‘Arrow will leave Titans’: Three Sydney clubs launch bid for Maroons star

A leading NRL coach believes Gold Coast Titans will lose off-contract forward Jai Arrow as three Sydney rivals emerge as leading contenders for the Origin star’s signature.

Jai Arrow’s stocks are at an all-time high. Picture: AAP

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Western Sydney is the $3.2 million battleground for Queensland Origin star Jai Arrow.

The front-rower, who is off contract at the Titans after next season, has become a priority target for Parramatta, Canterbury and Wests Tigers — even though they can’t make a play for him until he becomes a free agent from November 1 this year.

Arrow, 24, has played in the past four successive State of Origin games for Queensland, running for a total of 339m.

He played in Origin I in the recently completed series won by NSW before a syndesmosis injury ruled him out of games two and three.

Jai Arrow’s stocks are at an all-time high. Picture: AAP

Gold Coast are understandably desperate to nail down Arrow to a new contract but he is a man in demand.

Manly will also be keeping an eye on his contract developments given he is off contract at the same time as Sea Eagles prop Marty Taupau.

Parramatta and Wests Tigers have heavily discussed Arrow in recent weeks, while Canterbury’s only concern is what he is likely to fetch on the open market.

Insiders claim Arrow would be worth between $700,000 and $800,000 a season.

Gold Coast have started negotiations with Arrow for a three- to four-year extension to his contract.

However, this week’s sacking of Titans head coach Garth Brennan has muddied the waters somewhat in regards to retaining Arrow.

He and his management team want to know who will be coaching Gold Coast before recommitting to the club.

The pressure is building on Titans head of performance and culture, Mal Meninga, to get the deal done but one prominent NRL coach said: “Arrow will leave Gold Coast. Why would he want to stay there?

“This will be a massive test for Mal. The Titans can’t afford to lose him. They will try and get him done as soon as possible.”

Injured Arrow on the sidelines. Picture: AAP

The embattled Gold Coast know it’s imperative to re-sign Arrow, who has become a jewel in their playing roster.

The Titans are continuing their search for a new coach, and among the top contenders is Justin Holbrook, as revealed in The Daily Telegraph on Monday.

Titans officials have made contact with Holbrook, who has a stunning 80 per cent success rate with St Helens in the English Super League.

Craig Fitzgibbon and Anthony Griffin are other strong candidates.

Some at the Titans want Meninga to switch roles and coach the club.

Arrow played with Brisbane in 2016 and 2017 before a shock switch to Gold Coast. He had previously played with Burleigh Bears.

Originally published as ‘Arrow will leave Titans’: Three Sydney clubs launch bid for Maroons star