Gold Coast Titans captain Nate Myles playing for his future at the club
PETER BADEL EXCLUSIVE THE COURIER-MAIL MARCH 27, 2015 11:18PM
MAROONS star Nate Myles is fighting for his career at the Titans after the club rejected his request to activate an option to keep their captain next season.
In a shock development on the eve of Gold Coast’s clash against Cronulla on Saturday night, The Courier-Mail can reveal the Titans have baulked at the chance to sign Myles for the 2016 season.
His management will on Saturday begin contacting rival NRL clubs to gauge their interest in Myles, who is now on trial at the Titans just six weeks after being named sole skipper.
Under Myles’ existing contract, the Titans have until May 31 to decide whether to trigger a 12-month extension which would keep the Test enforcer at the club next season.
Myles’ manager Chris Orr approached the club during the week asking if they wished to take-up the option, only for the Titans’ recruitment arm to spurn the request.
That means the 29-year-old effectively has eight games to prove his worth to a Titans club that has adopted a perform-or-perish ethos to rid the Coast of perennial underachievement.
Myles has been outstanding for the past two years, but the Test hardman has had a slow start to 2015 in the Titans’ winless start to the season.
The Titans haven’t completely closed the door on Myles, but their stance is a clear sign he needs to lift significantly over the next two months to secure his future at the club.
Orr last night confirmed the Titans have not taken up Myles’ option just yet and he is set to explore options on the open market.
“We’ve sent our first correspondence to the Titans. If they aren’t going to take up the option, then part of my role as Nate’s manager is to look into other options for him,” he said.
“I’m sure the club will want to keep him. It would be hard to replace someone like Nate, he is a current Australian and Origin player, their club captain and off-field leader.
“He is certainly a player that other players like to play alongside. Hopefully, we will be sitting down with the Titans in the next few weeks to sort through Nate’s future.”
Titans CEO Graham Annesley was tight-lipped last night as Myles prepares to face the Sharks at Remondis Stadium.
“Nate has given outstanding service since joining the Titans and Neil Henry (coach) is on the record as saying he’d like to see him stay with the club,” Annesley said.
“Those discussions are ongoing.”
The departure of Myles would come as a major shock given his standing at the Titans and gravitas as a key member of Queensland’s record-breaking Origin side.
The forward warhorse has been linked with Melbourne given his wife, Tessa, hails from the AFL city. But it is understood the Storm may struggle to find the salary-cap room to afford him.
“I heard I was going to the south of France too,” Myles said yesterday when asked about his future.
“I’m interested to see where they (rumours) come from.”
How does the club show this approach to Myles yet it seems like Zillman and the like just keep on getting picked and not shopped around?? Just incredible. Myles is one of the guys that helped get DCE on board ffs.
After reading so much trumped up crap in the papers about the Titans over the past few months it's just as likely that the Titans haven't activated the option for compassionate grounds as he wants to go to Melbourne to be closer to his wife's family.
My thoughts exactly. It could be that the club is slightly opening the door to see if Melbourne have something to offer him along with the opportunity for him and his wife to go near family. If Melbourne don't then I would expect the Titans to open contract talks. No pressure on anyone.
#TitansThruNThru #WeAreReady
**** News Ltd. and Murdoch..I would take that report with small grain of salt. As others have said..Myles most likely has his wife' best interest at heart, this report is just a beat up.
No need to read anything into it … why not apply a "perform or perish" policy? Everybody else does except us. Zillman would be gone except for Cartwright's 5 year contract.
Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.
yeah no problem with waiting a bit
you have to ask as a club, is what he brings to a game worth the money? can players on half the coin do the same? probably.
If there was an unbiased scouting report done on Myles as if he were a nobody, it would likely show him to be a really good defender, who could run harder and offer more impact. a scout would be alarmed to find he was on top tier money.
From Triple M
Sea Eagles 'Chasing Really, Really Hard' For Elgey
Manly looking to get back at Titans by signing their young gun
The Sea Eagles have lost both if their star halves and are wasting no time or expense trying to replace them with Kane Elgey a primary target.
Kane Elgey is one of the most talented young players in the game and a name you may be hearing a lot in the future. The 21 year old was the star of the 2014 Holden Cup, as he was named in the team of the year and the player of the year.
James Hooper of the Telegraph told Saturday Triple M NRL that the Sea Eagles 'are chasing him really, really hard' and it could lessen the blow of Cherry-Evans' departure as the 'Titans got under the Eagles guard and signed DCE.'
The Titans signed Daly Cherry-Evans a few weeks back meaning Elgey may not get as much game time as he would like and the switch looks very feasible. Elgey is out of contract in 2016 and will be the target of a few clubs.
Follow link for audio-clip.
Following up the rumours on Kahu, this article became free to view a few days ago and i missed it:
Titans poised to swoop for Broncos fledgling Jordan Kahu
DAN KOCH THE AUSTRALIAN MARCH 24, 2015 12:00AM
Gold Coast are set to swoop on emerging Broncos star Jordan Kahu for next season, with Brisbane officials all but resigned to the prospect of losing the gifted and versatile youngster just as his career looks set to blossom.
A product of the renowned *Keebra Park SHS program, Kahu had long been touted as a star-in-the-making by Broncos officials.
His uncanny skill level and the time he always appeared to have when in possession of the ball *are difficult for even the untrained eye to miss.
However, a horror run with injuries threatened to ruin Kahu’s dream of cracking it in the big time. He had already undergone two reconstructions on his right knee before earning his debut for Brisbane in 2013 and just as things appeared to be on the right track, Kahu again went down during a pre-season trial match last year, with doctors confirming on the spot he had indeed ruptured his ACL for a third time.
But after finally finding his way back into the top grade late last season, Kahu was *this year the lucky recipient of a teammate’s misfortune, when he was handed the starting fullback role after *Darius Boyd tore his achilles.
In just three games, Kahu has shown just why the Broncos staff had such faith in his ability. Un*fortunately for coach Wayne Bennett and his offsiders, Kahu’s form has caught the attention of *rivals, none more than the Titans who see Kahu as an major component in their planned recruitment drive.
A regular in both the Queensland State of Origin team and Kangaroos Test line-up when fit, Boyd will come straight back into the side once fit, with Kahu likely to be forced to compete with Lachlan Maranta and Jack Reed for a spot on the wing for the remainder of the year.
With Dane Gagai set to join Brisbane next season, Kahu would again have to compete for a place on the wing — a situation he is unlikely to entertain, with Brisbane officials privately conceding he will simply not have the opportunities a player of his ability requires at the club in 2016.
Meanwhile, prize Broncos recruit James Gavet has suffered what is ex*pected to be a season-ending knee injury, while serving a shoulder charge ban.
Brisbane confirmed that Gavet required a knee reconstruction after stepping awkwardly at training last Thursday.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...-1227275476820
Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.