The Gold Coast Titans and St George Illawarra Dragons kick off life under new coaches against each other on Saturday evening in what will be an intriguing clash.
Played on the Gold Coast at CBus Super Stadium, kick-off is scheduled for 7:35pm (AEDT) on Saturday, March 9.
The Titans, who were disappointing against pre-season expectations in 2023, sacked Justin Holbrook mid-season to have Des Hasler take over from the start of 2024.
Hasler brings plenty of experience to a club with a talented line-up, although Jayden Campbell and David Fifita's absences will make the start to the campaign tough.
The Dragons, on the other hand, were in the bottom four last season and had a poor season. Anthony Griffin's mid-season departure laid the platform for interim coach Ryan Carr to bring the Red V back into competitiveness during a handful of games, and there is a hope Shane Flanagan will be able to launch on the back of that platform.
The Dragons have had a quiet off-season though, and have a number of issues throughout their best 17, added to by the fact Blake Lawrie will miss this Round 1 clash at Robina.
The Titans and Dragons - in a Saturday night timeslot - will be an exclusive Fox Sports game. Their broadcast will commence immediately after the conclusion of the previous game between the Parramatta Eels and Canterbury Bulldogs on Fox League, which can be found on Channel 502.
To watch the game, you will need a Foxtel subscription with the sports package.
If you're looking to live stream the game between the Titans and Dragons, then you'll need to tune in through either Kayo Sports or the Foxtel App if you already have a TV subscription.
In New Zealand, the game will be broadcast through Sky Sports, while globally, it will be available on the Watch NRL app.
Gold Coast Titans
1. Keano Kini 2. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 3. Brian Kelly 4. AJ Brimson 5. Phillip Sami 6. Kieran Foran 7. Tanah Boyd 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Chris Randall 10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 11. Klese Haas 12. Beau Fermor 13. Keenan Palasia
Interchange: 14. Sam Verrills 15. Isaac Liu 16. Erin Clark 17. Jaimin Jolliffe 19. Jojo Fifita 21. Thomas Weaver
St George Illawarra Dragons
1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Zac Lomax 3. Moses Suli 4. Jack Bird 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 13. Jack de Belin 12. Jaydn Su'A 17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 11. Tom Eisenhuth
Interchange: 14. Connor Muhleisen 15. Michael Molo 16. Viliami Fifita 18. Ben Murdoch-Masila 19. Christian Tuipulotu 20. Jesse Marschke
Click through to Zero Tackle's match centre for updated teams, live scores and stats from the game.
Kick-off: Saturday, March 9, 7:35pm (AEDT)
Venue: CBus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Overall head-to-head record: Played 29, Dragons 18, Titans 11
Record at venue: Played 14, Titans 8, Dragons 6
Last meeting: Round 6, 2023 - Titans 20 defeat Dragons 18
Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
On home soil, the Titans sit as the favourites to take out the season-opener. They are paying $1.50, while the Dragons are outsiders at $2.60.
A high-scoring game is tipped, with the over/under being 43.5 points, and the line set at 5.5 points. The Titans dominated the first try-scorer market, with Alofiana Khan Pereira the favourite to cross first at $7.50.
Odds taken from PointsBet, correct at 11pm, Friday March 8.
Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?
The Titans and Dragons both come into the new season with plenty to prove under new coaches, and that makes this potentially the toughest game of the opening round to tip.
Des Hasler's side is without some key players, which could put a dent in their aspirations over the opening weeks of the season, and yet, between a mix of experience and youth, it's a side Des Hasler should be able to get plenty out.
A wide majority of pundits have tipped the Dragons to be well and truly in the mix for the wooden spoon, and yet, internal hopes will be far greater than that.
Despite this, a trip to the Gold Coast might be too much of a bridge for the Dragons to overcome in the opening round.
Titans by 4