Gold Coast coach Garth Brennan says Kane Elgey will have to prove himself worthy of the No.6 jersey, with the new Titans' mentor throwing down a pre-season challenge to his playing group.
Elgey starred for the Titans in 2015 but missed the 2016 campaign after a knee reconstruction and struggled in his return last season while battling a sternum injury.
Off contract at season's end, the Gold Coast junior will need to convince Brennan he is the man many had tipped him to be two years ago.
On Wednesday, Brennan was happy to anoint re-signed No.7 Ash Taylor as the man he would build the club around, but would not be drawn on the likely identity of his halves partner.
"Kane Elgey's a local product; I'm excited by him; he had a fantastic year before he done his knee and I think he'll complement Ash very well," Brennan said.
"But where players are going to play, that's something I'm coming in with a fresh approach to.
"It'll be who puts their hand up in the pre-season.
"No one's guaranteed a position no matter who they are. They've got to work for it and it's important they all realise that."
Brennan attempted to hose down talk that fullback Jarryd Hayne might move to five-eighth, but left it on the table as a possibility and even touted Taylor as an option.
"My quote was that I wanted the football in Jarryd's hands as much as possible," he said.
"Where Jarryd plays, or whether Ash wears the six or seven on his back, that's something that I'll look at over the next few months before round one and will be a decision made between myself and the players."
Meanwhile, Penrith hooker Mitch Rein, who played last season in Brennan's NSW Cup premiership side, has been linked to a move north.
Rein's arrival would go some way to addressing the loss of utility back Tyrone Roberts to Super League's Warrington.
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