Toby Sexton wants his Gold Coast No.7 jersey back and, after a difficult season last year for the Titans, he is ready to embrace the challenge.
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The 21-year-old will play five-eighth in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge clash against Brisbane, while Tanah Boyd will start at halfback and captain the side.
Boyd, 22, has the jump on Sexton to play No.7 in the round one clash with Wests Tigers where star recruit Kieran Foran will play five-eighth.
Sunday's clash is a chance for Sexton to remind coach Justin Holbrook of his talents after he was dropped at the back end of last season. Boyd was given the starting halfback role and starred.
Sexton, who started at halfback in all 19 NRL games he played in 2022, has no intention of giving Boyd a rails run.
"I see that as my jersey and I don't want anyone to take it off (me)," Sexton said after Titans training on Wednesday.
"Right now everything is up for grabs.
"I have got two trial games to put my best foot forward. If I can do that I will give myself the best opportunity to be playing round one."
At the end of last season Sexton played four games in the Queensland Cup for Tweed Heads Seagulls and won two of them, which he said freshened him up mentally after a season where wins for the Titans were scarce.
"I think I won three of (19) games. Mentally it is going to take a toll on anyone and it definitely did on me," he said.
"I think I've found that love for the game again. I don't think I lost it, more so that we were losing games and mentally that takes its toll.
"I had my own guy (sports psychologist) I saw a couple of times a week ... and he was really good for me.
"The focus was on what stuff I can control. The big thing around that was trusting in what I do. And what I do does work. It might not have worked at times last year but in the future it will and I've just got to keep backing that."
Without senior halves to guide him Sexton struggled at times last year, but the arrival of 2011 premiership winner Kieran Foran from Manly has been just the tonic.
"I was pumped about him coming and he's blown my expectations through the park," he said.
"He's got so much time for you. Any question I ask he is always sitting down with me - whether it is in video or after sessions - and I try and pick his brain as much as possible."
Australian Associated Press
