After bursting to prominence in 2022 thanks to a personal-best campaign, Gold Coast Titans gun Beau Fermor has revealed the influence of Queensland legend and current Origin coach Billy Slater on his rapid personal development.
Fermor capped off a great year with selection in the Australian Prime Minister's XIII against Papua New Guinea. He also finished as the Titans' leading try scorer in the NRL with 11 and averaged 116 metres and 30 tackles per game.
Now back at pre-season as the Titans look to bounce back from a largely disappointing season, Fermor has revealed how influential Slater was for him after he arrived in Origin camp as a member of the Maroons' extended squad.
“Last season I learned so much off Billy Slater about things I need to work on to become a better player and push for a spot in the Queensland side,” Fermor told AAP.
“I have a few errors in my game that I need to fix up. That's a discipline thing and just about focusing on holding the ball in contact.
“There were a couple of things in defence and my mentality around the game that Billy wanted me to work on.
“I've been working on that in pre-season and hopefully I can bring it out next year.”
After making the finals in 2021, 2022 was a massive step back for the Titans, who finished 13th. Fermor knows he'll have to play his part as Justin Holbrook's men seek to quickly return to their previous heights.
“I must back up the form I've shown and go better,” he said.
“It's a big season for the club and we have to show more than we did last season.
“It was disappointing last season. We've got to prove we can be top eight contenders and prove we can play consistently in the finals every year.”