Saturday has three NRL matches with the second game for Round 24 is between Gold Coast Titans and New Zealand Warriors with the opening kick to commence at 5:30PM local time. The game is to be played at Skilled Park with the favourite for the match being Gold Coast Titans. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between Gold Coast Titans and New Zealand Warriors.

WHERE AND WHEN: Skilled Park, Saturday, 24/08, 5:30PM

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Opening odds comparison:

Gold Coast Titans	1.80	1.80	1.85	1.80	1.80	1.82
New Zealand Warriors	1.97	2.00	1.98	2.00	1.97	2.01

Preview:

The Gold Coast take on the Warriors on Saturday, 5.30pm at Skilled Park. This is one of the closest match-ups of the round, with the Titans ever so slight favourites to
take home the points. Both teams have a lot to play for here, with the Titans only just managing to stay in the top eight and the Warriors in 13th but only two points away
from the eight themselves. The Warriors will be extra hungry here after their shock defeat to the Panthers at home last week, and the Gold Coast will have to stay on
their toes.

Teams:

Gold Coast Titans:
William Zillman, Kevin Gordon, Brad Takairangi, Jamie Dowling, David Mead, Aidan Sezer, Albert Kelly, Luke Douglas, Beau Falloon, Nate Myles, Greg Bird, Mark Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: David Taylor, Ryan James, Ben Ridge, Matt Srama

New Zealand Warriors:
Kevin Locke, Jerome Ropati, Dane Nielsen, Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Suaia Matagi, Elijah Taylor, Simon Mannering, Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman, Feleti Mateo, Dominique Peyroux, Ngani Laumape

Bird back in flight for Titans

Gold Coast have named Greg Bird to play in Saturday’s crucial home NRL clash with the Warriors but the back-rower is a still a major doubt for the game.

The NSW State of Origin representative left the field in agony during last weekend’s loss to North Queensland in Townsville with back spasms.

Titans coach John Cartwright named Bird in the second row on Tuesday to take on the Warriors but he admits it could be a stretch to have the star on the field on Saturday.

“He’s in a fair bit of doubt to be honest,” Cartwright told reporters at Skilled Park, where he was launching a campaign with Bravehearts, an organisation dedicated to stopping child sexual assault.

“Probably only named him because he’s Birdy and he tends to recover pretty quickly. He’s a guy that can play with injury,” he said.

“We’ll give him right up until kickoff to see if he’s okay.”

The Titans will also be sweating on the fitness of halfback Albert Kelly, who has been named to make his return from the sternum injury which has kept him sidelined for the past three matches.

Cartwright said the Titans weren’t as desperate to rush Kelly back into action, given how Aidan Sezer and Ashley Harrison have played in the halves in his absence.

“The boys that have played the last three weeks have done a fantastic job,” he said.

“To win two of those three games, as undermanned as we have been … they’ve done a fantastic job.”

Titans: William Zillman, Kevin Gordon, Brad Takairangi, Jamie Dowling, David Mead, Aidan Sezer, Albert Kelly, Luke Douglas, Beau Falloon, Nate Myles, Greg Bird, Mark Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: David Taylor, Ryan James, Ben Ridge, Matt Srama.