Eels Covid nightmare delivers young gun to Titans
PARRAMATTA’S pain will be Gold Coast’s gain after a financial nightmare allowed a Langer Trophy and Mal Meninga Cup champion fullback to slip into the Titans clutches.
Palm Beach Currumbin graduate Jaylan de Groot dreamt of becoming the Eels’ next Jarryd Hayne after signing with Parramatta in 2019 but was released in a money-saving cull of all junior contracts at the club at the height of the initial outbreak.
This week the Titans signed the 18-year-old to a three-year contract to join their NRL squad on a train-and-trial basis in 2022 and 2023 before going full-time in the 2024 development squad.
De Groot became the third member of PBC’s Langer Trophy-winning spine to sign with the Titans, alongside halfback Tom Weaver and hooker Oskar Bryant.
That same trio led Tweed to the Queensland under-18s title earlier this season.
“Me, Tom and Oskar have been playing together for six or seven years now,” de Groot said.
“It’s just a gift to play with them because as a kid you don’t have that many groups that are so tight and connected and play at a high level.
“To bring that through into hopefully the NRL would be a dream come true.”
De Groot said the pain of being cut by the Eels had created a chip on his shoulder to show Parramatta what they had missed out on.
“It was pretty heartbreaking news to hear,” he said.
“I was a kid watching Jarryd Hayne highlights thinking that was going to be me one day, then that call kind of hurt.
“I 100 per cent believe (the NRL) is where I belong.
“I think it’s a big thing for me to show them what they lost.
“For me I just want to get in to pre-season at the Titans as quick as possible, get stuck and just show to the coaching staff what it means for me to be there and just prove how good I am and my ability to play.”
Titans rookies will front for pre-season from mid-November with veterans before Christmas.