Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
Controversial Titans star Kevin Proctor has received a career lifeline and will join fellow Gold Coast forward Sam Lisone in England.
After contemplating retirement, Proctor will continue his career with Super League strugglers Wakefield Trinity after securing a two-year deal.
The former New Zealand Test star departed the Titans in controversial circumstances earlier this year.
Proctor wasn’t playing at the time and was travelling with the Titans as a support player when he inexplicably filmed himself and posted it to Instagram with the caption “not the half-time vape”.
The Titans acted swiftly on their former captain, fining him $15,000 and essentially put him on gardening leave for the remainder of his contract.
Proctor was not sighted at the Gold Coast’s headquarters for the remainder of the year, with coach Justin Holbrook labelling his actions “dumb”.
The vape-gate scandal brought an end to Proctor’s 283-game NRL career which started at the Melbourne Storm in 2008.
He played 179 matches for the Storm and 104 for the Titans, who suspended him for four games and fined him $20,000 in 2018 following a cocaine scandal.
Instead of retiring, Proctor will finish his career in the Super League with Wakefield, who finished 10th in the 12-team competition this year.
Proctor will head to England with Titans prop Lisone, who has been released from his contract after falling out-of-favour this year.
“Slammin Sam” Lisone played 133 NRL games for the Warriors and Titans, but didn’t feature in the NRL after round 15 this year.
Lisone, 28, joined the Gold Coast in 2020 and the Titans extended his contract until the end of 2024 in October last year.
However he didn’t even make it to the start of the 2023 pre-season, with the Titans releasing him from the final two years of the deal to take up an offer from Leeds Rhinos.
The Rhinos lost this year’s grand final to St Helens and Lisone said he was excited to link up with coach Rohan Smith. “I am excited to join up with the Rhinos,” he said.
“I have never been to England but I am keen to get over there. I have heard a lot of good stuff about the club and I can’t wait to get over and meet the fans.
