Signing off with tick for teens
DEPARTING Titans head of performance Hayden Knowles believes AJ Brimson and Moeaki Fotuaika have set the standard for future Gold Coast talent wanting to crack the NRL in their teens.
Keebra Park products Brimson, 19, and Fotuaika, 18, have had sensational rookie seasons to fill fans with hope and their success is no stroke of luck, Knowles declared.
“The first impression I had of those two guys on the very first day was their character and their competitiveness,” he said. “The first running session they wanted to win it, the first boxing session they threw themselves in and wanted to spar the biggest bloke.”
“The first wrestling session Moe actually beat Ryan James in the final, it was an elimination battle, basically the last man standing, and Moe won.
“Everything that those guys did, they have now set the tone that if you want to work like that, you too can play when you are 18 years old.
“Those two have set a whole new standard of what is possible at the club, especially under Garth (Brennan, coach). He will give a kid a go who displays that character.”
Brimson has established himself as part of the Titans’ long-term spine either at fullback or five-eighth.
Prop Fotuaika’s efforts, meanwhile, saw him rapidly rise from train-and-trial status to a top 30 deal through to the end of 2021.
Between them, the pair ran for 351m and made eight tackle busts in a 10-8 last-start loss to Melbourne.
Knowles announced this week he would leave his Titans post to return to his family base on the NSW Central Coast.
The father-of-three is excited to spend more time with 12year-old son Bailey, 11-yearold daughter Ella and nineyear-old son Owen.
Also on the NSW Origin staff, he recently joined Blues coach Brad Fittler in meeting with Central Coast Mariners sporting director Mike Phelan – Sir Alex Ferguson’s former right-hand man – but insisted he is not Mariners-bound.
“My own best learning experience was a one-hour lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2002,” Knowles explained of the opportunity.
“I actually don’t have a job. I just feel great that I have made the decision for the right reasons and I will just trust that everything will work out.”
His last match with the Gold Coast will be their Round 25 clash with the Cowboys.
THE FIRST RUNNING SESSION THEY WANTED TO WIN IT, THE FIRST BOXING SESSION THEY THREW THEMSELVES IN AND WANTED TO SPAR THE BIGGEST BLOKE