Senior Titan Kevin Proctor has a message for Club chiefs considering a trade for Jai Arrow to link with South Sydney a year early in 2020: Don’t.
Arrow has signed a deal to leave the Gold Coast at the end of the 2020 season to join the Rabbitohs, and South Sydney have made no secret of their desire to get the Queensland State of Origin lock to Redfern a year ahead of schedule.
Titans officials, led by Head of Performance and Culture Mal Meninga, have no interest in releasing Arrow before his current contract expires – unless Souths can conjure a trade deal that does not leave the Gold Coast disadvantaged. So far, they have not managed to do so.
Proctor Discusses Potential Arrow Release
Regardless, Proctor says the Titans should not even consider letting Arrow join Souths before 2021, saying he is just too important to the Gold Coast’s preparations for this season.
“I just don’t reckon they should do it,” Proctor said of a potential trade. “He is a really good player. Especially this late in the pre-season… Jai is an important player to our club.
“Everyone would be shattered if he does go. No one wants him to go next year either, but hopefully he can stick it out this year with us and grind out 2020.
“(Losing Arrow) I reckon it would be massive. Not just his playing ability on the field, but he is good to have around the club. He is a real team man, a real club man. All the boys love him. It would be pretty shattering if he does go this year, so I am hoping he doesn’t.”
Lifting the tempo
Proctor said he had seen no signs from Arrow that he was anything less than committed to delivering his best for the Gold Coast in 2020 after his Christmas Eve bombshell that he was leaving the Titans.
“I haven’t noticed that at all,” he said. “He is till pretty bubbly around the club, and still pretty energetic around the club, so he hasn’t changed too much.
“I haven’t noticed it anyway. I am hoping he doesn’t go and hope that he sticks out 2020.”
