With the pain of a Grand Final defeat to the Roosters six months ago no doubt still etched in their minds, the Dragons open their season against a Titans side who have added plenty of talent to their roster after finishing third in the 2021 regular season.
Last season it was the Dragons who denied the Gold Coast a spot in the Grand Final, with St George Illawarra edging past them 24-18 in the semi-finals, having earlier finished one spot ahead of them in the regular season.
Given they have retained more players from last season’s squad than any other in the competition, the Dragons will be confident of making a fast start under coach Jamie Soward, while the Gold Coast have bolstered their ranks with the addition of several representative players to Karyn Murphy's side.
The Dragons won the two head-to-head meetings last season, while both sides come off last-up victories at this week's venue, WIN Stadium.
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The rundown
Team news
Dragons: Game day changes see Elsie Albert out with an ankle injury and skipper Kezie Apps move into the front row. Talei Holmes will start in the second row. NSW U-19 player Andie Robinson will make her NRLW debut on the wing.
Titans: Late change for the Titans see Premiership-winning forward Rona Peters moved to the starting side with Stephanie Hancock back to the bench. Tiana Raftstrand-Smith replaces Tazmin Gray in the second row. Kiwi Fern Roxy Murdoch joins the interchange. The NRLW's reigning top try-scorer Madison Bartlett and fellow off-season signing Apii Nicholls are the new additions to a star-studded backline.
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Player to watch: Georgia Hale
After starring for the Titans in their debut campaign last season, Hale will again be a key weapon with her ability to serve as both a top-class playmaker and a workaholic middle forward in the lock position. Earlier this year when the Kiwi Ferns beat Tonga in a mid-year Test, Hale powered through 194 run metres and made 28 tackles on her way to Player of the Match honours.
Stat attack
The Dragons had the best discipline in the NRLW last season, giving away an average of just 5.1 penalties per game, more than two penalties less than the competition's most ill-disciplined side, the Knights. The Titans averaged 6.2 penalties conceded across their six games in the 2021 campaign.
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