Titans forward Jai Arrow says he is edging closer to full fitness and full confidence as he looks to inspire the Gold Coast to an upset win over premiership favourites Melbourne on Sunday.
Arrow will play his third game back from ankle surgery when he lines up against the Storm at AAMI Park, and there is no doubt the Titans are grateful to have the State of Origin forward back on deck as they try to contain Melbourne’s massive forward pack.
Arrow suffered a syndesmosis injury against the Warriors in Round 14, that blew a hole in his season and kept him out of the final two games of the Origin series.
In his absence, the Maroons lost both matches. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the Titans have also not won a game since Arrow hobbled from Cbus Super Stadium in agony on that fateful night in June.
At the time, the Titans looked capable of turning the season around. They had beaten top-eight teams Manly and Brisbane away, with a narrow 6-4 loss to the Cowboys in between in the three weeks before the Warriors clash.
Instead, with Arrow joining a massive list of injured Titans, the Gold Coast’s season stalled and went into a dive they have still not pulled out from.
But Arrow now has two games under his belt against the Dragons and Eels, and in both games the Titans showed signs of life with promising 40-minute displays of their potential.
And Arrow says he will be looking to contribute even more against the Storm as he gets back to full fitness.
“I am starting to get a bit of confidence now with the ankle now,” Arrow said.
“When I come off onto the sideline and I sit down for a little bit, my ankle tightens up. It was always going to happen with all the trauma it went through with the surgery and stuff like that.
“I am getting used to it now and starting to find my feet, and I’m looking forward to the challenge this week.”
