Saturday's clash with Gold Coast will be the closest Corey Norman gets to the Titans after coach Garth Brennan confirmed he had accepted his board's decision not to pursue the Parramatta five-eighth.
Norman has one year left on his contract but is no certainty to be at the Eels next year, and had been linked to the Titans.
However, any chance of that happening was crushed this week when Titans chairman Darryl Kelly told News Corp Australia that Norman wasn't a good fit for the Titans' culture.
Brennan is happy to fall into line with that view.
"That's the committee's decision. I respect what their decision is and we move on," Brennan told reporters on Friday.
"I understand where the club is and he's a talented player - there's no doubt about that.
"It's important for our sponsors, fans and members that we continue to head in the right direction. It's always going to be club first."
Gold Coast are desperate to avoid any possible off-field issues after a wretched run that included the 2015 cocaine scandal.
Norman is by no means a bad boy, but was suspended for eight weeks in 2016 over a string of incidents, including pleading guilty to drugs charges.
The 27-year-old claimed this week he didn't want to go to another rebuilding club, a description the Titans likely fit.
Gold Coast have been burnt by high-profile signings in the past, including most recently with Jarryd Hayne.
He lasted just a season-and-a-half after going to the club in late 2016, but by the time he left, then-coach Neil Henry was also out the door.
Saturday's match at ANZ Stadium will mark the first time Hayne has faced the Titans since leaving, but Brennan said he didn't have any ill feeling towards the Eels centre.
"I have a lot of respect for Jarryd. He walked away from a lot of money to go where his heart is," Brennan said.
"He could've stayed with the Gold Coast for another 12 months and taken the money and gone through the motions.
"I can't imagine too many people in this world who would walk away from the money he did just because his heart wasn't in it."
STATS THAT MATTER:
* The past six head-to-heads have been decided by 10 points or more.
* Gold Coast have won 11 of 17 against the Eels - their best record in the NRL.
* Jarryd Hayne has scored six tries in his past five games against the Titans.
* Stats: Fox Sports
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