Melbourne Storm hooker Brandon Smith has sent the NRL rumour mill into overdrive.
The star New Zealander, who is off-contract at the Storm from the end of 2022, was pictured meeting with Titans' officials including general manager of football Anthony Laffranchi on Wednesday afternoon.
In a now-deleted Tweet posted by the Gold Coast Titans Fan Club, Smith was seen to be shaking hands with the Titans' officials, before he and his mother were invited into the club's facilities.
The Titans, however, confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that no deal with Smith has been signed, and it was simply a meet and greet, to go with a tour of the facilities at the Titans' Parkwood base.
This was a claim backed up by Smith's manager Stan Martin.
It has previously been reported the Titans have put a deal on the table for Smith, doing so on November 1 alongside other Queensland clubs the Dolphins and Cowboys.
The Courier Mail report Smith has been offered a deal of around $800,000 per season over a three-year period by the Titans, who are desperate for a hooker.
The figure is disputed, but the Titans need for a first-class dummy half isn't. With big-name players like David Fifita and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui at the club, as well as AJ Brimson and an exciting young crop led by Toby Sexton and Jayden Campbell, a quality dummy half is the final part of the problem for the Titans.
At this stage, their roster for 2022 and beyond only has Erin Clark and Aaron Booth to play the pivotal position, while Mitch Rein left at the end of 2021.
It's not clear what chance any of the three Queensland sides have of signing Smith, with the Roosters and Warriors also reportedly interested.
Smith has previously been spotted in Townsville during the early part of November, however, it's understood he was simply on holidays, although the Telegraph report that Smith may have met with Cowboys' coach Todd Payten during his visit to the region.
The Kiwi hooker and lock forward was originally based in Townsville as part of the Cowboys' set up before his move to the Storm.