Injury-hit Titans chase Roosters centre Dale Copley

WITH no wins, no Jarryd Hayne and a bursting casualty ward full of outside backs, the Titans will issue an SOS to an out-of-favour Roosters centre.

THE Titans are preparing to issue an SOS to out-of-favour Roosters centre Dale Copley as the club’s injury crisis reached critical mass.

Jarryd Hayne will undergo scans on a suspected ankle syndesmosis injury suffered in Saturday’s horror 34-26 loss to Newcastle which will sideline him for at least a month and possibly two months if his injury is high-grade.

Compounding the Gold Coast’s winless start to the season is a bursting casualty ward full of outside backs.

Anthony Don (shoulder), Dan Sarginson (knee), William Zillman (calf), Daniel Vidot (groin) and John Olive (pec) have been struck down in recent weeks, while Nathan Davis has left the club.

The Gold Coast’s four hooker options — Nathan Peats (shoulder), Karl Lawton (shoulder), Ryan Simpkins (ribs) and Pat Politoni (arm) — are also sidelined.

The Titans have had their eye on Copley for a number of months, but have been unable to strike a deal with the Roosters.

She Titans have had their eye on Dale Copley for months.

However they are now desperate, and may have to agree to pay the $200,000 of Copley’s contract the Roosters wanted subsidised to release the former Broncos centre.

Copley has spent the opening two rounds of the season in reserve grade in Sydney, and Titans chief operating officer Tony Mestrov confirmed the club would look to bring him north.

“(An offer to Copley) was never off the table, we just couldn’t reach a deal,” Mestrov said.

“There will be definite discussions this week with his management. That’s one we will be pursuing.

“We were looking for another outside back.

“At the moment we have an injury crisis. It’s an area we’re trying to bolster.

“We’ll definitely be looking to go to the market and hopefully bring a player in as early as this week.”

Jarryd Hayne is facing over a month out after injuring himself against the Knights

The Titans were woeful in the first half of their round one loss to the Roosters and started poorly against the Knights.

Injuries to Hayne, Don and Lawton cruelled them in Newcastle, but the signs are worrying for coach Neil Henry early in the season.

Hayne’s injury has robbed the Titans of their major drawcard for Friday’s game against Parramatta at Cbus Super Stadium.

Hayne’s first match against his former club was scheduled in a prime-time slot.

The injury has also cast doubt over Hayne’s future at the Titans.

The 29-year-old is off-contract at season’s end. He has until May to exercise an option to stay at the Titans in 2018.

He could also choose to leave the club or negotiate a long-term deal to stay on the Gold Coast.

“No discussions have been had at all about whether he’s staying or not,” Mestrov said.

“We want it to work out. He’s a key player.”

Originally published as Injury-hit Titans chase Roosters centre Dale Copley