Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook has backed his selection calls as the Titan’’ NRL season goes on the line against the Newcastle Knights on Thursday.
Holbrook produced some selection curveballs for the game at Sunshine Coast Stadium, dropping five-eighth Ash Taylor and in-form winger Greg Marzhew.
The ninth-placed Titans will have Tyrone Peachey in the halves while Phillip Sami will make his first appearance since the round 18 loss to Parramatta in place of Marzhew.
Star back-rower David Fifita has been dropped back to the bench for the game, which Holbrook acknowledged is the biggest in his two seasons at the helm of the Titans.
“It’s a big, important game so I wanted to run with our best 17 and that’s why Phil’s come in, fully fit, firing and then Peach it’s just a positional change,” he explained, refusing to speculate on whether his decision to drop the off-contract Taylor means he’s played his last game for the club.
“I’ve only picked the best side to play this weekend, it’s no big statement of mine.
“It’s just the best side of what I think can win the game against Newcastle.”
The seventh-placed Knights are on a four-match winning run and, with four points between them and their nearest challengers for a top-eight spot, will secure a finals berth with a win over the Titans.
Adam O’Brien’s team welcome back Tyson Frizell from suspension but have lost the services of enforcer David Klemmer to a one-game ban.
Sauaso Sue will take Klemmer’s spot in the starting line-up for the Knights.
Holbrook said the win-or-bust scenario was nothing new for his team.
“After we got beat by Parramatta, we had to beat the Dragons or we were gone, we did that,” he said.
“Then we then had to beat the Bulldogs, had to beat the Cowboys and then we just got ourselves in (the eight) and if we’d have jagged Souths or Melbourne we’d be OK.
“We weren’t good enough there, so we’re back in the same position we were five weeks ago.
“We’re used to it. We’ve got to accept it, it’s our own doing.”
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