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Titans recruit Dale Copley during training.

Dale Copley will know more about drawing up a contract after completing a subject of contract law as part of his legal degree this semester but for now he just wants to complete his two-year stay with the Titans.

‌Copley will make his debut for the Titans against the Cowboys on Saturday night, his third club in the space of 15 months, after a protracted extraction from the Roosters with whom he signed a three-year deal in December 2015.

The injury crisis to their outside backs forced the Titans to expedite Copley's signing and while it came too late for the 25-year-old to line up against the Eels last week it allows him to play his first NRL game of the season.

The Titans first approached the Roosters about releasing Copley back in November and the former Broncos said he was thrilled to be back in south-east Queensland and playing first grade again.

"It's probably easier during pre-season," Copley said of his contract limbo.

"When the games start rolling around you obviously get itchy feet because you want to be playing at the highest level and playing in the NRL.

"That's when it becomes a bit more frustrating and the first two weeks were frustrating but I was pretty confident that this would happen.

"It was just a matter of time and I'm very glad that I stayed patient. There were a few days there where I didn't want to but I'm glad I did.

"I knew I was going to have a footy season to play; I didn't know what colours I'd wear or where that would be but I knew I was going to be playing somewhere.

"That was the focus every day to make sure that I was physically and mentally prepared to play a footy season, wherever that was.

"I had my days, I had some days where I struggled a bit but I'm just glad it's happened now."

Showing the maturity expected of a player fighting for an opportunity, Copley scored a hat-trick in Round 1 playing for Wyong at a soggy Morrie Breen Oval while the Roosters' NRL team was somewhat ironically kicking off their season on the Gold Coast.

The Titans were the major beneficiaries of mid-season signings last season and this week have added Chris Grevsmuhl to their roster and Copley believes we will see more and more mid-season transfers in future.

"It's frustrating but that's sort of where the NRL has gone the last 12 months, two years. There have been a lot of mid-year transfers so it's sort of where the game's going," Copley said.

"Whether that's a good thing or not I don't know but it's certainly where the game's going so you've got to wrap your head around that as a player.

"Before contracts are finishing there are releases and players asking for releases more often these days. That's creating a lot more later movement.

"We've had Chris come this week as well and it's Round 3 and the roster's not set. That's just where it's going at the moment."

But as far is Copley is concerned, the only contract he wants to see for the next two years are those that are studied at university.

"It's exciting. I think this club's going in a really exciting direction and it's something that I want to be a part of and contribute to," Copley said.

"Being a south-east Queensland kid the prospect of coming home really appealed to me and that's how it eventuated."

 

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National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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