OFF THE BOYLE
Rising prop sets sail for Sea Eagles in shock Titans exit
RISING Gold Coast behemoth Morgan Boyle has departed the NRL club, effective immediately, to sign with Manly.
Boyle had been tipped for big things after a breakout 2017 rookie season, in which he played 15 NRL matches.
But injury last year saw him fall down the pecking order at the Titans, which prompted a swarm of clubs to chase his signature.
RISING Gold Coast behemoth Morgan Boyle has departed the NRL club, effective immediately, to sign with Manly.
The front-rower will begin his journey at Brookvale today.
Boyle had been tipped for big things after a breakout 2017 rookie season in which he played 15 NRL matches, including a barnstorming effort in running 177m to underpin a memorable 38-36 Titans win over Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium.
In a sign of just how highly regarded he is, a swarm of clubs were chasing his signature that year before he extended his Titans deal until the end of 2020; his agreement with Manly will last an added 12 months.
Standing at 194cm and 111kg, Boyle offers size and a power running game through the middle third of the field.
However, his second year in the top grade was crippled by a pre-season training collision with Jarrod Wallace in February 2018 that left him carrying a shoulder injury.
Boyle struggled through seven NRL games but never really found his feet again before going under the knife for season-ending surgery.
The 22-year-old had seemingly fallen down the Titans pecking order and started the new season on the bench for Burleigh in the Intrust Super Cup, playing just 68 minutes across two games.
He had been set to play in the ISC derby between Burleigh and Tweed yesterday at Pizzey Park but was withdrawn from the fixture to instead travel to Manly.
Boyle told the Bulletin last month that he was starting 2019 behind the eight-ball after missing a chunk of the pre-season but he felt “100 per cent” and was working overtime on improving defensive shortcomings in his game.
Titans officials have confirmed his departure, which now leaves the club with two vacancies on their top 30 roster. Gold Coast are expected to act quickly to fill at least one of those spots.
Boyle joins 2018 Titans players Kane Elgey and Brendan Elliot on the Eagles’ list.
Jai Whitbread wished his former NRL and ISC teammate the best for his move.
“He’s a big, lanky unit,” Whitbread smiled.
“He’s a good player. He has got an opportunity there so he has taken it.”
Boyle’s exit adds a question mark to the forward depth in Garth Brennan’s squad beyond the top 17 that played in their 20-6 loss to Cronulla on Saturday, given that Jack Stockwell and Will Matthews remain sidelined with injuries.