Titans speedster promises to deliver fire and Brimstone
TITANS dynamo AJ Brimson insists he will be back even faster and more dangerous in 2021 after overcoming a serious foot injury that derailed his State of Origin debut.
Brimson will make his first appearance of the season in a trial game for Gold Coast against New Zealand in Lismore tonight.
It will also be the first time star Gold Coast recruits David
Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui appear for their new club.
Brimson will pull on his favoured No. 1 jersey after making a full recovery from a Lisfranc foot injury suffered in Queensland’s Origin I win against the Blues in Adelaide last November.
The injury ruled Brimson out of the remainder of his debut Origin series and he underwent surgery to fix what is a potentially serious problem.
Some players have missed up to a year of football following Lisfranc injuries, but Brimson’s recovery has so far been relatively fast and smooth.
The fullback relies heavily on his speed, footwork and evasive skills, as evidenced by his remarkable run of form in the back end of the 2020 season after recovering from a fractured back.
Brimson, 22, scored seven tries in nine games last season and said he wanted to build on that form, not try to match it.
“I’m feeling good, the foot has come along well, it has been feeling 100 per cent for the last couple of weeks,” he said.
“I wanted to get a trial in so hopefully I can have a good game leading into the season.
“I haven’t done any particular testing, but in terms of training I feel the exact same.
“It was a shorter pre-season so I need to double down on skills. But in terms of physical ability, I feel the same.
“I’m going to try and come back faster – I will be fine.”
Brimson scored a try in his Origin debut but missed the following two games as Queensland claimed one of the great upset series wins.
Maroons jerseys will be up for grabs again this year under new coach Paul Green and Brimson said he wanted to improve on his sensational 2020 performances.
“I want to play consistent footy,” he said.
WAYNE Bennett is in secret talks with the Brisbane Jets as the NRL’s prospective 17th team hatches plans to bring the super coach home to Queensland.
The newly formed Jets super bid has formally contacted Bennett with a view to the former Broncos coach calling the shots if they secure a licence as Brisbane’s second team in 2023.
The NRL plans to seek tenders in April as ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys ramps up plans to create a fourth team in Queensland.
Bennett has not signed a formal contract with the Jets at this stage, with the 71-year-old keeping his options open as the Dolphins and Brisbane Firehawks also prepare to submit robust bids for an NRL licence.
But the Jets are determined not to be ambushed in the expansion battle, holding negotiations with Bennett, whose threeyear contract with South Sydney expires at season’s end, making him a free agent from 2022.
Brisbane Jets consortium figurehead Steve Johnson confirmed the amalgamated entity was in discussions with the NRL’s greatest coach.
“I have reached out to Wayne … we’ve had talks,” Johnson said.
“Wayne is still keen to coach on so, yes, we would look at him as our head coach for 2023.
“He has to talk to South Sydney about his future plans. They are keen for him to stay on in another role (after this season), but we’re hoping Wayne has a desire in coming back to Queensland.”
Bennett has historical links to the region, starting his coaching journey with Ipswich in 1976. The seven-time premiership winner was born in Allora and still has a farm near Warwick.
The prospect of a second Brisbane team snaring Bennett would be a dream narrative for an NRL organisation plotting another great rivalry given his explosive sacking at the Broncos in 2018.
Now Bennett could return to haunt a Broncos club that has collapsed following his departure, crashing to their first wooden spoon under Anthony Seibold last season.
Bennett declined to comment on talks with the Jets but has said he is open to all offers.