Jai Whitbread


Jai Whitbread is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL.

Background

Whitbread was born in Tugun, Queensland, Australia and raised in Tweed Heads, New South Wales.
He played his junior rugby league for the South Tweed Bears. He attended Saint Joseph's College, Tweed Heads and The Southport School before being signed by the Gold Coast Titans. He is the son of former Canterbury Bulldogs and Gold Coast Giants/Seagulls player, Greg Whitbread.

Playing career

Early career

In 2014, while a member of the Gold Coast Titans high performance squad, Whitbread represented the New South Wales Under-16 team. In 2016, he joined the Brisbane Broncos, playing for their Holden Cup team and representing New South Wales Under-18s team.

2018

Whitbread began the season playing for the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup.
In round 18 of the 2018 NRL season, Whitbread made his NRL debut for the Gold Coast against the Sydney Roosters. This would be Whitbread's only top grade appearance for the club in 2018. The Gold Coast would go on to finish in 14th position on the table at the end of the season.

2019

Whitbread made a total of 18 appearances for the Gold Coast in the 2019 NRL season as the club endured a horror year on and off the field. During the halfway mark of the season, head coach Garth Brennan was sacked by the club after a string of poor results. The Gold Coast managed to win only 4 games for the entire season and finished last claiming the Wooden Spoon.