The Titans are moving to free up well over $1 million of their salary cap as the club negotiates early releases for Shannon Boyd and Bryce Cartwright on top of Ryan James's likely exit to Canberra.
NRL.com understands an early release for Boyd from the final two-and-a-half years of his contract could be finalised as early as this week as he looks to return to his family's farming business in rural NSW.
Cartwright, as first reported by The Courier-Mail, is also in talks with the club about an early exit from the last 18 months of his deal due to personal reasons.
It's understood that the second-rower returned to Sydney recently and is weighing up whether to take an indefinite break from the game or pursue a fresh start at an NRL rival.
No official comment has been made by the Titans on the future of any of the trio.
But with Boyd (who has played just once this season and 14 games in total since joining the Gold Coast in 2019) and Cartwright (seven games in 2020) expected to move on by the end of 2020 the Titans' overhaul of their forward pack is well and truly underway.
It's understood negotiations are still ongoing around how much of Boyd's estimated $600,000 salary and Cartwright's own $400,000 wage would be carried by the Titans next year.
But with James off contract and freeing up roughly $600,000 the Titans' money will be directed towards a new brigade of rising stars led by marquee signing David Fifita, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Herman Ese'ese.
Broncos great Gorden Tallis, who now works as an ambassador with the Titans, revealed the role he played in bringing Fifita to the Gold Coast on Triple M on Sunday.
Tallis said the first time he had spoken to the young forward and his family about switching Queensland clubs was on Thursday night.
"I just spoke to them about why I joined the club," revealed the "Raging Bull".
"There's one thing that I promised him. He said 'are you on the coaching staff' and I said 'if you want me to be I will because I'll help you through your career with anything that you want me to do'. That's the commitment I've given him but that's about it.
"It was on a knife's edge and I think that he just had a big decision because he's a very loyal kid and the Broncos are fantastic and don't usually lose kids that they want."
The Canberra Raiders are expected to confirm the signing of Gold Coast captain James on a two-year deal.
James, 29, is set to link with the Green Machine after 144 games and more than a decade of service for the Gold Coast.
The Titans prop has been restricted to just six appearances over the past 18 months due to two knee reconstructions.
James is set to undergo a medical examination before the Raiders announce the signing.
The acquisition to the Raiders forward pack comes after the club lured Corey Harawira-Naera from the Bulldogs earlier in the week effective immediately.
Harawira-Naera arrived in the nation's capital on a two-and-a-half-year deal before the Raiders hosted South Sydney on Saturday night.
