Titans v Dragons NRL R1 preview, betting tips & top odds

Titans v Dragons NRL best bets

Titans v Dragons NRL match preview

The first Super Saturday of the 2024 NRL season wraps up on the Gold Coast with the Titans hosting the St George Illawarra Dragons at CBUS Super Stadium.

The last time these two sides met was almost a year ago when Toby Sexton scored in the dying minutes to snatch victory for the Titans from the jaws of defeat. Will the Dragons be able to exact revenge?

The Dragons have named Tyrell Sloan at fullback, Zac Lomax on the wing and Jack Bird in the centres, while Jack de Belin moves into the lock position. New recruits include Kyle Flanagan at five-eighth, Tom Eisenhuth in the second row, and Raymond Faitala-Mariner on the interchange bench.

The Gold Coast Titans will begin the season without injured fullback Jayden Campbell (knee) with Keano Kini starting in his place. AJ Brimson starts in the centres, Klese Haas lines up in the second row in place of David Fifita (pectoral), and new recruit Keenan Palasia will start at lock.

Titans v Dragons NRL predictions

The Titans have won three of their last five matches against the Dragons, with all of those wins occurring in Queensland. The Dragons have had a difficult off-season, losing junior talents like Talatau Amone and Jayden Sullivan, and the club has lost 22 of its last 23 interstate matches. The Titans are deserving favourites and should cover the six-point line at -111.11 with the top NRL betting sites.

Beau Former is returning to the Titans’ starting side and is expected to play all 80 minutes in the second row. Before his injury, Fermor’s form was so strong he was in the selection frame for Queensland’s State of Origin squad. Fermor has scored at least one try in each of his last five NRL appearances, so the +165 for him to cross at some stage looks a smart play.

These two sides struggled throughout the 2023 NRL season, and with new coaches at the helm there is no guarantee of immediate improvement. Seven of the last eight matches between these two sides at CBUS Super Stadium have finished below the total points line, and it’s hard to see this one going over 42.5 at the -111.11 quote.

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