'Improved' Watkins pushing for starting berth: Holbrook

Kallum Watkins is relishing his longest pre-season in almost a decade and Titans coach Justin Holbrook is banking on the England international regaining his 2017 World Cup form.

The 28-year-old centre played more than 250 games for Leeds and was a regular England international since 2013 before rupturing his ACL in 2018.

He joined the Titans during the 2019 season but was below his best in six NRL games.

Watkins was a regular visitor to a Gold Coast gym in the off-season to do his own personal training as he prepared himself for three months of hard training with the Titans squad.

"Kal is going really well. He has had a 12-year career in England for Leeds and for five of those years he was playing Test football for England at the end of the year and only had about four weeks of pre-season," Holbrook told NRL.com.

"I coached against him [for St Helens] and he was one of Leeds' best players but he struggled in Super League last year after coming back from his knee injury probably earlier than he should have and he was the first to admit he wasn't in a great state to play fitness-wise at the back end of the year.

"Since then he's had the luxury of having a full pre-season of training at the Titans and he has taken full advantage of the seven weeks we had before Christmas and we'll get another six weeks in before we start playing.

"He looks set for a good year after training really hard to give himself the best shot over here."

Watkins won three Super League grand finals, two Challenge Cup finals and a World Club Challenge title with Leeds and has played in two World Cup campaigns for England.

He was one of England's best in the 6-0 loss to Australia in the 2017 World Cup final.

The Titans are light on for players with finals and big-game experience in the backline and that is why Watkins is central to Holbrook’s plans.

Holbrook said he had a few options in the centres with Brian Kelly, Tyrone Peachey and Dale Copley in contention.

"Dale is travelling well after coming back from a shoulder injury and is nearly completely into full training. He's been in rehab for most of the pre-season but he’s working hard to be right for the start of the year," Holbrook said.