Titans forward Chris McQueen will tour Sydney clubs before deciding his future

TITANS forward Chris McQueen will visit Sydney clubs on Wednesday as the Gold Coast entered the race to poach Melbourne grand-final prop Christian Welch.

Chris McQueen will visit Sydney clubs before deciding on his future. Picture: Jerad Williams

TITANS forward Chris McQueen will visit Sydney clubs on Wednesday as the Gold Coast entered the race to poach Melbourne grand-final prop Christian Welch.

Gold Coast coach Neil Henry remains hopeful the club can retain the off-contract McQueen, who will tour Sydney suitors as he weighs up the most important contract of his career.

But the Titans are embarking on a recruitment drive of their own, with the club joining Queensland rival the Broncos in the battle for Welch’s signature.

The 22-year-old Welch is a man in demand after impressing Broncos and Titans scouts with his performance off the bench in Melbourne’s grand-final loss to Cronulla last season.

At 195cm and 105kg, Welch is a strapping front-rower rated a future Queensland Origin prop, but has struggled for game time in Melbourne behind Jesse Bromwich and Jordan McLean.

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Christian Welch during a Storm training session.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy is aware of Brisbane and the Titans’ interest and is fighting hard to retain Welch, an Easts Tigers junior who has played 27 first-grade games.

Bellamy rarely loses players he wants to keep, but the Titans believe they can offer Welch more minutes than the bench cameos he is making at the Storm.

Welch is expected to finalise his future in the next week and is seriously considering the Broncos, who are keen to bolster their front-row stocks following the loss of Jarrod Wallace.

Even if the Titans miss out on Welch, they remain confident of securing McQueen, despite the hardworking utility attracting two-year offers worth $900,000 from Sydney clubs.

It is understood the Titans have tabled a one-year deal for McQueen, plus a one-year option, but Henry insists the premiership-winning forward is a priority for the club.

The 29-year-old McQueen recently purchased a home on the Gold Coast but is prepared to leave if the Titans can’t match the lucrative deals tabled by Sydney clubs.

Chris McQueen will visit Sydney clubs before deciding on his future. Picture: Jerad Williams

“Chris was certainly good last year. He’s been very consistent for us,” Henry said.

“He is a leader around the club.

“We’ve had some early talks with his management.

“Chris has said he’s not in any real hurry to decide anything.

“He and his partner have settled on the coast and like it here, so hopefully we can come to some agreement and re-sign him.”

The Titans are also on the lookout for an outside back but Henry says the club won’t be making any rash purchases.

“A lot of players aren’t signing agreements even though they’re off-contract,” he said.

“We’re waiting to see exactly what the figures will be for 2018.

“That means our recruitment can be on hold a little bit.

“That’s about re-signing current players and negotiating with prospective players. It is up in the air.”