WOLVES AT DOOR
TYRONE Roberts has almost certainly played his last game as a Titan, with the utility on the cusp of signing with Super League outfit Warrington.
The off-contract utility has been in negotiations with the Titans for months about a new contract, with the Gold Coast club’s latest offer a two-year extension.
A move to England to play in the Super League initially held little interest for Roberts and his partner Brittany, who celebrated the arrival of their second child last month.
But the Wolves have been persistent and it’s understood Warrington have made a three-year offer the young father will find too difficult to refuse.
Roberts’ management has yet to formally refuse the Titans’ offer but club insiders have conceded Roberts is unlikely to line up on the Gold Coast next season.
While Roberts was frustrated with the pace of negotiations earlier in the year, it’s understood they have continued in good faith and until recently, Roberts seemed certain to remain on the Coast.
But the Wolves have been determined to get their man and have continued to chase Roberts, who can play anywhere in the backline as well as at hooker.
Titans half Ashley Taylor, who has the same management as Roberts, is also in negotiations with the club on a three-year extension that will tie him to the club until the end of 2021 and make him one of the highest-paid players in the league.
Taylor is understood to be keen to remain on the Coast but wants to know the identity of the new coach before tying himself to the club.
The rising star is contracted until the end of 2018 but the Titans are keen to finalise an extension before November 1 when other clubs can enter discussions.
Meanwhile, talks on a new coach continue, with chief executive officer Graham Annesley saying the four-man selection committee had not yet made a recommendation to the board on a preferred candidate.
He would not comment on reports Penrith’s NSW Cup coach Garth Brennan had been on the Gold Coast for talks, saying only much of the recent commentary around the appointment of a coach had been wide of the mark.
While losing a coach of Brennan’s calibre would be a blow for the Panthers, he is known to have the backing of Penrith supremo Phil Gould to chase his NRL ambitions elsewhere.
Brennan and Jason Demetriou are understood to remain in contention for the role, while former Souths coach Michael Maguire wants to know the identity of the club’s new owners before committing, something that is likely to count against him given the tight timeline.