It was a move that perhaps still has some Gold Coast fans and even NRL fans shocked, but as the Titans look to the future, one young half in Jordan Rankin has put his hand up to fill the void left by the departed Scott Prince.
Following Prince’s departure to the Brisbane Broncos, and with the Titans scrambling to determine who will replace him, Rankin said that he is ready to step into the halfback role for the club.
Rankin, who is a former Australian Schoolboy, has played in 15 NRL games in total, including six in 2012 – with Rankin believing that after a few years in the top-grade, he has matured to the point where he is ready to lead a team around the park.
“It’d be a really good opportunity for me,” said Rankin.
“I’ve been waiting in the wings for a fair while now.
“It’s unfortunate Princey has moved on up to the Broncos but that’s how footy works.
“I think you mature every year. Especially playing Q-Cup (for Burleigh), it’s good to play against men each week.
“I’ve been under Princey for a while now and he’s taught me the ropes and a heap of stuff I can take on board and forward into next year and many years to come.”
It was Rankin who started at five-eighth alongside Prince at the start of the year, before Aidan Sezer came in and made the pivot position his own.
Rankin, whilst confident of starting at halfback in the wake of Prince’s departure, knows that it will mean he has to impress heavily at training, and that he has to knuckle down to prove his worth to Titans coach John Cartwright.
“I don’t want to say I want to play like Princey (but) I obviously want to try and fill the void,” he said.
“My goal is to take the Titans to a premiership, especially with the side we’ve got at the moment.
“We’ve got big Dave Taylor coming in, Nate Myles is coming off some really good form and there’s Birdy (Greg Bird), Aidan Sezer and Matty Srama.
“We’ve got a good core group of players and a good spine.
“I’m looking forward to being a part of that and pushing for a spot in March. I want to strive to get that No.7 jersey next year.”
Rankin admits that it will not be the same side without Prince, with the two developing a solid friendship over the last 5 years.
“I grew up watching him play and he was my childhood hero,” Rankin said.
“It’s going to be weird. We’re really good mates and have been close for a while now.
“It’s going to be sad to see him go. It’ll be weird not having him around the club, that’s for sure.”