A Fermor footing
JAMAL Fogarty and Ash Taylor believe they have the talent to lead the Titans into the finals in 2020.
Refining their chemistry and finding consistency are the missing ingredients that will prove them right or wrong.
It’s now been four years since Taylor last played finals football but a switch to fiveeighth appears to have unlocked the attacking spark that captivated
Titans fans in 2016.
Finding a halves partner who understands the road he has walked has certainly helped.
Fogarty and Taylor both returned to the Titans from stints in the NRL wilderness of the Intrust Super Cup last year.
Playing alongside battlers desperate to crack an NRL roster has proved to both where they want to be in 2020.
That fire was evident in Fogarty with the performance of his NRL career against the
TITANS rookie Beau Fermor will be pitchforked into the NRL furnace for his debut after key duo Kevin Proctor and Phillip Sami were late scratchings for the clash against Cronulla at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday.
Gold Coast’s welcome return to its home ground after recent COVID-19 restrictions has been tempered by the loss of skipper Proctor and Queensland Origin hopeful Sami.
The Titans feared the worst after the pair went down in separate training incidents on Wednesday but scans have ruled out
Broncos last week while Taylor was man of the match. “I think it was a good little build in confidence for us,” Fogarty said.
“As a team it was definitely our best performance and for me individually I’d like to think I’m getting a little more consistent.
“To do that against Brisbane was pretty satisfying and hopefully we can carry that on into this weekend’s game against the Sharks.” The duo has only played five games as a combination but things are beginning to click. “It’s not so much sharing the load but having an understanding that in certain positions (Taylor) wants to do this and I want to do that,” Fogarty said.
“It’s about getting the blend and that combination together.
“We want to have that combination going where we understand each other and things are flowing. “Hopefully by the end of it we’re just naturally playing instinct footy.” surgery for two of the Gold Coast’s most influential squad members.
In a major blow for the Titans, Sami faces up to six weeks on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder, while Kiwi Test veteran Proctor will miss the next fortnight with a ruptured bicep.
The dual setback has opened the door for Fermor, the Newcastle Knights recruit who has overcome his own injury horrors to celebrate his NRL debut against the Sharks.
The 21-year-old back-rower, who hails from Dalby, snapped his ACL at the Knights last season but his hard toil in rehabilitation has been rewarded with his maiden cap for the Titans.
Fermor produced some strong runs in a reservegrade scrimmage against the Broncos last week, scoring a try in the curtain-raiser to the Titans’ 30-12 derby win. “Beau has not put a foot wrong since coming to the club and has really worked hard after his knee injury to get himself ready for the NRL,” Titans coach Justin Holbrook said.
“In an ideal world, we would have liked to have given him an extra week but he has been banging on the door for a while now, and was impressive in the scrimmage match last weekend against Brisbane to show he was ready to step up.”
Holbrook will decide between Fermor and Bryce Cartwright for Proctor’s left-edge spot. Tyrone Roberts will come in at fullback, pushing custodian Corey Thompson to the wing to replace Sami.
Holbrook lamented the loss of Proctor and Sami as the 13thplaced Titans look to beat the Sharks.
“It is obviously disappointing when you lose any player to injury,” Holbrook said.