Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook has backed his new-look spine to do the job against St George Illawarra in round six, with five-eighth Toby Sexton and fullback Jayden Campbell starting for the first time this year.
Campbell, 23, replaces the injured AJ Brimson (hamstring) for Sunday's clash after coming off the interchange bench in the first four games.
The 22-year-old Sexton gets his first NRL game of the season after No.6 Kieran Foran succumbed to a calf injury early in the week.
Sexton was Gold Coast's first-choice halfback for most of 2022 but the Titans struggled.
Foran's arrival from Manly meant one of the halves had to miss out, leaving Sexton plying his trade in the Queensland Cup with Tweed Heads.
"Toby is really excited and looking forward to his opportunity, and so he should be," Holbrook said.
"That is the way I want him to go into the game. He will do the job and play to his strengths.
"He is a really good kicker of the ball and a good organiser. He's just got to play the way he knows how."
Campbell got an extended run at fullback last year, where he acquitted himself well, but Brimson has moved back to the No.1 jersey this season after playing in the halves in 2022.
Holbrook is glad to able to call on a player of Campbell's quality.
"JC, we love him. He is a great player," the coach said.
"It is a shame we are missing AJ but we don't really miss much when we have got JC in there."
The Titans were poor last time they faced the Dragons, losing 32-18 in round two, and Holbrook said he was wary of a power pack well guided by skipper Ben Hunt.
Holbrook named new signing Kruise Leeming on an extended bench, with the coach saying the hooker was a chance to come into the 17.
If the former Leeds Rhinos captain does play then back-rower Klese Haas will make way.
Both trained with the main squad at the captain's run on Saturday.
"Kruise has been really good this week. He has only been here a short amount of time," Holbrook said.
"He is experienced, was captain of his club and is very crafty.
"Chris Randall is a very solid (starting) hooker, which is what we need, and then you've got Kruise who is a lively point of difference."
