Gold Coast lose outside back to the Super League

Gold Coast Titans' outside back Esan Marsters will depart the NRL effective immediately to link up with the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League from 2023 onwards.

The 26 year-old centre has notched up 85 NRL games throughout his six-year career, splitting his time between the Wests Tigers, North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Titans, as well as featuring for both the Cook Islands and New Zealand.

He'll join fellow former Tigers Chris McQueen and Kevin Naiqama at the UK club on a two-year deal, tying the centre to Huddersfield through to the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Signed to replace NRL premiership-winner Ricky Leutele, Giants head coach Ian Watson is eager to bring Marsters' talent to the Super League.

“Esan is an amazing attacking threat with ball in hand but is a player who is willing to do the tough things for his team in defence so will be a huge addition to our squad for 2023,” Watson said.

“He’s a player I have watched and admired from a far for a number of years now, most memorably watching him tear it up at Wests Tigers and New Zealand against England in 2018/2019.

“He’s a player who is equally at home on both sides of the field and has the ability to play in a few positions.”

Marsters was quick to list off the attributes he'll bring to the side, and is excited about a fresh challenge in 2023.

“I am a ball runner, a ball attacker, I’ve been really working on my defence here in the NRL and it’s an area that me and Watto spoke about when we had our original conversation," Marsters said following the announcement.

"He spoke about the way he wants to defend and how I fit into that. You know, I have been moving around into different systems so now hopefully this will be a system that I can fit into.”

The Titans looked set to allow Esan to walk away regardless, with the emergence of Jojo Fifita and Greg Marzhew applying pressure to the rest of the outside backs in the squad.