I'm not sure whether the success of Agnatius Paasi tells you more about Passi himself, or the skill in which Gold Coast Titans coach Neil Henry has shown to flip reserve grade battlers into legit NRL blokes. Having gone to Keebra Park High School on the Gold Coast, the Mangere East junior was forced back to Auckland where he did manage to earn an NRL call up with New Zealand Warriors; you'd never have thought that Paasi would soon become one of the most low key blockbustin' forwards in the NRL though. 

Or maybe...

Henry snapped up Paasi and along with the tokos Leivaha Pulu and Konrad Hurrell, Henry integrated them into a hard working culture at the Titans. Not only did Paasi slot right into the club, Henry also brought out the best in Paasi and the Tongan international is now a forward whom Henry can call upon to play through the middle or out on the edge without fuss. Paasi could possibly be coach Henry's favourite player as well thanks to that ability to do whatever job is required, epitomising the vibe at the Titans while acting as the perfect guide for Hurrell and the youngster Pulu. 

In Paasi's first season (2015) with the Titans, he averaged 9.60m/per-carry through 18 games and averaged 0.5 offloads a game, finishing the season with two 80-minute performances on the edge; 15 carries for 190m, 2 offloads and 11 carries for 161m, 2 offloads.

Last season, Paasi was used a lot more in play 25 games and that didn't dilute his efficiency as he still rolled through 9.40m/per-carry while he also averaged an offload a game. He started seven games at prop and more importantly, Paasi also started four games at lock which could provide him with a sneaky inside look at the No.13 jersey vacated by Greg Bird.

Despite being one of Gold Coast's best players last year, Bird was pushed out of the club in a move that eased salary cap pressure and also saw the Titans rid themselves of bloke who could be a distraction off the field. Paasi played 25 games and Bird played 22 games, with Paasi stepping in for Bird when he was suspended but the disparity in their minutes and carries is large with Bird obviously taking on far more responsibility.

That shouldn't be reason to overlook Paasi's contribution to the Titans though as Paasi and Bird both averaged 0.12 tackle busts/per-carry, they also both averaged an offload a game.

This means that Paasi had the same influence on the Titans attack as the starting lock in Bird and when you consider that Paasi's 9.40m/per-carry was better than Bird's 8.7m/per-carry and Ryan James' 7.90m/per-carry, you could argue that Paasi was more influential.

James (3,044m) and Bird (3,045m) led the Titans in running metres last season, although Paasi did more with less opportunities. 

Slotting into Bird's No.13 jersey does seem like the most likely and exciting option for Paasi this season. Bird wasn't an old school tackle-machine sort of lock, making Paasi a nice fit and when  you look around the NRL, locks are now required to add something to their team's attack instead of solely being responsible for mopping up tackles. Paasi has the footwork, skill and engine to settle into that No.13 jersey this season and if he can add a few things that Bird did with freakish ease (cut-out pass, well-placed grubbers) then Paasi will be a nigthmare to stop.

The Titans don't need Paasi to play prop as they've signed Jarrod Wallace to join James and David Shillington, with Leivaha Pulu, Eddy Pettybourne, Ryan Simpkins and Nathaniel Peteru to cover bench spots. The Titans don't need Paasi to play on the edge either as they've signed Kevin Proctor to join Zeb Taia and Chris McQueen. 

This has the stars aligning nicely for Paasi to earn a promotion to start and spend most of the season at lock, any positional change would likely come thanks to Paasi's versatility in covering injuries/suspension. Even if Paasi is asked to come off the bench this season, he'll still be making 100m if he takes 10 carries and he would add some serious funk to the Titans forward pack. 

Sleeping on the Titans this season would be criminal as they have steadily been building towards this over the past two years and the club's standing reflects that of Paasi. Gold Coast were scrambling a few seasons back, struggling for relevance in a hectic NRL and lacking the depth of quality in their roster as well as a culture to make them a force. Like Paasi, the Titans have emerged as a dark horse in the NRL and there's no reason why we shouldn't expect Paasi to go to greater heights this season, culminating in a leadership position with Tonga at the World Cup later this year.