Wests Tigers enforcer Martin Taupau has pinpointed Gold Coast skipper Nate Myles as the player the joint venture have to nullify to avoid a round one NRL upset.

The Tigers are hot favourites to knock off the Titans on the Gold Coast on Saturday, with the home side depleted by their pre-season cocaine dramas.

In a side missing five players who have been stood down after facing drugs charges, including Greg Bird and Dave Taylor, representative star Myles shapes as the player capable of rallying the under-siege Titans.

“He’s got a lot of surprises up his sleeve, he can offload and he is very deceiving for a front-rower, he is the guy we need to contain and we will go from there,” Taupau said.

“He is a real leader in their side and you have seen what he has done over a length of time.

“He is the basis of a lot of what they do. He is a real quality player and if we can contain him it will go a way to winning the game.”

The Tigers have lost forwards Adam Blair and James Gavet to Brisbane ahead of the 2015 season, leaving a hole for Taupau to fill.

The Kiwi international played the best football of his career during the Four Nations campaign last year and was a key figure in New Zealand winning the title.

He suffered a neck injury in the final but said that isn’t a problem heading into the new season.

“It was worrying at the time, because of everything with (former Newcastle player) Alex McKinnon,” Taupau said.

“But everything if fine now, it’s not a concern heading into this season.

“We’ve lost a couple of players but now we have young guys coming through like Curtis Sironen who can fill that gap, who can step up and do the job we need them to do.

“It’s up to me too.

“It’s a goal for myself to be a leader, but that will come in time.”