Australian jerseys help Brimson regain confidence

Titans playmaker AJ Brimson says the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the game's best players will help him when he returns to his NRL club.

Brimson joined a star-studded Junior Kangaroos squad in Wollongong this week to prepare for Friday night's battle with France at WIN Stadium.

That match at WIN Stadium will serve as a curtain-raiser to Test matches involving the men's and women's teams from Australia and New Zealand.

A change to the format, where the Junior Kangaroos age limit has increased from 20 to 23 this season, will see the likes of Maroons duo Kalyn Ponga, David Fifita and premiership-winners Angus Crichton, Nat Butcher and Victor Radley step out in green and gold.

"I was just happy to get a bench spot when you look at this side," Brimson told NRL.com.

"When you think about the 23-year old's in the NRL, and as you can see with the team named, there's boys who have been around the game for a while and represented their state or won grand finals.

"Coming into a younger squad now I feel more confident than what I probably would've been two weeks ago. I'll just try to take as much as I can into the Titans' [2020] season."

Brimson is expected to re-join the Titans for pre-season training in late November after the club's disappointing 2019 wooden spoon finish.

He concedes something needs to change from within the playing group, rather than make any further external changes, following the appointment of Justin Holbrook as coach.

"We have the squad to do a lot better but then again we had the squad this year and failed badly," Brimson said.

"Something has got to change with us as players whether it's attitude or a better understanding of how we play. We have to want to make a difference.

"I thought we had a good pre-season and went in feeling good but obviously didn't play well all year."

Brimson says he will benefit from an injury-free off-season after a shoulder reconstruction delayed and disrupted his preparation for 2019.

He started the year from the bench under former coach Garth Brennan until an injury to retiring veteran Michael Gordon and Ash Taylor's personal leave left him shifting from fullback to the halves.

"It was a sticky situation and I was coming back from the injury so was happy to stay there on the bench," he said.

"Brenno wanted me in the team but Ash and Tyrone were playing good footy. I think when you're losing games it doesn't help and it's the most frustrating part. We need to turn it around."

Be there live at WIN Stadium for the Test Match Double Header. Visit nrl.com/tickets to purchase tickets.