Round 1: WESTS TIGERS vs TITANS (2023)

[DIEHARD]

WESTS TIGERS vs TITANS
Leichhardt Oval, Leichhardt, NSW
Sunday 5 Mar 2023 6:15pm AEDT

[DIEHARD]

Last Chance: Submit your Titans side for Round 1 this week
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...d-1-this-week/

Titans fans, you have just 1 week left to submit your side for Round 1 in the Titans Team Picker competition!

On Tuesday Feb 28, Justin Holbrook will officially name his team to take on the Wests Tigers in Round 1 of the 2023 NRL Premiership season.

Click here to play Titans Team Picker now!

That means you have just 7 days left to submit your side for the chance to win 1 of 3 prize packs.

For the minor prize winners, that prize will be a '23 Titans Jersey signed by the entire playing squad.

If you're lucky enough to score the major prize, you'll receive a signed '23 Jersey and Titans football, plus a special video call from your favourite player where you can talk about the season ahead!

Entry is simple, all you have to do is submit the side you want to see play in Round 1.

It doesn't have to be the side you think will be named, but rather the team you'd like to see play in Round 1 to kick off our 2023 Premiership campaign.

Plus, you'll receive a bonus entry if you share your team via social channels!

It’s time to dust off the clipboard and work on your game plan, you’re in the coaches box for Round 1.

Click here to submit your team now!

[DIEHARD]

Team Picker Results: This is the side Titans fans want for Round 1
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...t-for-round-1/

With over 2000 teams selected in this year's team picker, Titans fans were faced with the difficult decision of selecting their top 17 ahead of Round 1.

After weeks of team selections and two trial games, the Team Picker competition is now ending ahead of Justin Holbrook naming his side to take on the Wests Tigers this Sunday.

Incredibly, one player has been named in every single fan side to start the 2023 season.

That player? AJ Brimson.

In a show of versatility, AJ was selected across a range of positions in fan sides including five-eight, centre, halfback and utility. Ultimately, AJ has cemented his hold on the #1 jersey in the eyes of the fans, polling 55% of votes at fullback.

Several other players, including Titans Captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, David Fifita, and Beau Fermor, have polled in over 98% of fan teams for Round 1.

In a show of the depth the Titans top 30 has, every single player received over 100 votes from fans to start Round 1.

That stat alone is enough to show the difficulty Titans coaches will face in selecting their final side.

Note: With players polling votes in a variety of positions, the percentages may not reflect the total number of votes received.

This is who fans have voted to start the 2023 season for the Titans:

1. AJ Brimson - 55% votes

2. Jojo Fifita - 69% votes

3. Aaron Schoupp - 68% votes

4. Phil Sami - 49% votes

Note: Brian Kelly received enough votes to claim a centre spot, but is unavailable due to suspension. If Brian were available, he would be chosen at centre in the fan vote with Sami moving to wing for Khan-Pereira.

5. Alofiana Khan-Pereira - 44% votes

6. Kieran Foran - 93% votes

7. Tanah Boyd - 55% votes

8. Moeaki Fotuaika - 74% votes

9. Sam Verrills - 89% votes

10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui - 75% votes

11. Beau Fermor - 92% votes

12. David Fifita - 87% votes

13. Erin Clark - 56% votes

14. Jayden Campbell - 43% votes

15. Jaimin Jolliffe - 67% votes

16. Isaac Liu - 50% votes

17. Sam McIntyre - 42% votes

How did you team compare to this side? Let us know in the comments and get ready to see Justin Holbrook's official Titans side at 3pm tomorrow afternoon!

[Titanic]

How could Tino not get 100% of the votes?

I had Liu at 13, Clark at 14 and Stimson at 17 (no Campbell).

[GCTTSD]

If only we had someone like cam McInnes who can play in the middle but also good enough to be an nrl quality hooker if verrils goes down or needs a rest don't want Clarke or McIntyre playing any hooker off the bench also wonder how much Gametime JC would get week to week on the bench

[Randomologist]

Must be based on their position. They said AJ was in everyone's team but it says 55%. Not explained well lol

[Hail Sezer]

Tigers fan base is veeeery confident they'll beat us this weekend. They'll be a motivated side playing their first game under the returning Sheens and at Leichardt. Decent side on paper too.

[Titslover]

Tigers fan base is veeeery confident they'll beat us this weekend. They'll be a motivated side playing their first game under the returning Sheens and at Leichardt. Decent side on paper too.

Haha yep and we're underdogs in the media and betting odds but I like it. Maumalo out for Staines which is great news for us, reckon Jojo could dominate Staine's on that right edge and also Bateman unlikely to play. If we turn up I don't see any reason why we can't beat them.

[DIEHARD]

I also like being the underdog. The Wests Tigers will be under an enormous amount of pressure. They don't want another false dawn. I rate Sheens and especially Marshall, so I expect to see something. I'm not worried about what they have to offer, I think it will be, at least in the short term, a false dawn for them. I think we just need to focus on our own game and weather whatever comes our way. I'm very excited for this weekend's game.

[willhelm]

I’ve tipped Titans. Tigers have significantly improved their forward pack. Koroisau in particular I rate as the best attacking hooker in the game. However, Sheens was past his use by date last time he coached in the NRL more than a decade ago, and Benji Marshall has been thrust into a deputy head coaching role with zero experience. Their back line is putrid and their halves aren’t much better, so I really don’t get the hype. Tigers are a lock for bottom 4 for me.

[5 Year Contract]

Tigers fan base is veeeery confident they'll beat us this weekend. They'll be a motivated side playing their first game under the returning Sheens and at Leichardt. Decent side on paper too.

Should be a great contest for sure. Will be a good test of where we are at, I think we are a tad under the radar at the moment and all the pressure is on the tigers to start turning it around after a solid offseason of recruitment. I think is often the case with all the pressure on the tigers for round 1 that we will come out on top but tigers will be no easy beats this year.

I will say for us I finally like the makeup of our squad. All the dead weight is gone and we seem to have a squad of young players that are starting to gel. Our 2 biggest weaknesses our spine and our defence seemed to have been addressed in the off season (in theory) so happy to just sit back and watch what the boys can do this year. Based on the draw dont think we make the 8 but there are always over and under performers each year and I wouldnt be a titans fan if I wasnt willing our boys to make it back to the finals. Lessgo

[TitanPremiership]

I think the Tigers have been well overhyped over that performance in the last trial. Watching the highlights, the defence from the Raiders was absolutely pitiful. That's not to say we don't have a challenge on our hands but gees it was like watching our defence at its worst.

[willhelm]

I think the Tigers have been well overhyped over that performance in the last trial. Watching the highlights, the defence from the Raiders was absolutely pitiful. That's not to say we don't have a challenge on our hands but gees it was like watching our defence at its worst.

And everyone seems to have forgotten that they got demolished 48-12 by the Warriors one week earlier.

[hungryjacks]

Honestly just as a fan and not an expert I would hope we include Randell in the 14 over JC as a sneaky inclusion.

[Cowabunga]

Same 17 from the trials + Kini in the reserves, Would that mean he's been upgraded?

Looks like they might've swapped Schoupp and Sami unless that's just how it's been put into NRL.com