Joe Stimson is glad he stuck to rugby league when growing up after getting a first hand glimpse of the Brisbane Heat this week.
Joining several of his Titans teammates watching the Big Bash heavyweights train on Wednesday, the former Temora junior has boldly declared he'll happy tackle any front rower in the NRL instead of having to face the thunderbolts the Queensland's tearaway fast bowlers deliver.
"It's been awesome to watch a bit of training and I tell you what... I'd rather be tackling all the front rowers in the NRL than having to face Spencer Johnson who bowls some serious heat," Stimson joked.
"It's been very impressive to watch and a very different sport to ours. I'm a massive cricket lover so watching it first hand has been great."
Titans turn up the Heat
The task in the middle is expected to be back on Stimson's assignment list in 2024 with the 28-year-old set to return to the prop rotation after ably filling the temporary void left by Beau Fermor's absence in his first season at Parkwood, but he hasn't ruled out any position in a bid to earn a place in Des Hasler's Round 1 team.
"I'll play wherever Des wants me," he said.
"Obviously Beau is back and is an exceptional player and you've got Dave (Fifita) on the other side, so I probably won't be in the back row, but hopefully somewhere in the middle or where Des needs me to play.
"I've been training in the middle mostly at training and I think Des and the coaches know I can play in the back-row and I'm getting used to playing back in the middle again.
"Our depth in the back-row is quite large and deep so who knows (until Round 1)."
Bolstering the depth discussion is David Fifita's return to the training field as he works hard to recover from pec surgery - his positive progression alongside Fermor's green light after his ACL rupture in 2023 ramping up the jostle for a start in the season opener on March 9.
The healthy battle is also expected to help showcase the new brand of football the Titans want to play under new mentor Hasler who brings 458 games of NRL experience to the Gold Coast
"The competition for spots has improved the quality of training and our depth has probably been a bit of an issue the last few years, but I think our squad is in really good knick," Stimson said.
"[The trials] are probably the first time that we can really make a statement of what we really want to do this year because they're not really trials for us... they're actual games that people will watch.
"The next few weeks is when we will be able to show our new identity and what we're all about this season."
