AJ’S PEER REVIEW
Rising Titan’s tutorial from Maroons great
GOLD Coast fullback AJ Brimson will draw upon his one-on-one training with Queensland great Billy Slater to help spark a Titans upset over Penrith tonight.
The 20-year-old utility was a late inclusion to Kevin Walters’ Game III Origin training camp and relished the opportunity to work with the squad before they jetted out to Sydney.
“I was pretty shocked when I got the call from Kevvie (last) Monday to come in for a few days,” Brimson said.
“Bit of a development thing I think … but just to be around those players and pretty much learn whatever I could in the short time I was there was awesome.”
The Titans fullback paid special attention to Slater, who took him aside one-onone during the camp.
“I grabbed him at the end of the first session and worked on some skills stuff, asked a few little questions, that sort of thing,” Brimson said.
“He’s really big on knowing his opposition and studying what they can do.”
Brimson branded Gold Coast’s current position on the ladder as unacceptable and said the side turned up their training intensity in preparation for a “physical task” at Panthers Stadium.
Gold Coast have also upped their off-field ante in the wake of Jesse Arthars’ defection to Brisbane with coach Garth Brennan cutting his rookie centre from the 17man squad.
Arthars looks unlikely to feature in the Titans’ remaining games barring injury with club officials reportedly fuming at his two-year signing with Red Hill.
The returning Dale Copely replaces Arthars in his favoured centre position after Tyrone Peachey failed to prove his fitness with Phillip Sami retaining his wing berth after a two-try effort against Manly.
Brennan has been a fan of Sami’s improving workrate and backed him to impress against the stacked Panthers backline before shutting down concerns over his coaching future.
“(Phillip)’s had a bit of a disjointed year but he got his opportunity last game and he just brings that X-factor and that finishing,” Brennan said yesterday.
The coach also said his long-term future at the Titans “is out of my control”.
“I live in a little bubble when I get away from work and I focus on preparing the team for the weekend’s game and that’s all I’m focusing on,” Brennan said.
“I know there’s things being said and there’s words out there, I’m not silly. People tell me that I can’t hide under a rock but honestly it doesn’t faze me.”
HE’S REALLY BIG ON KNOWING HIS OPPOSITION AND STUDYING WHAT THEY CAN DO AJ BRIMSON ON BILLY SLATER