Veteran prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard went from Parramatta player of the year to unwanted by new coach Jason Ryles, but the new Gold Coast signing has had the last laugh.
The 31-year-old former NSW and Test front-rower had his first day as a Titan on Friday and will be on deck for the next three years after securing a release from the last season of his Eels deal.
Remarkably that release came the same day that Campbell-Gillard got the top gong at Parramatta’s presentation night. It’s a circumstance the 221-game warhorse was pragmatic about.
“S*** happens. That’s rugby league and how the business works,” Campbell-Gillard said.
“They don’t want me and that’s all right. I’m fully OK with that and I’ve landed up here at a great spot.
“I said to (Jason) Ryles (Eels coach) ‘tell me how it is’ and he felt like he wanted to go in a different direction.
“I understand it’s a business and everyone needs to understand that as well. I still had one more year left but at my age to secure my future was the main thing and having that security. The Titans came with the three years, so at my age three is a lifetime.”
It was almost a month after his release that Campbell-Gillard was announced as a Titan. It seemed like a gamble at the time to leave one club without a new deal but the dual World Cup winner said it wasn’t as simple as that.
“You have to take a risk in everything in life,” Campbell-Gillard said.
“I knew I was coming, it just took a little bit of time to do things behind closed doors. A lot of people thought it was a risk, and yeah it was, but I was fully committed that a deal was going to happen.”
Campbell-Gillard adds starch to a formidable Gold Coast pack.
Captain and Test prop Tino Fa’asuamaleaui returns next season from a year off with an ACL rupture. He is complemented by fellow Queensland front-rower Moeaki Fotuaika and boom back-rower David Fifita. Second-rower Beau Fermor, who came back in 2024 also from an ACL tear, found his best form at the end of the season and is regarded as a Maroons representative in waiting.
Throw in Titans rookie of the year Josiah Pulu, one of the most promising young props in the game, and warrior prop Jaimin Jolliffe and the club will dare to dream of at least returning to finals football for the first time since 2020, and even challenging for a maiden title.
“It’s always the dream and the goal is to obviously chase (a premiership) and there’s a lot of (Titans) boys racking up games and four or five seasons now,” Campbell-Gillard said.
“You need quality and experience as well, so I’m pretty excited to see what we can do. I think we can definitely push for top eight and if we get to the top eight we’ll see what happens.
“I came to take the pressure off Tino. Tino’s coming off injury, and a bad one as well, so it’s on myself and Moey and the other boys on the bench to take the pressure off Tino. I’m happy to fill that role.”
© AAP