Ryley’s chance to lead Titans
RYLEY Jacks is ready to take his NRL opportunity with Gold Coast despite the unfortunate way it has presented itself.
Jacks was thrown into the Titans’ line-up for Sunday’s 26-18 win over Brisbane after under-fire halfback Ashley Taylor was granted indefinite leave by the club to deal with personal issues.
It’s far from how Jacks wanted to get an extended first team run at his new club but he’s not going to pass up the chance.
“It’s so strange. I found out on Thursday,” Jacks said.
“My mindset was versing (Sunshine Coast) Falcons at Piggabeen, and then Thursday I went in and Garth (Brennan, Titans coach) said ‘you’ll be playing’. Your mindset has to change straight away, you can’t dwell on it.
“I don’t know what’s going on there, I don’t know too much. Hopefully Ash is all good and that.
“I really don’t know how many weeks I’ll get so Garth is pretty much like ‘go in there and try to take the opportunity’.”
In his third appearance for the Titans – and first since Round 3 – the ex-Melbourne player was quiet offensively as five-eighth Tyrone Roberts led the way but did make 35 tackles in a solid defensive effort. Brennan said it was now up to the 27-year-old to make the most of the opportunity handed to him by Taylor’s absence.
“When I spoke to him about signing at the Gold Coast I said ‘mate, I’ll give you a crack, you’ll get your chance’,” Brennan said.
“He’s been biding his time ... I signed him because he’s been in a really good system under one of the best coaches in the game and been playing alongside some of the best players in the game.
“He’s a smart footballer. I knew he’d do a job and he grabbed his opportunity.”
THE Titans will be without back-rower Kevin Proctor for up to a month as the Kiwi international recovers from a fractured eye socket.
Proctor, who aims to return on June 29, will also miss New Zealand’s Test against Tonga on June 22.
He played with the injury for 53 minutes on Sunday after damaging the socket in a tackle on Bronco Thomas Flegler.