Titans recruit Sam McIntyre’s payback mission: ‘It’s always there’
McIntyre’s parents went into debt to help him reach his NRL dream. Now the 22-year-old Titans signing is on a mission to pay them back.
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TITANS recruit Sam McIntyre wouldn’t have made it to the NRL, let alone the Gold Coast, if not for the sacrifices made by his parents while he was a promising Newcastle Knights prospect.
McIntyre’s parents went into debt to ensure their son could make the three-hour journey from their home in Port Macquarie to the Knights’ facility in Newcastle, with the travel costs of supporting his dream weighing heavily on the family budget.
The uncompromising desire to make their sacrifice worthwhile has never left the 22-year-old back-rower, who earlier this year signed the biggest contract of his young career to join the Titans for 2021 and 2022.
“As a junior, the hardest thing was more on my parents,” he said in his first interview in club colours.
“Coming from Port Macquarie it was three times per week I had to travel back and forth. That put my family in a bit of debt.
“I really do think about that a lot. It’s not always at the forefront but it’s always there.
“Just knowing they sacrificed so much and if it wasn’t for them, all the other challenges, and opportunities, and all the things I’m grateful for today wouldn’t have happened.
“If it wasn’t for them I physically wouldn’t be here.”
McIntyre broke into the NRL with the Wests Tigers in 2020 but made the difficult choice to leave that club and coach Michael Maguire to cement his future with a longer deal at Gold Coast.
He said although he left the Tigers with no hard feelings, things had not worked out in Sydney the way he would have liked.
“Me and Madge (Maguire) have a really good relationship and he’s helped me with a lot of things on the field and personal things I went through off the field,” McIntyre said.
“I couldn’t thank the Tigers enough for the opportunity they gave me.
“But I guess towards the end of the year I had a decision to make and I wanted to secure my future.
“I saw this opportunity here and I took it with both hands.”
The stability of a longer-term contract than was on offer at Wests, plus the chance to play finals football – which has eluded the Tigers since 2011 – were compelling arguments to make the move.
“I think we have a really good chance to win the comp this (coming) year,” McIntyre said of his new club.
“I know there is going to be a lot of competition for spots but part of the reason why I came here was because I want it to be as hard as possible.
“I knew the harder it would be, the better player it was going to make me.
“I don’t fancy myself as anything special, I just want to go in there and do my hard work and give everything I can for the team.
“I just want to be that player boys want to play with and that’s what I want to bring to the team.”
If McIntyre can consolidate his place in the Titans match-day 17 and earn a contract extension, he knows his first priority will be giving back to the parents who made his NRL dream possible.
“I’m definitely not on the type of money to buy them a house (yet) but one day, definitely,” he said.
ANTHONY DON NOT QUITTING ON TITANS YET
GOLD Coast’s all-time leading tryscorer Anthony Don has brushed away suggestions this pre-season would be his last as a professional athlete.
Don, 33, signed a one-year extension with the Titans in August but has no plans to hang up the boots at the end of the year.
“I’m definitely not going in thinking it’s my last,” the talismanic winger said.
“I know that balance of probabilities means that it probably will be, but I am going to leave the door open and see if I play good footy and if I am still enjoying it.
“If the club is happy to keep me going then I’ll keep that option open, but I’ve made no definite call either way.”
Competition from 2020 recruits Corey Thompson, Jonus Pearson, Greg Marzhew and Treymain Spry will make retaining his jersey the toughest fight of his career to date.
Don must earn his place if he hopes to add to his career tally of 85 NRL tries.
That work has begun a week early after the Titans stalwart received special permission to cut short his annual leave to return to training.
“Most pre-seasons are pretty similar, you have got to try to prove yourself again and you are really working hard to try and get a spot for Round 1,” Don said.
“The older boys are entitled to a bit more of a break but we’ve had enough time off.
“We normally do six or sevens weeks before Christmas, this year we’ll only have three.
“If we came back next week it’s only two weeks to Christmas then two weeks off.
“We need to get some work in, get some running in our legs and get back in the gym.”
Don wouldn’t say if the prospect of his final pre-season campaign had played a part in his early return.
Don joked his only chance to defend his title as the Titans fastest player would depend on AJ Brimson being unavailable to race.
TITANS RECRUIT FIGHTING TO LEAD TEAM’S OWN ‘BIG THREE’
NEW signing Herman Ese’ese will fight to lead the charge of a Titans “big three” alongside Queensland State of Origin heroes Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Moeaki Fotuaika in the heart of the Gold Coast forward pack.
The 190cm, 112kg former Samoan international signed on with Gold Coast with dreams of filling the void left by outgoing Origin lock Jai Arrow.
The emergence of Fa’asuamaleaui as an Origin champion at the position has left Ese’ese mapping out how they could operate side by side.
Forging a power-packed midfield triangle at the Titans, whether Ese’ese forms its tip from lock or lays its base at prop, will help drive the 26-year-old to scale new heights in 2021.
“I’d definitely be happy with that,” Ese’ese said.
“Obviously (starting at lock) is my goal but I don’t mind playing either position.
“I do like playing lock because you get a lot more ball in your hands and get to play more footy, which is the type of player that I am.”
Ese’ese will be a senior member of the Titans middle forward group as the eldest behind Jarrod Wallace, 29.
Improving his ball-playing skills under Justin Holbrook will be the greatest factor in dictating where Ese’ese can be unleashed to full effect.
Outgoing lock Arrow notched 15 offloads in 978 minutes in 2020 while Ese’ese registered six in 127 fewer minutes.
”I’m ready to further my game,” the recruit said.
“I believe I can do it and Justin is definitely the coach I can do it under.
“I just want to get better and I know Justin will do that.”
Ese’ese said he chose the Titans over other suitors because of the club’s potential, which he witnessed first-hand in a 36-6 Round 20 beat-down on the Coast last year.
“It was pretty scary,” Ese’ese said. “I was disappointed that we lost but at the same time I was excited because of the potential in the team. I definitely believe we’re a top-four team next year.”
TITANS TRAIN-AND-TRIALLISTS REVEALED
NO team in the National Rugby League has leaned as heavily on train-and-trial contracts as the Gold Coast Titans since Justin Holbrook took the reins at the club late in 2018.
The Titans have used the train-and-trial contract as a means to rapidly rebuild their roster using cheap, motivated talent.
Halfback Jamal Fogarty, Prop Jaimin Jolliffe, hooker Erin Clark, winger Greg Marzhew and centre Young Tonumaipea all transformed pre-season opportunities at the Titans into full-time contracts for 2020 and beyond.
The Titans have confirmed the signing of 32 players in their extended squad for 2021, with one position in the Top 30 squad and three development positions up for grabs.
Development prospects Jojo Fifita from The Southport School and Burleigh Bears Tristan Powell and Alofiana Khan-Pereira, will audition for an upgrade to the Top 30 alongside a host of more than nine players signed to train-and-trial deals.
These are the NRL longshots the Titans hope can follow in the footsteps of a stellar train-and-trial Class of 2019/20.
TITANS 2021 ROSTER SO FAR
Hooker (2): Mitch Rein, Erin Clark
Prop (7): Moeaki Fotuaika, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Herman Ese’ese, Jarrod Wallace, Jaimin Jolliffe, Sam Lisone, Jai Whitbread
Back-row (7): David Fifita, Kevin Proctor, Sam McIntyre, Beau Fermor, Sam Stone, Darius Farmer, Tyrone Peachey
Halves (4): Ash Taylor, Jamal Fogarty, Toby Sexton, Tanah Boyd
Centre (3): Brian Kelly, Patrick Herbert, Treymain Spry
Outside backs (6): AJ Brimson, Phillip Sami, Anthony Don, Corey Thompson, Jonus Pearson, Greg Marzhew
Development squad (4/6): Jojo Fifita (centre), Tristan Powell (back-row), Alofiana Khan-Pereira (outside back), Jayden Campell (fullback)
BRAYDEN MCGRADY
Age: 23.
Height: 198cm.
Weight: 91kg.
Position: Centre/Wing
The son of Bulldogs great Ewan McGrady was released by Penrith Panthers this year after lighting up the Queensland Cup with Tweed Heads to get on their radar in 2018.
Before his 2018 ACL injury McGrady had scored eight tries in five games in a well-beaten Seagulls side.
His Tweed coach Ben Woolf said McGrady wouldn’t shine in physical testing but few players could find the line better in game situations.
BRENT WOOLF
Age: 22
Height: 172cm
Weight: 86kg
Position: Hooker
Arguably the form hooker in A Grade in 2020 with Mudgeeraba, Woolf is making up for lost time after injuries cruelled the start to his career after representing Queensland at Under-16 and Under-18 levels and Australia at Under-15.
With Mitch Rein, Tanah Boyd and Erin Clark ahead of him Woolf has a real chance to make his mark on Titans pre-season.
WILL BRIMSON
Age: 24
Height: 188cm
Weight: 94kg
Position: Five-eighth
The older brother of Maroons star AJ Brimson was a surprise appearance at Titans training this week after signing with the club for the pre-season. Brimson is a hard-running five-eighth who helped lead Mudgeeraba Redbacks to the A Grade semi-finals in their first season in the competition in 2020 in his return to footy from an extended absence.
The Titans have just three full-time halves in the Top 30 squad in Ash Taylor, Jamal Fogarty and teenager Toby Sexton, opening the door to a Brimson Bros. reunion at the Titans.
LLOYD PERRETT
Age: 25
Height: 194cm
Weight: 115kg
Position: Prop
Palm Beach Currumbin SHS product Lloyd Perrett, a 25-year-old veteran of 56 NRL games in the front row for the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles, spent the 2019 season with Wynnum Manly in the Intrust Super Cup after failing to win a position in the Brisbane Broncos on a similar deal last year.
Burleigh coach Rick Stone brought him to the Gold Coast for a chance to break back into the NRL.
“The biggest change this year is he’s got himself fit,” Stone said.
“He has real skill as a front-rower with his passing at the line and his offloads, which is a skill every team would love to have.”
CORY DENNISS
Age: 23
Height: 193cm
Weight: 99kg
Position: Centre/winger
Strapping outside back Cory Denniss burst onto the NRL scene with two tries for the Newcastle Knights on debut as a 19-year-old back in 2016.
The winger went on to play 16 first grade games in total over the next two seasons before signing with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
A poor run with injuries halted the former NSW Under-20s representative centre’s rise and he was released by the Rabbitohs earlier this month.
Denniss has linked with the Burleigh Bears for 2021 to play under former Knights coach Rick Stone, the father of Denniss’ good mate and Titans back-rower Sam.
ANDRE NIKO
Age: 22
Height: 193cm
Weight: 97kg
Position: Centre/winger
Despite his release by the Canberra Raiders this year after a poor run with injury, NRL recruitment guru Peter Mulholland is a big fan of the tall, athletic strike back.
Niko scored 13 tries in 18 games for Mounties in the NSW Cup in 2019 and also kicked 69 goals.
Centre depth at the Titans could see Niko leapfrog development squad options to become the Titan’s fourth centre.
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