Consistency is expected to be the number one New Year's Resolution for the Titans as they aim to return to finals contention having missed the previous three seasons of playoffs.
The side showed glimpses in Des Hasler's first year at the helm - including a purple patch of form winning six from eight appearances in the middle of the year - but the start and end of the campaign proved costly in advancing to the top eight in 2024.
But despite the 14th-placed finish, there is a good feeling around Parkwood heading into the new season with Sam Verrills knowing what they can deliver if they are able to maintain consistent performances.
"Obviously our first year didn’t really go to plan like we all hoped it would, but this season we’ve all come in and understand the way Des goes about things and rugby league," he told 4BC's Wide World of Sports.
"It’s been really refreshing and the boys have come back to training really fit which is a great sign.
"When we started winning games [last year], we could see it was working and we got confidence from it. The belief was there and we won three in a row, and then we went on to win seven from 10.
"There was a chance we could’ve played finals if we pushed on, but we lost a few games in a row and our confidence got shot.
"But towards that halfway point, we took plenty of confidence from what worked and we didn’t go away from that during that period.
"Going into our second pre-season under Des, it’s going to be pretty exciting and we’re really working hard on the fundamentals of rugby league and the effort areas right now.
"I'm really excited."
Also enthusing the Gold Coast dummy-half is Reagan Campbell-Gillard's arrival to the Titans, with the 2024 Eels player of the year set to bolster an already powerful forward pack - helping lighten the load for the other enforcers.
"He’s loving it and fitting in really well with all the boys," Verrills said.
"He brings in a lot of experience to our forward pack alongside the likes of Tino, Moe and Jimmy Jolliffe and he’ll take a lot of pressure off them.
"He’s only going to add to our game and he’s another big mobile forward."
Set to feature one of the most impressive forward packs in the NRL, Verrills has one of the best seats in the house in the No. 9 jersey watching the engine room go to work, chomping at the bit to get out there despite having to wait until Round 2 for the season proper to begin.
"It’s pretty enjoyable being a hooker and getting to play with this pack," he said.
Hopefully we can all stay injury free and have a good year.
"We’ve all been going pretty hard this pre-season and us like all the other teams in the NRL are pretty keen to be playing footy at the moment too, so we’re looking forward to it."
