Titans lock Jai Arrow aims to ensure teammate and best mate Jarrod Wallace doesn’t defect to the Broncos
SINCE leaving the Broncos for the Titans, Jai Arrow has risen to the verge of Queensland Origin selection. And the Titans lock believes the Gold Coast is also the best place for his mate Jarrod Wallace.
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QUEENSLAND Origin hopeful Jai Arrow insists Titans teammate Jarrod Wallace would be making a mistake by rejecting a $2.4 million Gold Coast upgrade to return to the Broncos.
On the eve of the Titans’ clash against the Raiders in Canberra on Saturday, Arrow pledged to do everything possible to ensure Wallace remains at the club that turned him into a State of Origin bookend.
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Wallace is a free agent for next season, with the front-rower’s current Titans contract containing a clause in his favour.
The Maroons prop has until June 30 to decide whether he will continue his career at the Titans or return to Red Hill in 2019.
If anyone is qualified to appraise Wallace’s situation, it is Arrow. The pair first forged a bond as forward rookies at the Broncos before Wallace defected to the Titans last year, a move which influenced Arrow’s decision to shift to the glitter strip.
The Titans have tabled a four-year, $600,000-a-season deal to stave off a poaching raid for Wallace, and Arrow says his good mate risks going backwards if he quits the Coast.
“I’m not going to let Jarrod go anywhere,” the in-form Titans lock said.
“I believe the Titans is the best place for Jarrod and I’m going to be on his back to make sure he stays here.
“He is one of my best mates and he was one of the reasons I decided to come to the Titans in the first place.
“I’m going to do the right thing by him, be honest, and tell him why he needs to stay.
“I’d love to play with him for years and years to come at the Titans.”
While Arrow would never be critical of the professional environment of the Broncos club which launched his NRL career, he believes the Titans’ inclusive culture suits both himself and Wallace.
“There’s just a good vibe around the club,” he said.
“The Titans didn’t have the publicity they wanted last year, they had a tough year, but I can honestly say there is a great culture here.
“There’s no bigheads. Everyone gets along, we’re all mates and we are playing for each other as a team.
“Jarrod is a really important part of what we do so we can’t afford to lose him.”
The Titans are exploring contingencies in the event Wallace quits. Coach Garth Brennan is monitoring Canberra prop Shannon Boyd and will get a close-up view of the 122kg firebrand tomorrow at GIO Stadium.
But Brennan remains hopeful the Titans will secure Wallace, who made his Origin debut last year, until the end of 2022.
“Hopefully we can get Jarrod Wallace sorted,” he said. “That’s our priority, I see Jarrod as a big part of our future.”
Originally published as Titans lock Jai Arrow aims to ensure teammate and best mate Jarrod Wallace doesn’t defect to the Broncos