The Gold Coast Titans have endured a rough start to life under veteran coach Des Hasler, and have little in the way of squad wiggle room over the coming 12 months.
The latest addition - Reagan Campbell-Gillard - who joins for the 2025 campaign after being released by the Parramatta Eels - means they certainly have one of the game's best forward packs.
That is if it wasn't already, given David Fifita, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Moeaki Fotuaika and Beau Fermor have led the way in recent times - all four of those players, as well as their newest addition - are already locked in for 2026.
A number of other key parts are also locked in long-term, but that will beg the question: Where do the Titans turn next?
They missed the finals this year, and at no stage looked remotely like making them. That normally calls for squad improvements to be made, but with money tight and the race for positions in the Best 17 even tougher, it looks a long way off from the flexibility the Gold Coast need.
We will run the rule over all 17 clubs on Zero Tackle as the 2026 recruitment period gets underway to determine who their top targets are. Today, the Titans.
Current 2026 Gold Coast Titans squad
AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Beau Fermor, David Fifita, Moeaki Fotuaika, Carter Gordon, Klese Haas, Jaimin Jolliffe, Brian Kelly, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Keano Kini, Chris Randall, Phillip Sami, Tukimihia Simpkins (dev.), Sam Verrills
Off-contract at end of 2025
Tanah Boyd, Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui, Jojo Fifita, Kieran Foran, Ryan Foran, Tony Francis, Ben Liyou, Ken Maumalo, Josiah Pahulu, Harley Smith-Shields
Current best 17 for 2026
1. Keano Kini
2. Alofiana Khan-Pereira
3. AJ Brimson
4. Brian Kelly
5. Phillip Sami
6. Jayden Campbell
7. Carter Gordon
8. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
9. Sam Verrills
10. Moeaki Fotuaika
11. Beau Fermor
12. David Fifita
13. Chris Randall
Interchange
14. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
15. Klese Haas
16. Jaimin Jolliffe
17. Tukimihia Simpkins
As mentioned, the Titans have plenty of their top guys already locked away.
In addition to the forwards mentioned, Keano Kini, AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell will continue to squabble over the spine roles.
The trio all want to play fullback, but it's obviously not possible. Brimson and Campbell have been trialled in the centres and at five-eighth respectively, but the halves are where the Titans will most likely look to bring in a fresh emergence of talent.
There are also no guarantees over the dummy half spot, with Sam Verrills and Chris Randall signed, but neither shining and speculation that Verrills may look to leave the club.
The outside backs have also tended to be an issue for the Titans.
The Cronulla five-eighth has indicated he will head to the open market from November 1, and there is little doubt there will be a rush for his services.
Whether it's a five-eighth or halfback the Titans need remains to be seen, but they could do worse than sign one in each position. Former Wallaby Carter Gordon is an unknown quantity, Kieran Foran will be retired, and as mentioned, Brimson and Campbell are both seemingly out of place in the halves.
Trindall really stood up throughout the second half of the 2024 campaign and wound up having a better season than Cronulla's usual one-man show Nicho Hynes.
That says good things for his future. The fact he can play halfback as well as five-eighth is also a major positive.
This one may seem rather obvious. Ben Hunt has, yet again, requested a release from the Dragons, and could well get it this time.
If not, he will be on the open market for the end of 2025, and looking for a new club as he aims to continue his career into 2026.
Money will be the key issue for the Titans given the enormous cash they have already spent in the forwards, but an experienced halfback would mean wonders for this club.
Ben Hunt is the best of those on the market actively looking for a new club and looking to continue his career beyond 2025.
It's hard to justify the Titans chasing an out and out dummy half when they have two on their books, even if we suspect that situation might change at some point before the first ball is kicked in 2026.
That said, signing a player like Tyran Wishart would be something of a no-brainer for the club.
He can play fullback, five-eighth, halfback, hooker, and in the outside backs, potentially knocking over a number of potential issues the Titans face with one stone.
Competition for his services if he doesn't agree to a new deal with the Storm is going to be red-hot after his breakout 2023 season.
The theme of money being tight on the Gold Coast has to be taken into account when running through their targets.
There is little doubt they will want to work on improvements to their outside backs, and one player potentially looking for a new home could be Sam Stonestreet.
Stuck behind Sione Katoa and the also out of contract Ronaldo Mulitalo at the Sharks, Stonestreet is one of the best young wingers in the game.
He has height, agility and a try-scoring ability matched by very few players coming through the pathways at any club. Would come cheap, and the Titans should be lodging an offer as soon as they are allowed to do so.
If it turns out the likes of Trindall and Hunt are out of the price range for the Titans given their salary cap, a player like Jonah Pezet could fit like a glove.
Spending most of 2024 recovering from an ACL injury sustained in the Queensland Cup may have knocked his development down the road, but he has already spent time replacing Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes in Melbourne without missing a beat.
Two of the toughest shoes to fill in the competition, and the youngster has already been there and done that.
Seemingly a future Origin player, he is the kind of player a club can build their future around, and that is exactly what the Titans need to be doing.