Will Brimson primed for a major role with Tweed Seagulls after rediscovering his love for footy

Fresh from pre-season with the Titans and a starring season for Mudgeeraba in the GCRL, Will Brimson is ready for his Queensland Cup return take-two.

• Preston Campbell crowns AJ Brimson greatest Titans fullback of all time
• Titans hooker Erin Clark opens up: 'Contract saved my life'

TWELVE months returned from a self-imposed footy hiatus Will Brimson remains “a work in progress”, but Tweed coach Ben Woolf believes the older brother of Titans star AJ will be back to his best by the time the Intrust Super Cup whips are cracking.

Brimson, 24, was lost to the game for two years as repeat injury setbacks fouled his love for footy.

The Keebra Park product spent three years in the Broncos U20s system, signing for Wynnum Manly and playing 16 games in the 2017 Queensland Cup season before giving the game away – in his mind, for good.

“I coached AJ through the 20s and he played Cup at Tweed before making his NRL debut, so we stayed in contact with Will through AJ as well,” Woolf said.

“I spoke to him a couple of times about coming down (but) he just said he’d had enough of footy and more so the injuries that came with it.”

But after two years as an apprentice, Brimson was swayed by his younger brother and Woolf to down tools and return to doing what he does – and loves – best.

Will Brimson at Gold Coast Titans training. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

That was last year, and Brimson’s long-awaited Queensland Cup return lasted just one game before the season was put on ice due to COVID-19.

But with his passion for the game restored, Brimson linked with Gold Coast Rugby League outfit Mudgeeraba Redbacks and played a starring role in the club’s maiden A-Grade campaign – culminating in a Team of the Season nod in the number six.

Far from the prototypical five-eighth, standing 188cm tall and tipping the scales at 94kg, Brimson boasts an enviable blend of strength, speed and ball playing ability.

That combination led to an invitation from the Titans to join the NRL club for pre-season, where he spent five weeks before returning to the Seagulls in preparation for the 2021 Queensland Cup season.

“He’s still a work in progress I think. He knows himself he has a bit of work to do in his game,” Woolf said of Brimson.

“He’s two years out of the game and that can take its toll a bit.

“He played in the local comp this year and played well … he showed he can play at the level easily.”

Tweed Seagulls Intrust Super Cup coach Ben Woolf.

Shaping as Brimson’s biggest fan and hardest taskmaster, Woolf said the five-eighth would likely be back to his brilliant best by the end of the season, adding the Seagulls have “big plans for him this year”.

“I think by the end of the year we’ll really see what Will is capable of,” Woolf said.

“That’s not to say he won’t be up to scratch to start with – he’s had a good off-season. But he’s just short of a run over the past couple of years.

“I think we’ll see his best footy once he gets a bit more under his belt.”