AMID the toughest pre-season he’s been a part of in his 102-game NRL career, Orange’s Dan Mortimer was named in Gold Coast’s Auckland Nines squad on Monday night - arguably the most exciting roster released for the competition so far.
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Mortimer is set to direct traffic for the Titans 18-man squad, which includes superstars Dave Taylor, Will Zillman, Aidan Sezer and Josh Hoffman, along with excitement machines James Roberts, Kalifa Faifai-Loa and Kierran Moseley.
The Auckland Nines competition kicks off on Saturday, January 31, and the Titans’ first clash with New Zealand Warriors will be Mortimer’s nines debut after being left out of the Sydney Roosters squad last year.
“The Roosters wanted me to trial at halfback while Pearcey [Mitchell Pearce] was over at the nines, so I didn’t go,” Mortimer said.
All the guys at the Roosters, and now the Titans, rave about it though. It should be a good blowout, and a good way to get back into the swing of things in terms of skills and that sort of thing.
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
Mortimer said the nines format would suit his game, and said the concept allowed players a freedom not found in the traditional, 13-man form of the game.
“We don’t really prepare for the nines competition, it’s more off the cuff football,” Mortimer said.
“It should suit me I think, but as I said it’ll be a good way to blow the cobwebs out and get back into it. We’ve got a good squad, but we probably won’t be too worried if we don’t go through the finals.”
The Titans have been in pre-season training since November, and Mortimer said the preparations have been the most arduous he has been through since debuting for Parramatta in 2009 - particularly the Titans’ dreaded “hotbox”, which the Gold Coast players train in in up to 50 degree heat.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so uncomfortable,” Motimer laughed.
“It’s just a big demountable that bakes in the sun all day, we spend about an hour in there at a time doing cardio and it gets very hot.
“But it’s good, we do it as a team and everyone tries to hit their numbers. Other than that the pre-season has been really good, I’ve been injury free which is great.
“It’s definitely been the toughest pre-season I’ve been a part of, and all the boys are saying they’re as fit as they’ve ever been.
“I’m feeling good, the body’s good, the calf is good, so I’m fit and raring to go.
Mortimer looks set to start the regular NRL season at half-back, a position he has made his own since moving to the Titans midway through 2014.
Gold Coast kicks off its Auckland Nines campaign on Saturday, January 31 against the Warriors (12.45pm ADST kick-off), before clashing with Canberra and Wests Tigers in its other preliminary matches.
