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By Luke Turgeon - Forgotten Titan Chris Walker has cleared one of the last remaining hurdles in his bid to return to the NRL, with the injured flyer on track for a new Gold Coast deal next season.
Walker, who has faded from view since snapping his achilles tendon for the second time in six months, is set to be offered an incentive-based one-year contract extension.
Titans managing director Michael Searle said it was a reward for Walker's hard work off the field in recent months and was also about bolstering the club's depth in the outside backs for next year.
"We have only held preliminary talks at this stage but it will probably be a heavily incentive-based agreement," said Searle.
"It will see him given an opportunity to train close to full-time, with incentives for performing.
"He has applied himself really well with his off-field work and he has come a long way in the last 18 months.
"He has coped with this setback well. But he is also a quality player.
"The thing we have learnt this year is that you are always going to face testing injury tolls every year so you need lots of depth. I am confident he can come back and figure."
Walker first ruptured his achilles tendon on the opening day of the Gold Coast's pre-season last November.
In a cruel twist, he injured the same ankle the day before he was supposed to rejoin the full-time squad in March.
Walker's new deal will hinge on a medical assessment, but the former Queensland Origin winger is confident he can make a complete recovery.
He began running for the first time last week, and while there is no chance of his playing again this season, said he would be ready to go for round one next year.
The 28-year-old fended off suggestions that he would not be able to return to his explosive best.
"Even before I did it I had slowed down a bit from my teenage years and early 20s," he said.
"But I will get it up there again and do all the right things this time."
Walker has managed just five games for the Titans since joining the club at the start of last season, sitting out most of last year through injuries and an in-house suspension for an off-field incident in Surfers Paradise. www.goldcoast.com.au |