Round 19: Titans v Broncos preview
Everything looks set up for the Brisbane Broncos to continue their push towards the top four on Sunday evening when they play a Gold Coast Titans team down on confidence and, it seems, with coach Des Hasler on the way out the door.
Multiple reports on Wednesday morning claim Hasler and the Titans are set to part ways at the end of the season, in some ways bringing much-needed clarity to the club's future but also now putting in question what else there is to achieve for the remainder of the year.
Of course, should Hasler exit as expected, he will want to end his final season in charge on a high.
But for a Titans team that looks destined to finish at the bottom of the ladder, usually there is a natural progression away from merely chasing results and instead blooding younger players or more broadly looking towards the future.
What that could look like remains to be seen, but for now the Titans face a tough task against a Broncos team who is on a roll and only last month destroyed them 44-14.
The Gold Coast rebounded the following week with an impressive win over Manly but have suffered back-to-back losses since and now are fighting to avoid the wooden spoon.
Brisbane, meanwhile, has won four games in a row to rocket into top-four contention with the injury-hit Warriors suddenly looking incredibly vulnerable.
The Broncos looked on track for a disappointing loss to the Bulldogs last week, only to storm back from an 18-0 deficit and claim a thrilling 22-18 win.
In team news, the Titans welcome back Jayden Campbell (concussion) at halfback while David Fifita has been named on the bench as he eyes a return from an ankle injury.
Elsewhere, Queensland duo Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Moe Fotuaika have been named to back up from the Origin decider, as is the case for Brisbane's Origin contingent in Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas and Gehamat Shibasaki.
Reece Walsh, meanwhile, has also been named at fullback which sees Selwyn Cobbo shift to the bench.
In other welcome news, Ben Hunt returns at hooker from a hamstring injury while Jesse Arthars (ribs) has been named on the extended bench and could be a late inclusion.
Last meeting: Round 14 2025 - Broncos 44 Titans 14
Who to watch: If the Titans are going to pull off the upset on Sunday, it needs to start with a dominant performance up front against a Brisbane pack that has continually laid the platform for the likes of Ezra Mam and Reece Walsh to thrive in recent weeks. Enter skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui. He was quoted by CODE Sports earlier this week candidly admitting that he would like to see more clarity surrounding the club's future, which could come in the form of Hasler stepping down, but he also vowed to "turn up every weekend to change this club and get a win". With that in mind, this is the perfect opportunity for Fa'asuamaleaui to live up to those words and inspire his team to a win over their Queensland rivals.
Against a Titans team that has conceded the most linebreaks in the competition and the second-most points, this could be the kind of game where Ezra Mam puts on a show. Mam was heavily involved in last week's win over the Bulldogs and is the kind of player who only grows in confidence when playing with a lead. It was more of a joint effort the last time the Broncos played the Titans, although Mam had two linebreak assists in that win and once again could be a big threat with his pace off the mark, particularly against a tiring Gold Coast forward pack as the game wears on.
Favourite: Brisbane is well-backed to continue its winning ways.
My tip: This does feel like a banana peel game of sorts for the Broncos, who are coming off a high having chased down the Bulldogs while the Titans are fresh from the bye and welcoming back a few key injured players. I'm not brave enough to tip them, but it is easy to see how the upset could unfold on Sunday. Brisbane by 10.
