The fight between Ben Hunt and Corey Norman for Brisbane’s prized No.6 jersey will come down to the club’s final pre-season trial – against Melbourne in Hobart this Saturday.

Broncos coach Anthony Griffin was none the wiser about which player would play pivot in the NRL season-opener against Parramatta next month after his team’s 18-16 loss to Gold Coast in a trial match at Pizzey Park on Saturday night.

The retirement of club legend Darren Lockyer has left a gaping hole in the halves that No.7 Peter Wallace cannot fill alone.

“I don’t think either of them has really jumped up and grabbed that (opportunity),” Griffin said.

“We’ll just zero down into our one last performance next week and then we’ll sort that out.”

Griffin was certain of one thing, ruling out switching Wallace to five-eighth, despite the former Penrith playmaker standing at second receiver at times against an enthusiastic and physical Titans outfit that raced to an 18-0 lead after 30 minutes.

“We’re a little bit scratchy in attack but three tries should be enough to win us a game of football if we’re not soft early in the half,” he said.

Gold Coast coach John Cartwright was pleased with the physical dominance of his players, in particular big-name recruits Nate Myles and Luke Douglas, but he has his own headaches after talented hooker Beau Falloon tore his biceps in the first half against Brisbane.

Former South Sydney rake Falloon was on track to earn a spot in the top 17 for the Titans’ NRL season-opener against North Queensland but the 24-year-old faces up to three months on the sideline.

“I’m shattered for Beau,” Cartwright said. “In the 15 minutes that he had (on the field), he controlled the play-the-ball really well.

“Defensively, he’s as strong as any hooker in the competition.

“He’s been gelling very well in training with his playmakers and I was really looking forward to having him in the make-up of the side somewhere but that won’t be happening for a while.”

Matt Srama is almost certain to retain his spot as first-choice hooker but he will go into round one cold after sitting out the trials with a shoulder injury.

Kayne Lawton has a golden opportunity to press his claims as the back-up No.9 when the Titans take on the Cowboys in a trial match in Mackay on Saturday.

Winger Kevin Gordon limped from the field after hurting the same knee he had reconstructed last year and will undergo scans on Monday.