Aaron Booth's rugby league career has been full of ups and downs.
Hailing from the Northern Rivers, the 30-year-old's playing ability was cut short after being to hell and back on the injury front, but the multitude of setbacks he's had to face and conquer has pioneered the next stage of his journey.
Hanging up the boots in 2023 to become Karyn Murphy's right hand man for the Titans' NRLW team, Booth has quickly become a much-loved and revered figure among the playing group and has proven to be hugely important in Gold Coast's quest for success.
Embarking on his second year back at Parkwood after a brief hiatus in 2024, he's now busier than ever in an expanded role that also includes overseeing NRLW recruitment and pathways in addition to his coaching duties.
Titans.com.au sat down with Booth to reflect on his journey to date as preparations ramp up for the 2026 season, commencing on July 4 at home against the Roosters.
Match: Titans v Roosters
Round 1 -
home Team
Titans
away Team
Roosters
Venue: Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
It's been three seasons since announcing your retirement, can you reflect on that decision and how life has unfolded since hanging up the boots?
It definitely stopped me in my tracks, not only the injury but letting go of my playing career and contract.
Everything stood still for a month but since then, it's been smooth sailing and I've been really lucky to follow the path I've been given.
The club offered me another contract to try and make a return, and I’ll always be grateful for that opportunity, but it became clear that getting back on the field was unlikely.
That’s when I came to terms with medically retiring.
How has your role grown within the club since making the transition from player to staff member?
I first started running water with the boys and doing logistics within the football operations team which gave me insights into how everything ran behind-the-scenes.
Around that time, Murph (Karyn Murphy) also brought me on as the NRLW assistant coach, and having those two new pathways open up really helped ease the transition as my playing career came to an end.
In 2024, you pivoted away from the on-field side of the game - what drew you to the opportunity with the Rugby League Players Association?
I felt I needed to step away from the field; whether that was because my career was taken away from me and it hurt more than I initially realised.
Working with the RLPA for 12 months was an experience I’m incredibly grateful for but going there didn't allow me to stay on with the Titans NRLW program in the capacity I wanted, so coming back to club has set me up for how and where I am today.
How much of an impact has working alongside Murphy had on your career and mindset?
A lot of people speak about retiring from the game and it not going smoothly in those first couple years but that's where a lot of my experience is due to Murph.
She's given me so many opportunities and put so much faith in me to give back to this NRLW squad and the wider female program on the Gold Coast.
I love coaching and I can see a long future in that for myself but then I'm also getting experience with recruitment and pathways.
I've been so lucky to learn so much in such a short amount of time.
You’re highly involved within the Northern Rivers region - what does that connection mean to you, and why is it important for young girls in the community to see a strong Titans presence and pathway close to home?
It's where I grew up and where my footy journey started.
I'm extremely appreciative of where I come from, so coming back to the Titans after being in Melbourne felt like I was coming home in a way.
Now that I can give back in my coaching position, it's been really rewarding for me personally and hopefully we're rewarded in return through our female pathways within the Northern Rivers region.
I've been working with the Lisa Fiaola 17's and Open Women's Northern Rivers Titans squad since October last year - part as the selection, part as lending a hand on field and supporting the program - which in the past has been a bit disconnected due to lack of human resource.
Having pathways a part of my role and being from the Northern Rivers, it's just been a perfect way to give back to the program and build our connection with the Titans brand.
Chappo (Jaime Chapman) and Phoenix (Raine-Hippi) sat with both squads recently and did a yarning circle.
It's awesome to see how much they're loved by the community down there and hopefully the younger girls follow in their footsteps in the near future and progress into our program.
With the NRLW squad making their return to Parkwood, how would you describe the energy within the group and what does preparation for the 2026 season look like?
We've kicked the year off a bit earlier this time round and always with having time off, you never know what the return is going to be like but the girls have certainly hit the ground running.
I know Bucko (NRLW head of high performance Simon Buxton) runs the girls in circles and gets them fit but they're holding themselves to a high standard as well, so it's always pleasing when you don't have to ride players on maintaining themselves away from the training field.
Everyone is in a really good position and we can dive into the football a lot sooner than we did last year which is really exciting but obviously the more time we can spend on the craft, the better the girls will be by the time the season rolls around.
