Gold Coast Titans under pressure to keep five-eighth Aidan Sezer

[Kevin Rablin]

Gold Coast Titans under pressure to keep five-eighth Aidan Sezer
TRAVIS MEYN GOLD COAST BULLETIN NOVEMBER 18, 2014 12:00AM

THE Gold Coast Titans are facing a battle to retain five-eighth Aidan Sezer.

Sezer is off-contract next year with a number of Sydney clubs interested in bringing the Bankstown product home.

TheBulletin can also reveal senior Titans figures are privately worried the 23-year-old pivot could be tempted back to Sydney.

Sezer has become a crucial cog at the Titans, becoming the club’s chief playmaker since Scott Prince departed in 2012.

He was blooded in the NRL by former coach John Cartwright and has gone on to play 53 NRL games for the club, making the NSW City Origin team this year before withdrawing with injury.

The classy pivot’s future has been a talking point after Sezer hosed down suggestions last season he was homesick and considering a return to Sydney.

But the speculation is set to continue after Sezer said he was not ready to decide on his future.

“I’m not looking too far ahead,” Sezer said. “There’s still a big pre-season to take in.

“I’ll do that when it comes up. I’ve got a manager who’s there for a reason.

“I’ll keep things pretty quiet until I’m ready to sit down and decide about my future.”

Adding further uncertainty to the situation are revelations the Titans are targeting premiership-winning halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Luke Keary for 2016.

Sezer will partner ex-Roosters utility Daniel Mortimer in the Gold Coast’s playmaking department next year following the departure of Albert Kelly and said he was unfazed by the club’s recruitment *intentions.

“The club wants to do what the club wants to do,” he said.

“At the moment I’m still here and I’ve got a job to do. I’m going to take it week by week.

“Alby’s (Kelly) gone and no one would have foreseen that. You never know what’s around the corner.

“I just want to look after today and worry about tomorrow when it comes.”

Titans coach Neil Henry is assembling a squad he is comfortable with after replacing Cartwright in August.

Planning for the 2016 season is well under way, particularly after the appointment of recruitment manager Jamie Mathiou, and with a number of current players coming off contract next year there is *expected to be even more room to move.

But the Titans are also in a delicate financial state.

The club is based in interim facilities ahead of a move to Coomera in 2016 and is without a major sponsor for next year, which could leave a major hole in revenue.

Some of the bigger clubs also have better access to third-party sponsors, which are private sponsors for players that are not officially associated with the club, and can be used to prop up contracts.

CEO Graham Annesley said he was confident the club’s financial position would not *affect any recruiting targets.

“Money from sponsors and non-associated third parties is all helpful but what Neil is *focusing on is managing our cap and forecasting when other players we think will be beneficial to this club are coming off contract,” he said.

“We need to make sure we manage our cap so that when they’re off contract we have sufficient room to bid for them.

“It’s a cap management issue rather than looking for third parties to prop things up.

“Part of our objective is to be in the market for marquee players when they do come up.

“If we’re in a position to bid for players of quality we’ll be considering it.”

[Hail Sezer]

So within a few weeks he's gone from "i want to be a titan for life" to "i'm not looking too far ahead".

Looks like he's got some significant interest from Sydney and is open to it as well. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he left in all honesty, which is a shame mostly because I will have to change my username..

In all seriousness though..hope one or more of Elgey/Hazard/Fogs steps up in 2015 so that this news is a little less concerning

[Kevin Rablin]

So within a few weeks he's gone from "i want to be a titan for life" to "i'm not looking too far ahead".

In all fairness to him, he is probably waiting to see what happens with Keary and DCE since the club came out and said they were chasing them. Maybe he doesn't see to much of a future on the coast.

[TITAN PETE]

Happy for him to stay or go..

[Titanic]

He'd want to be playing a hell of a lot better in 2015 to warrant all the attention.

[Mr Stupid]

He'd want to be playing a hell of a lot better in 2015 to warrant all the attention.

Yes agreed. He hardly set the world alight last season.

[Mr Stupid]

He'd want to be playing a hell of a lot better in 2015 to warrant all the attention.

Yes agreed. He hardly set the world alight last season.

[Mexican titan]

Yes agreed. He hardly set the world alight last season.

Or the year before.
I really hope Aiden has a great year in 2015 and that it was all the useless coaching that held him back, but despite all the coaching he seems too slow to me. I certainly wouldn't be calling him a "classy pivot" as stated in the article. The worry to me is that a number of clubs, reportedly (or is that a Manager pumping up a players tyre yet again) have shown interest which takes me back to the useless coach of years gone by.

[5 Year Contract]

He'd want to be playing a hell of a lot better in 2015 to warrant all the attention.

This. Alot of potential but I am yet to see him really deliver on any of it. Maybe its the coaching and motivation but honestly I'm not fussed either way whether he leaves or not. Hopefully 2015 is a breakout year otherwise time to start looking to the future

[ozynorts]

The one thing he brings to the table in spades is goal kicking........... We don't want Gordon taking another kick ever so either he has a good year or we need a play maker that can kick goals as well.

[Titanic]

The one thing he brings to the table in spades is goal kicking........... We don't want Gordon taking another kick ever so either he has a good year or we need a play maker that can kick goals as well.

Totally agree and let's hope that Zillman doesn't decide he can kick goals too ... or maybe the total package can

[teke]

Forget Justin Oneil, shoulda at least given khan ahwang a training trial during the offseason. He brings a lot of speed, size and would be the best goal kicker in the club maybe the NRL