New Titan emerging as a bolter in Maroon

HE IS yet to play a game for his new NRL club. And he couldn’t crack the starting side of his former outfit.

No wonder Gold Coast Titans forward Jai Arrow, 22, was shocked to find he had already been earmarked for State of Origin after being selected for Queensland’s Emerging Maroons camp on the Gold Coast this weekend.

Among just 11 players picked by Queensland coach Kevin Walters, Arrow (pictured) will attend the weekend camp, which has been used as a launching pad for Origin selection.

Stuck behind a representative pack at the Brisbane Broncos, a frustrated

Arrow played just 24 games from 2016 before signing a three-year Titans deal starting this season.

The move down the highway was supposed to simply give Arrow a chance to earn a regular NRL start.

Now the 101kg forward suddenly finds himself in the Origin mix for the Maroons – much to his surprise.

“I haven’t played a lot of first grade so I was pretty shocked to be selected to be honest,” Arrow said.

“It’s a great honour. I can’t wait to go in and learn from some of the experienced boys and hopefully I can bring that back to this club.”

Arrow made the cut despite Walters naming a smaller Emerging Maroons squad than in previous years, overlooking Daly Cherry-Evans, Jake Granville, Korbin Sims and Moses Mbye.

Arrow looked forward to rubbing shoulders with the likes of Titans teammate Ash Taylor and Parramatta playmaker Corey Norman, who are both in the mix for the Maroons No.7 jersey vacated by Cooper Cronk.

Another notable camp firsttimer is Newcastle Knights recruit Kalyn Ponga, who snubbed overtures from New Zealand to pledge his allegiance to Queensland.

Apart from the Origin camp, Arrow looked forward to the Gold Coast’s first preseason trial on February 17 at Toowoomba.