Gold Coast coach Des Hasler brushed aside speculation about why he left $1m forward David Fifita sitting on the bench as the Titans were dusted up by Canterbury on Sunday.
The barnstorming backrower sat on the interchange for the entire first half at Belmore as the Titans went into the break down 22-12, and eventually lost the game 40-24.
When Fifita did make it into the field he had nine runs for 73 metres, as well as a tackle break and two offloads.
The sight of Fifita still sitting on the bench as half-time approached raised plenty of questions for fans and commentators.
"I thought Dessy might have got David Fifita on after they got those couple of tries," league great Steve Roach said on Fox League.
David Fifita sitting on the Titans bench. FOX Sports
"He's still sitting on the bench there.
"That was the sort of time you should put him on now. They look like they'll wait until the second half."
Hasler was asked about the decision in his post-game press conference.
He didn't exactly provide a straight answer, but suggested fitness was an issue.
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"It was just a matter of getting him into the game, with the interchange," Hasler said.
"I thought when he came on he provided impact, but when we're chasing points it's not always going to be easy.
"And also he's coming off a disrupted off-season… but he will get better for the run."
The decision to barely use Fifita will once again bring Gold Coast's decision to re-sign him last year into the spotlight.
Fifita was almost heading down the highway to the Roosters on a deal said to be worth $850,000 a season, having rejected a lucrative extension option with Gold Coast.
Fifita got cold feet and the Chooks pulled their offer, putting the ball back in the Titans court, with the club then bizarrely offering him a new deal worth $1 million for 2025 and 2026 despite the club being rejected by the player barely a week earlier.
That move will be scrutinised if Hasler continues to use Fifita for limited minutes and when games have essentially already been lost.
The coach started his press conference on Sunday by bemoaning the fact the Titans had a bye in round one.
Gold Coast had week one off and the four Las Vegas teams played before the Titans did in round two.
"Frustrating, it really was," Hasler said said of Sunday's loss.
"There has probably been 17 games of footy played before we get to play one. Certainly not using that as an excuse in any way… but there seems to have been a lot of footy played before we get there."