He lived in close quarters with him over a three-day boot camp in the Gold Coast hinterland and senior Titan Greg Bird remains hopeful star centre James Roberts will move past his latest contract dramas and recommit to the club.
The two-year extension he signed mid-season was deemed to be null and void when it emerged that a fake signature from a club official had been used to amend one part of the contract, effectively putting Roberts back onto the open market.
Club officials were hopeful of working through a resolution on Monday after the team returned from the Army camp but the sudden passing of close friend Jason Haider in Sydney delayed further discussions.
Roberts mixed happily with Titans teammates as they recovered with a few ends of lawn bowls on Tuesday afternoon and the club remains confident that he will stay on the Gold Coast where he will have the chance in 2016 to play alongside his cousin, Knights recruit Tyrone Roberts.
Although there was little sleep to be had over the course of the camp, Roberts and Bird shared a tent and the Blues and Kangaroos star is hopeful that the 22-year-old will run out alongside him in Round 1 next season.
"I hope he does," Bird said when asked about the prospects of Roberts staying on the Gold Coast.
"He doesn't want to leave but at the end of the day it's a business like anything else and that's the advice he's been given I guess.
"He was in my group, he was my tent partner, and he was good.
"He worked hard and I'm hoping that these negotiations can get sorted out and finalised sooner rather than later so we can forget this whole media hype that has surrounded this contract drama."
