‘Big signing’: Titans poach future Origin ace from Melbourne Storm
With Jai Arrow’s move to South Sydney expected to be finalised before the weekend, the Gold Coast Titans have a little Christmas cheer in the capture of one of the game’s brightest talents.
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The Gold Coast have braced for the loss of Queensland Origin forward Jai Arrow by signing highly rated Melbourne youngster Tino Fa’asuamaleaui on a $2 million deal.
Fa’asuamaleaui has signed a bumper three-year contract to join the Titans from 2021, but could be on the Gold Coast earlier if the Storm are open to negotiating a release.
The acquisition of Fa’asuamaleaui comes as the Titans prepare to lose Arrow to South Sydney.
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The Rabbitohs are confident of snaring Arrow on a four-year deal worth $3.2 million from 2021 and will look to lure him to Redfern immediately to replace the recently retired Sam Burgess.
Arrow’s contract could be finalised as early as Friday.
The Titans have stated they would not be open to releasing Arrow from the final year of his contract, but the NRL player market is an ever-changing beast.
Arrow, 24, is currently in camp with the Titans in Coffs Harbour but all parties want his future finalised by the weekend. He is unlikely to accept a three-year extension to remain at the Titans.
The impending loss of Arrow has been somewhat softened for the Titans by the signing of Queensland under-20s forward Fa’asuamaleaui, regarded as one of the game’s brightest talents.
A Junior Kangaroos and Samoan international, the 19-year-old made five NRL appearances for the Storm in the back end of the 2019 season and was viewed by Melbourne as a long-term prospect.
But the Titans’ offer of nearly $700,000-a-season proved too much to resist for the Gympie product. Fa’asuamaleaui is also believed to have family near the Gold Coast.
Fa’asuamaleaui is Titans culture chief Mal Meninga’s first genuine recruitment coup since he joined the club in November last year and is in line to replace Kevin Proctor in the Gold Coast’s back-row if the Titans opt not to re-sign the off-contract Kiwi forward.
“Tino has already proven to be one of the most promising young players in the game and we’re excited to have him joining the Titans,” said Titans coach Justin Holbrook.
“His signing is a huge win for the club considering the high-demand and interest there was in Tino from a number of NRL clubs.
“We have a great crop of local talent here and off the back of the re-signing of AJ Brimson, Moeaki Fotuaika and Phil Sami, Tino is another one of those young players that we can look forward to seeing in action in the future.”
The Storm confirmed they were not in a position to compete with the money offered by the Titans.
“Storm was made aware by Tino’s representatives that the club was highly unlikely to be able to compete with the money being offered for a young man who is at the start of his career,” the Storm said.
Originally published as ‘Big signing’: Titans poach future Origin ace from Melbourne Storm