Titans are one of three NRL clubs chasing the signature of Cartwright's son

[K2G]

Travis Meyn
The Courier-Mail
June 06, 2014 12:00AM



THE Gold Coast Titans are one of three NRL clubs chasing the signature of head coach John Cartwright’s son.

Jed Cartwright is a rangy 17-year-old who is the fastest player in Palm Beach Currumbin’s highly-touted rugby league program.

At 193cm and 88kg, he is already taller than his former Test and Origin star father who carved out 184 first grade games for Penrith as a punishing back-rower.

Jed starred for PBC at five-eighth in their schoolboys loss to Keebra Park on Wednesday night and is set to enter an NRL system next year.The Titans have tabled Jed a three-year offer and are jostling for his signature with Penrith and South Sydney.

“I’d love to stay at the Titans,” Jed said.

“It’s my dream to play under dad and some of the players I know there.

“When I was a kid I always wanted him to be coaching me but he was always coaching other teams.

“He’s never coached me before so that would be good.”

Jed battled a number of injuries last year which saw him miss the entire schoolboys season.

He’s also had to deal with the constant comparisons to his father but said he was now ready to forge a name for himself.

“It’s sort of hard because you don’t get to make your own pathway,” he said.

“People say you’re only going to make it because your dad’s up there but I know if I play good it will speak for itself.

“I’ve got a little grief when I was younger from kids at school but it’s not too bad anymore.

“It’s my dream to play footy for a living. I love it.”

Titans junior recruitment manager Tom Searle said Jed had earned his offer and it had nothing to do with his father being the club’s head coach for the past eight years.

“We made young Jed an offer a few weeks ago on the back of the very good work he’s been doing in the last couple of years in our development programs,” he said.

“It’s difficult for a young footballer to have his father’s involvement at any club, especially with a head coach.

“We’ve never looked at it that way. He’s had to work hard to get where he’s got and he’s done all that himself.

“He’s earned his stripes and done it the hard way.

“He’s got to wear that on his shoulders that he has the Cartwright name but it has no influence on us whatsoever.”

Jed scored a stunning solo try against Keebra where he stepped through the line then showed tremendous speed to beat the fullback.

He made his Bycroft Cup debut recently and has floated between the forward pack, centre and five-eighth in the junior ranks but the Titans see him as a second-rower once he fills out his lanky frame.

“I’ve no doubt he’ll end up being a very big, strong back-rower,” Searle said.

“Football-wise he can break a game open. He’s strong and has a left and right-hand fend.

“He’s very strong in defence and has got a step off both feet too.

“He’s quicker than his old man ever was.

“If he keeps going the world can be his oyster.”

PBC coach Geoff Bagnall blooded Jed at pivot against the reigning national schoolboys champions and said he was impressed by his performance.

“Carty worked well at five-eighth,” he said.

“We’re not sure what position he’s best at. He’s so versatile.

“He can play second row, centre, five-eighth. He’s got a big future.

“He’s a big thing. He’s got his old man’s genes.

“He’s got a lot of size and he’s only going to grow more.

“He’s our fastest player over 40m at school.”





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Looks like we might have a Cartwright Dynasty on our hands!
Goodluck to the kid, hopefully he has a long career with us - He already has a very good chance of being the first Cartwright to lead the Titans to a premiership

[K2G]

Whoops! just noticed the misleading headline - must've been too many characters. My bad. Correct headline:

"Titans are one of three NRL clubs chasing the signature of head coach John Cartwright's Son"

[DIEHARD]

Good luck to Penrith in securing his signature.

[Mexican titan]

Don't want him here. We have enough nepotism around the place as it is.
Of course he will get offered a five year contract.

[Titanic]

It's hard to be critical of someone coming through our own system fellas. His father hasn't coached him and he will always battle with being son of a great player, a good bloke and the second losing-est coach ever after Stuart ... although they must be neck and neck.

[mdrew]

Good luck to him, hope he does well

[TITAN PETE]

Good luck to him, hope he does well

I hope does well too mate , he's a nice kid & I hope another club other than the Titans sign him

[Mexican titan]

After 25 years working in Personnel/HR the biggest source of poor morale is perceptions of nepotism/favouritism and quite often stems from having family relatives in the same workplace.
Even if Carty's son signed with the Titans and then went on to deserve an NRL spot, there will always be the perception that favourable treatment is being given. You cannot win in such situations and they are simply best avoided as they can tear a work place apart. Don't create the situation if you can avoid it in the first place.

[Bayside Titan]

Easy way to solve the Nepotism issue in the A Grade squad is to make Carty the Under 20 coach and Woolf the assistant to Neil Henry in the Agrade squad.

All problems solved. ;-).

[Titanic]

Well put MT and BT ... worth more than a Thumbs Up.

[ozynorts]

I seem to recall that a coach selecting his son didn't go so well for Anderson at Cronulla..........

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It would be a different story if the kid was already an established first grader.

[Geeman]

Agree with MT on that one - I don't doubt Carty junior is a good player and has done the hard yards, but that will never be the perception.
Also lol'd at "He made his Bycroft Cup debut recently and has floated between the forward pack, centre and five-eighth in the junior ranks but the Titans see him as a second-rower once he fills out his lanky frame."
We are headed towards an entire team of second-rowers.

[titanslurker]

could you image how much harder it would be to get rid of carty if his son comes here and plays well? this just seems like a disaster situation to me if it eventuated.

[Titanic]

Still properly qualifies as a local junior though and that shouldn't be disregarded.

[TITAN PETE]

Rugby League Week
MOLE’S MONDAY SCOOPS
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

Penrith could soon have another Cartwright in their ranks — Jed, son of Titans coach John and cousin of promising Panther Bryce, met with club officials last week.

The highly rated five-eighth from Palm Beach Currumbin is also being chased by Souths, while his dad’s Titans are keen to retain him.