The in-joke between them is that Jai Arrow isn’t worth what he’s getting now but Titans prop Jarrod Wallace is adamant that the club must be prepared to break the bank to keep the Queensland Origin forward on the Gold Coast.
Arrow, Moeaki Fotuaika and AJ Brimson are viewed as the pillars on which future success can be built at the Titans with Fotuaika doubling down on his commitment to the club by agreeing to stay until at least the end of the 2022 season.
Arrow and Brimson are also both Keebra Park High School graduates and off contract at the end of next season, the pair expected to attract widespread interest should they make it to the open market.
Titans powerbrokers are working to have Arrow secured to a long-term deal by the start of pre-season training in November if not by November 1 when rival NRL clubs can officially table offers to his management.
Wallace is himself signed with the club through until the end of 2022 and said that the club must do everything it can to ensure Arrow also stays long term.
"I definitely don't want to lose him and I don't think the club can afford to lose him,” said Wallace ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Knights in Newcastle.
"I always muck around with him and say that he doesn't deserve it but what he's done is a credit to him.
“He's come down here [from the Broncos], he's trained hard and he's one of our leaders now at only 24 years old.
Phillip Sami runs down Josh Addo-Carr
"He’s been outstanding for the last two years. Even this year with a bit of setback with that injury he came back and still just as good as when he left.
"We just need him to stay on the park and play some good footy.
"Those three guys are a massive core of this club and they're definitely guys that we need to keep.”
Intent to finish the final two games on a positive note, Brimson said that the suggestion that he, Arrow and Fotuaika are crucial pieces of the Titans puzzle moving forward is exciting and something to be embraced.
"It's probably more excitement that people view us as players they want to see as future Titans,” Brimson said.
“Any news like that is always good to hear and exciting.
"I'm a Gold Coast boy and I want to stay at the Titans. Hopefully that will happen one day.”
Fotuaika was in his first year at Keebra Park when Arrow was captaining the senior school team.
He was a revered figure then and someone that the 19-year-old wants to continue to learn from in the years to come.
“Jai was the big thing back in high school and all the boys used to look up to him,” said Fotuaika, who along with Arrow are considered the favourites for the Paul Broughton Medal as the Titans’ best player of 2019.
Every try from Round 23
"Jai's a great player as well as a good bloke. If he sticks around here for another few years it will be good for the club and good for us younger boys."
Already signed to the Titans until the end of 2021, Fotuaika discussed a further year with his parents before signing an extension, a decision he said was quite straightforward.
"I did put in a little bit of thought but everything just kind of fell into place,” said Fotuaika.
“It's a great club and they've got great people around here as well.
“I didn't really have to think about it too much. It was a pretty easy decision.”
