A 'remorseful' Kevin Proctor to be spared the axe by Gold Coast Titans

KEVIN Proctor will be spared the axe at the Titans but is set to face the club's powerbrokers on Wednesday to receive his punishment.

KEVIN Proctor will be spared the axe at the Titans after coach Neil Henry insisted the Test star’s drug bust was nothing like the cocaine crisis which crippled the club in 2015.

Proctor is expected to face Titans powerbrokers on Wednesday to receive his punishment for the early morning incident in Canberra last Saturday.

Proctor, 28, will not be allowed to return to the Titans co-captaincy in the short term, having already stepped down from the position, and is facing a minimum two-match NRL suspension to go with his Kiwis World Cup ban.

The Titans were torn apart by a cocaine scandal two years ago when five contracted players were charged as part of a police investigation. None of the players remain at the club.

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Proctor will be given a chance to prove himself. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Henry said a “remorseful” Proctor was struggling to cope with his predicament and he believed the incident was isolated.

“I am (confident it’s a one-off),” Henry said.

“They are totally different (Proctor’s situation compared to 2015) in regards to how those things transpired. You need to look at each case on its merits.

“No charges have been laid against him.

“I can’t condone the behaviour at all but we need to put things in perspective, have a reality check about it and take it for what it is.

“It’s really out of character for him. I was very shocked by the news.

“He is shattered by his actions. He obviously wasn’t in control of what he was doing at that time.”

Proctor will face his teammates for the first time since the incident today and could be expelled from the club’s leadership group. He cannot be banned for illicit drugs use under the NRL’s three-strike anti-doping policy as a first offence is not liable for a suspension.

Like Kiwi teammate Jesse Bromwich, Proctor will instead answer a charge of breaching a code of conduct section on his contract.

Ryan James will assume the sole captaincy of the Titans, but Henry did not rule out Proctor returning to a leadership position.

“He might (get it back) at a future date,” Henry said. “Who knows? There will be a period of time before that.

“Ryan is more than capable to take on that leadership role.

“Kevin has made a mistake and is remorseful for that, but it doesn’t take away from what he’s done and achieved in the game so far.

“He is still a respected player. He’s got to earn some respect back. There’s no doubt about it. He knows that.”

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Speaking at the Titans’ reconciliation action plan launch to coincide with the NRL’s Indigenous Round, James said the captaincy was a role he could handle solely.

“I have a lot of people I fall back on to,” he said. “I don’t lead the team on my own.

“Actions speak louder than words so when he starts leading again with actions, he’ll earn our respect back.

“He knows he’s made a mistake. He’s only human. He’ll have to take his punishment on the chin.”

The Titans will tackle Melbourne in the Suncorp Stadium double-header on Saturday, but Proctor will be not facing his former club.