The Titans are on the verge of signing Kevin Proctor on a three-year deal worth $2m
KIWI Test star Kevin Proctor is on the verge of signing a $2 million deal with the Gold Coast as the Titans prepare for life after Greg Bird.
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KIWI Test star Kevin Proctor is on the verge of signing a $2 million deal with the Gold Coast as the Titans prepare for life after Greg Bird.
The Courier-Mail can reveal the Titans are in the final stages of securing Proctor with the Storm giving the New Zealand backrower permission to negotiate with the Gold Coast.
The Titans have been targeting Proctor for the past month and are confident they have got their man.
His signing could be announced as early as Friday, just two days before Proctor’s Kiwi side faces England in the Four Nations in Huddersfield.
Proctor was contracted to Melbourne for the next two years, but the Storm have salary-cap constraints and won’t stand in the way of the Test forward joining the Titans.
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It is understood the Titans are negotiating a three-year deal worth $500,000 annually, but will consider a fourth season tying Proctor to the Gold Coast until the end of 2020.
Titans operations chief Tony Mestrov confirmed last the club was in negotiations with Proctor’s manager with a view to securing an immediate release from the Storm.
“We are definitely in talks with him,” Mestrov said.
“We haven’t spoken directly to Melbourne, we are leaving that to his manager. He has to get a release from Melbourne and we’ll go from there.
“We haven’t signed off on the contract yet, but things are progressing well and hopefully we get a positive outcome.
“We will know more in the next few days.”
Proctor’s impending signing is a major coup for the Titans.
He has developed into a key member of the Storm, playing 179 first-grade games and featuring in two grand-finals, including their 2012 premiership win.
The Titans are looking for backrow experience to replace Greg Bird, who has signed with French club Catalans Dragons, and Proctor fits the bill perfectly.
The hard-running veteran has links to the Gold Coast, graduating to the NRL after starring for prestigious league nursery Palm Beach Currumbin High.
“He would be a great fit for our club,” Mestrov said.
“He has experience, we have got some real leaders in our pack but Kevin would come with genuine international and club experience.
“We’ve lost Greg Bird so he would be a handy replacement in our back row.”
Storm and Kiwi Test teammate Jesse Bromwich was last week resigned to Proctor joining the Titans.
“I hope he can stick around at Melbourne Storm,” he said.
“I’ve played my whole career with him, so to see him go would be pretty sad because he’s pretty close to me and my family.
“I’m hoping we can keep him there but he’s got to do what’s best for him.”
Originally published as The Titans are on the verge of signing Kevin Proctor on a three-year deal worth $2m
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