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Titans statement: Wallabies' Carter Gordon quits union for NRL
By Liam Heagney
New Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt has been dealt a major blow with fly-half Carter Gordon quitting rugby union for a two-year rugby league deal with the Gold Coast Titans. Last weekend’s Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final loss at the Hurricanes was Carter’s last match for the Melbourne Rebels as the club is now closing after 14 seasons.
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The decision by Rugby Australia left the entire squad looking for employment elsewhere and despite speculation that the 23-year-old Gordon would be soon snapped up by one of the other four Australian based franchises.
However, he has instead walked away from the sport and will play in the NRL in 2025 and 2026.
A Gold Coast statement read: “Wallabies fly-half Carter Gordon will join the Titans in 2025, with the exciting playmaker to make the switch to Rugby League.
“Formerly at the Melbourne Rebels, Gordon has played eight times for the Wallabies, making his international debut against the Springboks in 2023.
“He is a current member of the Australian squad and has played at the Rugby World Cup. Gordon will join the Titans for the 2025 and 2026 NRL seasons.”
Roll the tape ?? pic.twitter.com/5gXCq3EEHY
— Gold Coast Titans (@GCTitans) June 12, 2024
Gordon said: “I’m excited with the direction that rugby league is taking and the positive feeling around the game. At 23, I feel like I had to take this opportunity now. I’m under no illusions and understand that this will be a massive challenge.
“I was really impressed with the Titans and the professionalism they displayed in our meetings. I have loved my time with rugby as it’s given me the opportunity to represent my country which I will always appreciate.”
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Titans Coach Des Hasler added: “Carter has competed well in rugby, representing his country and playing at the World Cup. What has impressed me is his attitude to test himself and take on the challenge of switching to a new code. He’s a skilful player who backs himself.”
The basic story is as below.
Rugby Australia, which is almost a subsidiary of the NSWRU Mafia, have tried to push ex-Rebels players such as C. Gordon, T. Tupou, J. Canham, J. Uelese and L. Salikai-Loto into the NSW Waratahs team.
None of them want a bar of NSW, which is a management clusterf#@k, and are fleeing in all directions. On top of that, the ex-Rebels players view RA as back-stabbers pushing the agenda of the big RU states and city clubs.
C. Gordon has gone to a low-level NRL team on less money than RA offered him to move to the Waratahs. The Titans are located in Queenland where he wanted to go, as he has family and friends there.
““I’m excited with the direction that rugby league is taking and the positive feeling around the game.”
Yeah. ‘Five tackles, kick. Five tackles, kick. Ad freaking nauseam’.
Absolutely BONKERS decision. Australia has an incoming Lions tour - the biggest series of games outside a RWC. And 2 years after that a home RWC. Instead Gordon will be turning out for the GC Titans, historically one of the worst teams in the NRL. His agent should be axed.
This is a tragedy for Australian rugby, on top of Marky Mark leaving. Carter Gordon is the brightest 10 prospect we have by far.
An absolute tragedy.
Could have been a world beater with the right Australian coaching.
Very disappointing but one can understand why Carter has lost faith with the rugby establishment in Australia.
Debuting for a wing spot? 😅
Would love for Carter to show players can easily transfer skills from one code to the other. Reckon he could still be picked for the Wallabies once the NRL season is over?
I’ve ready too many converts articles recently I think. Wonder if he would have left this decision for one more year if things had been otherwise?
I don’t get why people are surprised. Short memories forget how he was humiliated by Jones.
Question of when not if.
Not surprised at all. Rugby League's long term aim is to kill off rugby in Australasia. This is also proof to snobs like Hamish Mclennan that it’s all well and good being a big international game but you’ve got to have a strong domestic game and rugby is basically irrelevant in Australia.
Well that sux.