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Titans coach Des Hasler has backed youngster Jaylan De Groot to step as the Titans prepare for an extended stint without livewire fullback Keano Kini.
Hasler confirmed a long-term neck injury to Kini, with the Kiwi international set to meet with specialists on Thursday to determine the full extent of the injury.
“With Keano, he will consult a specialist and then he'll talk to the specialists and work through what the scenarios will be,” Hasler said.
“I'm not a doctor, but if I'm sort of putting on my cap to say what I think might happen, I think he'll have a prolonged absence.
“Not an entire year, there's rumours getting out there that he's going to be out for the entire season, but it'll probably be a length of time.
"What that time is and what that time entails, we'll know probably in the next 48 hours.”
Kini’s absence in the spine is a bitter blow for the Titans, who got back on track last week with a dominant win over the Knights, but Hasler has backed 22-year-old De Groot to make the most of his opportunity.
“Well, he's not a rookie, he's played there a couple of times now,” Hasler said.
“He played there one of the trials.
“He acquitted himself really well last year against the Knights. He's trained a whole offseason there so I'm very confident about Jaylan.
“There’s probably other sides being in the same boat (with injuries). You can’t catch those breaks, it's just part of the territory.
“You prep for it, you work for it and Jaylan De Groot now gets to come in and he's acquitted himself well in the past and this is his moment, this is his chance and the side will go on just as we do week-in, week-out.”
Although the Titans take good form into Friday night’s game, Hasler said he was ‘wary’ of the Roosters who have defied injury issues of their own to post some spirited performances.
“Preparations are going well, we want to follow that up off the back of last week's prep,” Hasler said.
“We're wary of a Roosters side that’s been stung, but there's a real good feeling in the group, and we want to build on that confidence.”
Hasler also didn’t think there would be any additional issues for star forward David Fifita to deal with after his mooted move to the Roosters didn’t eventuate last season.
“Someone asked me that question, I think at the end of the day, there's so much clickbait about it and it's a ‘wonderful story’ (for content), but I can assure you from a footballing point of view that when both sides walk on the field, they could not give a rats,” Hasler said.
In a wide-ranging press conference, the former Sea Eagles coach was also asked about the news that Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans may not finish his career with the club and if there was any chance of seeing a Gold Coast reunion between him and old mate Kieran Foran.
“I'll say it once and clear that we're really happy with the retention that we have and the direction that we are taking,” Hasler said.
“I have no inkling as to – and I don't want to – have any inkling as to what sort of the machinations are in there, but at the end of the day, when you look at the way they performed against Canberra last week, it shouldn't be too much of an issue.”
Match: Roosters v Titans
Round 4 -
home Team
Roosters
15th Position
away Team
Titans
4th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
