McCarthy was adamant about playing through the discomfort

Canberra has signed former Gold Coast Titan's player Jordan Rapana until the end of 2014 in a move to bolster the NRL club's outside backs depth.

Rapana has been brought into the squad after the long term losses of Edrick Lee (broken arm) and suspended NSW winger Blake Ferguson (indecent assault charge).

The 23-year-old scored five tries in five games for the Gold Coast Titans in 2008 and 2009 before taking up a two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England and Wales.

He then had a brief stint with the Western Force in Super Rugby in 2012 before arriving in Canberra in a bid to make the Brumbies squad, but has decided on a return to rugby league through the Raiders instead.

The Wellington born flyer has been playing for the Queanbeyan Blues in the TTM Canberra Raiders Cup.

He said he was thrilled about his return to rugby league.

"I feel like it's my first day at school meeting all the new boys," he said.

Titans middle linebacker Colin McCarthy has a new look, sporting a shaved head as a tribute to one of his idols.

“It’s for Urlacher, since he hung it up,” said McCarthy, referring to former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, who retired last month after 13 seasons. “Hopefully it will bring me good luck, and bring me 16 games of playing.”

It’s what’s going on inside McCarthy’s head, however, that has him feeling like a new man of late. After suffering a concussion last season and dealing with lingering symptoms into the offseason, he has a new outlook for 2013.

“I’m feeling as good as I’ve felt in a long, long time,” he said. “… It’s good to have all that behind me. I know I have to get back to my old ways, and now I feel like I’m not that far off. Things are positive.”

As frustrating as last season was for McCarthy — he missed nine games because of an ankle injury and persistent post-concussion concerns — this offseason tested him just as much.

In January, he had surgery on his right ankle and has a nasty scar to show for it after doctors removed a bone among other things. All of last season, the Titans and McCarthy referred to the injury as an ankle sprain, and McCarthy was adamant about playing through the discomfort.

“It’s football, I guess,” he said.

McCarthy didn’t expect to be dealing with concussion symptoms this offseason, too. And on top of his injury issues, the Titans signed veteran middle linebacker Moise Fokou, who worked with the first team throughout the offseason.

McCarthy was left in a frustrating position, but he now has reason for optimism going into training camp after meeting with Dr. Mickey Collins, a concussion specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Collins altered McCarthy’s offseason approach and gave him new instructions to help with the symptoms. McCarthy returned to Pittsburgh prior to minicamp last week.

“It was my best visit. It was encouraging,” he said. “Concussions, it’s a serious issue. It’s been frustrating to deal with. You want to be out there playing, but you want to be smart at the same time. … I finally feel like I have that out of the way.’’

Although McCarthy admitted his surgically repaired ankle still isn’t 100 percent, coach Mike Munchak said he noticed a difference in the third-year pro during the last five offseason practices.

“When he gets back for training camp,” Munchak said, “his confidence should be high and ready to go.”

A fourth-round pick out of Miami in 2011, McCarthy started seven of the 13 games he played as a rookie, posting 76 tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He had a great offseason and training camp last year, and he was voted a team captain, before suffering the ankle injury in Week 1 against the Patriots.

So will McCarthy be able to win his job back? He should be the front-runner even though Fokou worked with the starters and impressed the coaching staff, defensive coordinator Jerry Gray said recently.

Linebackers coach Chet Parlavecchio said the middle-linebacker job is up for grabs.

“We are smart enough to know you don’t win jobs in June. There is a great missing component in your evaluation process up to this point, and that is called shoulder pads,” Parlavecchio said. “And that is a very important part of what we do. When we come back in July, that is when you win jobs, and there is going to be a great competition. But just getting through (offseason practices) has to be a big confidence builder for Colin.”

With his injury history, McCarthy said he doesn’t blame the Titans for bringing in competition. But he also made it clear he expects to be the starter.

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