BEAU’S TITANS INTENTIONS SET IN STONE
TITANS recruit Beau Fermor has revealed how a glowing endorsement from former Newcastle teammate Sam Stone helped convince him to join Justin Holbrook’s Gold Coast revolution.
A Queensland under-20s representative in 2018, back-rower Fermor took part in his first pre-season session at Parkwood on Monday, just days after gaining a release from Newcastle to sign a three-year deal with the Titans.
On the comeback from the knee reconstruction he had midway through last year, the 21-year-old Dalby product met new coach Holbrook and performance and culture boss Mal Meninga last month to discuss a move north.
But it was the influence of Stone, who played eight games for Gold Coast last season after arriving from the Knights in June, that proved just as crucial.
“When I first found out I had an offer and that I was looking to come to the Titans I called him and asked what the club was like and he had nothing but good words to say,” said Fermor, who played alongside Stone in Newcastle’s NSW Cup side in 2018-19.
“He was really big on me coming here and had nothing but good things to say. I came down a couple of weeks ago and had a meeting with Mal and Justin and all the staff, and I really enjoyed what the club had to offer for me.
“It wasn’t that I wanted to leave Newcastle, I was happy there but (there was) an opportunity to be a lot closer to my family, being a Dalby boy. It’s only two-and-a-half hours away from home here so I can whip home on a weekend and see Mum and Dad if I wanted to.
“I had an opportunity that I thought was really good for myself and my partner to come here and we’re really stoked that the Titans will have us and I’m over the moon to be here. Hopefully I can put my best foot forward on the field.”
Fermor was agonisingly close to an NRL debut at the Knights before a torn ACL ended his 2019 season.
Having spent time in the under-20s at Melbourne and Newcastle, he is now hoping to make his top-grade mark when he returns to the field in the early stages of 2020.
“Nathan Brown was the coach at the Knights (last year) and he had conversations with me that he wanted me to play (in the NRL),” Fermor said.
“I had just had a slight injury before I did my (knee) injury so he wanted me to get some game time under my belt before I played and unfortunately I did my ACL in a tackle. I was so close last year and it’s always been a dream of mine to play NRL so it’ll make it all a bit sweeter coming back from a big injury that is an ACL.
“My rehab is going really well – I was six months in last week – so I’ve got about three months to go and everything has been smooth so far.
“I haven’t had any setbacks or anything so hopefully it continues.
“I see the surgeon again in two weeks to get a more rock solid idea of when I’ll be coming back. It should be fairly early in the season and then obviously I’ll have to come back through Queensland Cup.”