3 minute read

Gold Coast's AJ Brimson says he wasn't surprised to be overlooked for Queensland's State of Origin squad, with his own NRL form not matching that of rivals.

Gold Coast star AJ Brimson admits being overlooked by Queensland for next week's State of Origin opener did not come as a surprise.

The 23-year-old, who made an off-season switch from fullback to five-eighth at the Titans, has struggled for consistency during Gold Coast's underwhelming start to the 2022 NRL season.

Injured for the season opener against Parramatta, Brimson was shifted back to fullback for two games against Penrith and the Sydney Roosters before returning to the No.6 jumper in the past three weeks.

With Gold Coast having won just one of their past eight matches to slip to 14th on the ladder, it didn't come out of the blue for Brimson when he wasn't among the 22 players named by Maroons coach Billy Slater on Monday.

"I wasn't massively shocked with not getting picked on the team," he said.

"My role would've probably been that 14 role and Ben Hunt's, we'll he's starting at nine anyway, but he's been playing really well and I think the side they picked is really in-form.

"It's going to be a good series. I was happy for the boys that got picked and I'm happy to just focus on clubland at the moment."

With Moeaki Fotuaika also overlooked by Slater, only one Titan - captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui - will line up for Queensland against NSW next Wednesday in Sydney.

In Fa'asuamaleaui's absence, Brimson has been handed the captaincy for Thursday's NRL game against North Queensland at CBUS Super Stadium.

A Gold Coast junior, Brimson says getting the nod from coach Justin Holbrook to lead the team is a privilege and a role he hopes he can rise to in his bid to regain his Maroons' spot.

"I'm doing everything I can to get into the team," Brimson said.

"There are players that are playing better than me at the moment that are in the side, which I think is pretty fair.

"I still feel pretty young and am still early in my career.

"I look around, there's a lot of more experienced players than me so it's a pretty cool opportunity for me to be captain and it's good respect that he showed me, how he views me as a person and a player. It's exciting."