Stat To Fix: Gold Coast Titans halves remain a work in progress

For starters, talented young halfback Ash Taylor had a rotating cast alongside him in the halves all year, from Kane Elgey, to Bryce Cartwright, to AJ Brimson and then back to Elgey.

All four struggled to really impose themselves in 2018, with Taylor alternating flashes of brilliance with periods of below-par output, Cartwright and Elgey failing to demand regular NRL spots and Brimson producing his best form after a move to fullback.

All up, the Titans finished worst in the NRL for errors from the two starting halves, with 55 errors in 24 games (next most Dragons with 53, Bulldogs 49 and Cowboys 48). Included in that was an NRL-high seven kicking errors, and they also had an NRL-high five missed field goals.

Defensively, the 35 try-causes from the Titans halves was also just one off the NRL high 36 shared by Brisbane, Newcastle and Manly.

Despite this – and the team's 14th-place finish – Titans halves finished sixth in the NRL for try assists with 26, largely via Taylor.

With a powerful forward pack and more than serviceable backline at his disposal, coach Garth Brennan needs to decide early who will be Taylor's partner in 2019 – whether that is Tyrone Peachey, Tyrone Roberts or AJ Brimson – and give the young halfback the best chance to make the most of his doubtless skill levels.