TWL Rd 7 Preview: Wahs aim to pick annoying bogey as underdog Titans come to town
Unfancied Gold Coast is shooting for four straight wins in Auckland.
WARRIORS V GOLD COAST TITANS – 5PM (NZT)/7PM (AEST) SATURDAY, APRIL 18 @ GO MEDIA MOUNT SMART STADIUM, AUCKLAND
The Storylines
After conquering perhaps the most notorious rivalry hoodoo of the modern era, the Warriors confront a minor one in the shape of a Gold Coast Titans side that has not lost at Mount Smart in seven years.
The Warriors’ 38-14 defeat of Melbourne took on instant iconic status. They brutalised and bullied the Storm, holding them scoreless in the second half in their own backyard.
Meanwhile, the return of Chanel Harris-Tavita at five-eighth, shifting Roger Tuisvasa-Sheck to centre and giving winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira a club debut all came up trumps. Demitric Vaimauga produced his best performance of the year and the Warriors’ young edge forwards played a key role in shutting down the Storm’s superstar halves.
The Titans are also coming off a momentous win — just their second of the season — against Parramatta, cracking a half-century on the road for the first time and producing a succession of long-range tries.
Another team searching for the right balance in the halves with a host of options, the Titans are looking better with Jayden Campbell and Lachlan Ilias teaming up.
Ins and Outs
The only change to the Warriors’ 17 that trounced the Storm is Kurt Capewell returning in the second-row and Tanner Stowers-Smith ruled out injured. Marata Niukore moves back to the bench and could be bumped on gameday with Mitch Barnett named in the reserves.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad also lurks in the reserves, which could cause a late reshuffle in the back five.
The Titans are unchanged after tearing apart the Eels last Sunday.
The History
Overall record: Played 36 – Warriors won 21, Gold Coast Titans won 15; Warriors scored 821 points, Gold Coast Titans scored 740 points.
Biggest wins: Gold Coast Titans – 66-6 at Cbus Super Stadium, 2024; Warriors – 42-0 at Mount Smart Stadium, 2014.
Longest winning streaks: Warriors – 8 matches (2011-14); Gold Coast Titans – 6 matches (2008-10).
Finals: Played 1 – Gold Coast Titans won 1.
Most appearances: Simon Mannering (Warriors) – 22; Shaun Johnson (Warriors) – 18; Ben Matulino (Warriors) – 18; Manu Vatuvei (Warriors) – 18; Jacob Lillyman (Warriors) – 17; Nathan Friend (Warriors & Gold Coast Titans) – 16; Anthony Don (Gold Coast Titans) – 15; Mark Minichiello (Gold Coast Titans) – 15.
Most tries: Shaun Johnson (Warriors) – 13; Manu Vatuvei (Warriors) – 11; Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors) – 9; Anthony Don (Gold Coast Titans) – 8; David Fusitu’a (Warriors) – 8; Konrad Hurrell (Warriors & Gold Coast Titans) – 8; David Mead (Gold Coast Titans) – 7.
Most points: Shaun Johnson (Warriors) – 132; Scott Prince (Gold Coast Titans) – 66; Jayden Campbell (Gold Coast Titans) – 58; James Maloney (Warriors) – 46.
The Stats
The Titans have won six of their last eight against the Warriors.
The Titans have won their last three at Mount Smart Stadium; the Warriors’ last victory over the Titans at the venue was in 2019 — when Chanel Harris-Tavita made an eye-catching NRL debut.
The Titans haven’t won consecutive games away from the Gold Coast in the same season since 2020.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has scored nine tries in 11 games for the Warriors against the Titans.
Titans backs Keano Kini, Phil Sami, Jojo Fifita, AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell have all scored doubles against the Warriors since 2021.
Beau Fermor has crossed for five tries in eight games against the Warriors.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira has gone try-less in three consecutive NRL games just once; he hasn’t scored in his last two.
The Titans have scored 18-plus points in their last eight games against the Warriors (24-plus in their last three at Mount Smart); the Warriors have been kept to six or less twice during that time.
5 Key Match-ups
Taine Tuaupiki vs Keano Kini: Seemingly similar styles, but Tuaupiki needs to be able to use his elusiveness to break the line more often — a la Kini, who exploded last week with four line-breaks, three try assists and 265 metres. But Kini would love to be able to produce the brilliant cover defence that has marked Tuaupki’s past two performances.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak vs Phillip Sami: Both experienced wingers have hit a purple tryscoring patch, with DWZ crossing five times in the past fortnight and Sami grabbing three tries in the Titans’ past three games.
Chanel Harris-Tavita vs Jayden Campbell: Different jersey numbers but similar roles for their teams. CHT was magnificent in his return in Melbourne and shone defensively, while Campbell’s four appearances this season have netted four tries, four line-breaks and four try assists.
Kurt Capewell vs Beau Fermor: Capewell hasn’t played since Round 1 and will have his hands full on the right edge opposite fellow 2025 Queensland rep Fermor, who has consistently proved a handful for the Warriors.
James Fisher-Harris vs Tino Fa’asuamaleaui: The rival enforcers and skippers will look to set the tone for their sides. JFH has been one of the NRL’s form props, while big Tino has lifted over the past couple of weeks after a quiet start to 2026.
Last Time They Met
Bouncing back from a shock 24-16 loss to the Titans at home four weeks earlier, the Warriors overcame a slow start to carve out a 32-18 win at Cbus Super Stadium.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck grabbed two tries and the lion’s share of the Dally M votes, as well as leading the way in the Kingz Container Crew Warriors Player Ratings along with Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Why the Wahs will win: A far stronger form-line across the season so far and maintaining last week’s line-up is a crucial boost for cohesion on both sides of the ball. The Warriors’ forward depth and superior bench should be telling.
Why the Wahs will lose: If the Warriors get ragged defensively in the opposition half, the Titans are as good as any team at cutting loose from long range. It’s been a favourable match-up and Mount Smart holds few fears for them.
The Punt: Head to head — Warriors $1.30, Titans $3.50; Points Start — Warriors -10.5; Total Points Over/Under — 49.5
Best Anytime Tryscorer Options — Alofiana Khan-Pereira ($1.77), Phil Sami ($2.25), Jojo Fifita ($3.10), Jayden Campbell ($3.35), Tanah Boyd ($3.90), Erin Clark ($6.40)
The Verdict: A second straight week of reversing a rivalry trend. Warriors by 10