Bulldogs playmaker Toby Sexton has taken a trip down memory lane as he reflects on his sudden exit from the Gold Coast Titans in the middle of last season.
In what was considered a surprising move at the time, the Titans released Sexton from the remainder of his contract after being sidelined with injury.
However, the injury just added to his woes at the club having already struggled to find regular game time in first grade with the rise of Tanah Boyd and Jayden Campbell.
Since the departure to Belmore, the 22-year-old played in seven games to round out last season and has emerged as the frontrunner to partner up with Matt Burton in the halves to begin this season - Blake Taaffe, Drew Hutchison and Kurt Mann are other candidates.
Sexton revealed toย Zero Tackleย what it was like to leave the club where he had begun his rugby league career and saw him farewell several close friends and teammates. He also believes that the move to the Bulldogs will allow him more opportunities to reach his potential.
"Yeah, it was (hard to leave the Titans)," Sexton toldย Zero Tackle.
"I was probably fortunate in a way where everything happened so quick where I didn't actually get any time to kind of sit back and reflect on what was actually happening.
"(When) it happened, I remember I'd come in for a tour on a Thursday and by the Tuesday, I'd move down, and by the Saturday, I was back playing a game of footy
"Within just over a week, I managed to move everything down to a new state, and I was playing for a new footy side, and it's probably the best thing for me.
"To be honest, I didn't have any time to think or really reflect, and I was just more excited about the new opportunity.
"Obviously, I had a really good time at the Titans, but there was an opportunity for me to get where I wanted to get to.
"Now being at the Dogs, I feel like I've got a good opportunity to reach my potential, hopefully.
A former junior Origin representative, Sexton is yet to reach his potential but has shown glimpses of brilliance at the top level.
Last year, he emerged as an inspiration in the Titans' Easter Sunday game against the St George Illawarra Dragons, where he out-showcased the likes of Ben Hunt, David Fifita and Tanah Boyd.
Playing through an injury he sustained during the match, he scored the game-winning try in the 76th minute to earn Gold Coast the two points and became an instant club hero.
Despite still being close with his former teammates at the Titans, especially AJ Brimson and Sam Verrills, Sexton detailed his relationships with members of the Bulldogs squad.
Namedropping Matt Burton, Reed Mahoney and Jacob Preston, he hopes that good relationships off the field can correlate to their success on the field.
"I've got a new kind of chapter here now with the Dogs, and that's my focus moving forward, and I've been able to forge some pretty good relationships that I'm really excited for," Sexton added.
"An obvious one with Matty Burton at the start, given we were playing together, but I think our relationship's kind of taken off, and we're spending a lot of time on and off the field together with him and Reed (Mahoney) and Jacob Preston as well, which are all pretty crucial players for the footy side.
"I think it's important that I get that off-field stuff sorted with them and spend a lot of time with them because it's only going to show on the field."
