben Hampton and young forward Francis Molo.
Green has named his Origin trio in Michael Morgan, Gavin Cooper and Coen Hess for the clash against Parramatta on Saturday, and has also rewarded prop Sam Hoare with a starting spot following his strong performance over the Sea Eagles last week.
Coote, Molo, Hampton and last week’s debutant Mitchell Dunn are still in the extended squad, as Green sweats on the availability of his Origin players after tonight’s series opener.
“I don’t seem to enjoy Origin as much as I used to, given we have an invested interest with our players playing, but I’m sure they will get through all right,” he said.
“We’ll see how the game pans out.”