Giant Titan quits at 21
HULKING Gold Coast prop Kurt Bernard has made the shock call to retire at just 21 years of age.
Bernard recently informed Titans coach Neil Henry that he no longer wanted to pursue an NRL career and ended his second-tier deal with the club.
The Auckland-born enforcer had trimmed down significantly from the 125kg frame he arrived with in 2016, when he joined from the Melbourne Storm.
Despite the Titans’ injury crisis forcing them to go through 32 players so far this year, opportunities beyond the Queensland Cup were not forthcoming for off-contract Bernard.
It is understood he jumped at the chance to return home to New Zealand when an opening to work in the police force came up and the Titans did not stand in his way, granting him a release.
“We had always held high hopes for him and he hadn’t quite made it to first grade level but he was a big body,” said Titans chief operating officer Tony Mestrov.
“He has made the decision now that he has put his working career before his football career. He is a lovely guy. The boys really liked having him around, he’s a bit of a character and we wish him all the best.”
Bernard’s last game was Tweed Heads’ 6-4 Queensland Cup loss to the Northern Pride in May, following which he was handed a five-match suspension for a grade three shoulder charge.
Seagulls coach Aaron Zimmerle said Bernard’s “aggression and speed” made him an exciting prospect but he hadn’t been enjoying his footy.
“It’s a shame because he is a really good bloke,” he said.
Former Titans football manager Scott Sattler last year hailed the forward as having the “potential to be an amazing product”.
But his size often worked against him as he struggled to keep up with the pace of the game for enough minutes.
Bernard is the third player to leave the Gold Coast since the start of the season, after Nathan Davis was released – later rejoining Parramatta – and Tyler Cornish headed back to Goulburn.
It adds to Tweed’s prop shortage, with Ethan Price (back), Shane Gillham (knee) and Damian Sironen (Bradford) all missing.