NRL 2022: Toby Sexton ready to handle pressure in halfback hot seat at Gold Coast Titans
Toby Sexton has been entrusted with leading the Titans to back-to-back finals appearances and insists he won’t crumble under the pressure.
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Titans young gun Toby Sexton has declared he is ready for the rigours of being a full-time NRL playmaker after stepping into the Gold Coast’s halfback hot seat.
Sexton will pull on the Titans No.7 jersey this year after coach Justin Holbrook threw his support behind the schoolboys sensation, prompting former co-captain Jamal Fogarty to walk out on the club to Canberra.
The Titans view Sexton as a decade-long halfback and signed him to one of the richest rookie deals in NRL history before he had made his first grade debut.
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At 20, Sexton has only made four NRL appearances but will be entrusted with guiding the Titans as they chase back-to-back finals appearances this year for the first time since 2009-10.
Sexton said he wasn’t fazed by the challenge ahead of him and he was ready to become a permanent fixture in the NRL.
“I’ve done as much as I can in pre-season to prepare myself for the season ahead,” he said.
“I’ve put on 3kg and physically feel a lot better and ready for it. It’s up to my footy now.
“I’m really excited, it’s been a long pre-season and I’ve put in a lot of work. I’ve made some good headway in my game.
“As an individual and a team we’re a lot further ahead than last year. It’s just about playing footy now. The coaching staff have put a lot of confidence in me and I use that as a strength as opposed to thinking if I don’t perform I won’t be playing.
“It’s only a good thing. I’ve just got to do my job in the team and hopefully that goes a long way to getting the results we want.”
A graduate of Palm Beach Currumbin High School, Sexton was contracted to the Canterbury Bulldogs before an administration error opened the door for the Titans to pounce.
In the lead-up to making his NRL debut last season, the Titans extended Sexton’s contract until 2024 on a deal worth close to $500,000 annually in its latter years.
The Titans’ investment in Sexton prompted Fogarty to seek a release for the Raiders, where he will be Canberra’s starting halfback this year.
Sexton said he wasn’t bothered by Fogarty’s departure and being dropped after four games last year in the run to the finals had made him stronger.
“I’m not too worried about that, he left on good terms and I wish him the best of luck in his future at the Raiders,” he said.
“I’m here at the moment so I’ve just got to focus on that.
“I took it (being dropped) in a positive way, Justin was looking out for my best interests.
“We had a tough run home with the Storm and that and it could have gone either way. He was looking out for me.
“I got a taste of NRL which was really good. I’m confident now.”
Sexton will start at halfback in the Gold Coast’s first trial match against the Broncos at Cbus Super Stadium next Saturday night.
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Five-eighth AJ Brimson is expected to be rested in preparation for the following weekend’s final trial against the Warriors at Redcliffe, with Paul Turner or Will Smith to start at six.
Sexton said the Titans had urged him to be more dominant on the field and he was ready to step up when they kick off their 2022 NRL premiership campaign against the Eels on March 13.
“We do a lot of things as a group and about our culture and a big thing was me talking more,” he said. “I’m definitely taking a lot of confidence from that.
“Being a halfback you have to be a good communicator. That’s one of my biggest attributes so if I can do that I’m definitely contributing to the team in a positive way.”
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Originally published as NRL 2022: Toby Sexton ready to handle pressure in halfback hot seat at Gold Coast Titans
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