Jesse’s Titanic battle
JESSE Arthars has backed himself to make the most of a one-year deal with the Titans but the move back to the Gold Coast has been driven by an opportunity more valuable than footy.
Reuniting with family was Arthars’ prime motivation following the death of his mother Jane earlier this year after a battle against cancer.
Older brother to Stellan, 19, and Denver, 16, Arthars, 20, is relishing the chance to return to the Coast to live at home with his siblings and dad Jason after a difficult period for the family.
“I enjoyed my time (away) but for me it was more about family,” said Arthars, who will start pre-season training with the Titans next month.
“The main fact of getting home really was just to be back with my dad and my brothers at Upper Coomera.
“I lost mum in June, so I said to my manager, if there was any way I could get up here (that’s what I wanted).
“He put me in contact with the Titans and they were keen to give me a deal so it’s worked out really well.”
A fullback or winger, Arthars linked with the Storm straight out of school, playing with the club’s under-20s before taking up a deal with the Rabbitohs last season.
And in a tough year where injury prevented an NRL call-up, Arthars returned to the Gold Coast as often as he could to visit his ailing mother as she received treatment.
“It’s been a long two-anda-half years. I’ve been down in Sydney away from family and I think it’s just been eating away at me,” he said.
“It was tough, I’m not going to lie. It was hard living down there and not being there for mum but I used to come up whenever I could.
“But I knew mum would want me to keep playing so that’s just what I kept doing.”
While Arthars is keen to spend some time away with his family before pre-season training, he is relishing the chance to prove himself to coach Garth Brennan and earn an NRL debut in 2019.
“That’d be a goal, another goal would be to lock down my future as well,” he said.
“I signed for one year, so I’d like to get re-signed, hopefully with the Titans, that’d be my main goal, just to have that security there.
“I feel like (a one-year deal) is all I need. I’m just looking forward to ripping into the pre-season and going from there.
“I’ve had the opportunity to learn off Billy Slater and Greg Inglis who are two of the greats.”
THE MAIN FACT OF GETTING HOME REALLY WAS JUST TO BE BACK WITH MY DAD AND MY BROTHERS TITANS RECRUIT JESSE ARTHARS