CLARITY ON FOG’S FUTURE
Jamal extends stay
THE Titans have moved to ensure rivals NRL clubs can’t pull off a poaching raid on rising halfback Jamal Fogarty by extending his contract until the end of 2022.
Fogarty, 26, was already contracted until the end of next year but his impressive form for Gold Coast has led the club to lock away the former Burleigh Bears ace for the foreseeable future.
THE Titans have moved to lock away rising NRL halfback Jamal Fogarty, re-signing the playmaker until the end of 2022.
The Beaudesert junior’s previous deal ran up until the end of next year but Gold Coast have wasted no time in securing his services for longer on the back of his stellar run of form in 2020.
Titans Coach Justin Holbrook said the 26-year-old had taken enormous leaps with his game in a short period and backed him to continue improving going forward.
“I think it is really exciting for myself as coach to have Jamal extend at the Club,” Holbrook said. “He has shown what he has done for the team and also individually how much he has improved over the back half of this year.
“It’s exciting that he is going to have a full pre-season and a couple of years with us. He’s a great player and a really good person and it’s great for our club to have him extend.”
After joining the Gold Coast squad mid-season, Fogarty has played 17 games in 2020 and has made the number seven jersey his own.
After a decorated career in the Queensland Cup, including winning the 2019 Intrust Super Cup for the Burleigh Bears and collecting a Petero Civoniceva medal as the best player in the competition, Fogarty returned to the Titans during the NRL’s COVID break. In a breakout season, Fogarty was named captain for rounds 15-18 and has become a leader among the group.
Fogarty’s meteoric rise this year has already led the likes of NRL great Wally Lewis to suggest he was a longshot for selection for Queensland in this year’s State of Origin series.
“He’s got plenty of skills and I feel he’s told selectors he’s available,” Lewis said.
“I’d say he’s probably still showing signs of brilliance that promise good things for the future but I’d be a bit surprised if he got the call.
Fogarty told News Corp earlier this month that his rise from nothing could serve as inspiration to others.
“It’s been a weird and crazy year,” Fogarty said. “Six months ago I was working at Youth Justice on the Gold Coast and training two nights a week at Burleigh. Now I’m back at the Titans for my third stint and playing first grade.
“I’m really enjoying it. The coaching staff are awesome and doing a great job for each player and the whole club.
“My football is slowly getting better each week as I’m getting more confident and that comes back to the coaches, what they’ve put in place and the confidence they’ve given me as well as my teammates. It’s been a great few months.”