Gold Coast Titans young gun Kane Elgey to follow Ben Hunt blueprint to forge first grade career Kane Elgey is willing to wait for his opportunity with the Titans. Pic: Luke Marsden. BOOM Gold Coast rookie Kane Elgey uses Brisbane halfback Ben Hunt as a constant reminder that his journey to a NRL career is best not rushed. Hunt was the inaugural winner of the Toyota Cup player of the year award, the same honour bestowed upon Elgey last season, but it was not until his sixth season of NRL action this year that Hunt truly blossomed into a leading halfback. Elgey, 20, knows if he plays his cards right an NRL debut for the Titans is possible next year but he has also seen the path to the top littered with players who never lived up to the "next big thing" tag. Former teammate Beau Henry, the 2009 NYC player of the year, is still battling for first grade action while there have been many young guns go from under-20s to the NRL and straight out the back door just as quickly. Every NYC award winner, besides Henry, played in the NRL the season after winning the award while Hunt and 2012 winner David Klemmer have since graduated to Australia's Test team. "There is no rush," Elgey said. I've seen a few people been rushed to first grade and they've just gone out of the picture. My time will happen. Probably the biggest thing (to handle) is what people expect of you. I just try to leave that to the side and think about myself. I can't really dwell on last year. It's a new start and I have to get a tough pre-season and be prepared to play Q-Cup next year and obviously it would be a dream to have a debut. (This year) was a big year, bigger than I expected. Team of the year and player of the year. That was good but I can't dwell on it, it's not going to get me into first grade. Elgey and Christian Hazard represent the future for the Titans. Christian Hazard is another playmaker waiting in the wings for the Titans. While the club might be in the market for a marquee halves signing for 2016, there is also high hope that Elgey or Hazard will become a playmaking star. Hazard, 20 next month, was signed from South Sydney this year and had been destined for a NRL debut until a training mishap chipped a bone in his ankle. Hamstring and shoulder injuries soon followed to complete a disastrous season. Hazard had been so impressive in the pre-season many within the Titans felt he would push for a full-time NRL gig in the No. 7 jersey and Albert Kelly would be forced to battle for fullback. Kelly has been shipped off to the English Super League and now Hazard stands alongside Elgey and Jamal Fogarty in the queue of young halves behind Daniel Mortimer and Aidan Sezer. "I was hoping to push for a spot (last season) and then it just come undone in that one training session and it really set me back a bit," Hazard said. It was just early in the morning, it was slippery and raining and I felt a little crack and couldn't walk on it. I thought I broke it, lucky it wasn't too bad and it was just a chip off the bone but it still held me back a little bit. There is a spot there now that Alby has gone so I'm just trying to get my body right, get my fitness back and really try to move forward and get a couple of Q-Cup games under my belt and see how it goes after that. If there's injuries, and there usually is, I just have to be ready to take my opportunity and then take it with both hands. While Hazard came to the Titans because he saw a pathway to first grade, Elgey almost left last season because his journey to NRL was clouded. When he was named in the Toyota Cup team of the year last September the Australian Schoolboys star had yet to be offered a deal at the club and almost accepted an offer from Sydney. The Titans eventually came to the party by offering their under-20s captain a one-year NRL contract. I was pretty close (to leaving) but in the end I just wanted to stay with my family. I thought it was a good deal to stay here for one more year," Elgey said.