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Mortimer happy to bide time at Titans

6th May, 2015
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Gold Coast Titans playmaker Daniel Mortimer is happy to bide his time on the bench as he prepares for his return from injury in Canberra on Saturday.

Mortimer has been named to make his first NRL appearance since round three, having finally recovered from a troublesome wrist issue – but coach Neil Henry has opted to keep boom youngster Kane Elgey in the No.7 jersey.

That means a likely run-on hooker role for Mortimer, echoing back to his days as a utility player for the Sydney Roosters.

The 25-year-old admitted he felt stuck behind Elgey but said he has little choice but to dig in and earn his spot the hard way.

“He’s a very good young player,” Mortimer said.

“Especially the way the team’s gone in the last few weeks, I didn’t expect to walk back into the jersey.

“People think it’s always me versus Kane but we’re on the same team.

“Whatever role we can do to make the team win is best for the club and I’m more than happy to do (it).

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“He’s done a great job and it’s my job now to train hard and play well off the bench and work my way back in.

“I want to play as much NRL as I can up here and to get the chance to come back off the bench is really exciting.

“It’s a role I’m very familiar with and I’ve played some successful footy there.”

Mortimer said he was looking forward to joining a pack that has led the way in Gold Coast’s three-match winning streak, which has lifted them into seventh spot on the ladder.

“The forwards are really laying the platform there,” he said.

“Coming off the bench into that hooker role, it’s an exciting prospect to be able to play some fast footy off the back of that.”

That pack will be depleted somewhat following the suspension of Greg Bird for a dangerous lifting tackle in the Anzac Test, but skipper Nate Myles remains confident the Titans can notch a fourth consecutive victory.

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“We’re not going down there with our heads in the clouds, we know what we’re in for,” Myles said.

“Their second halves throughout the year have been fantastic so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

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