Key Three: Errors prove costly, welcome back skipper, and new faces debut

The Gold Coast Titans have gone down to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 40-24 in their first match of season 2025.

After having the bye in round one, Des Hasler's men had to wait until the last game of the second round to get their season underway, but an early onslaught from the Bulldogs would prove to big a task to chase down.

Here are the key three talking points from the game

Welcome back, skipper

It had been nearly a full year since Titans captain, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, had played in the NRL, and while he was on the losing side, there was a lot to like on his return.

In his first stint of 22 minutes he had 2 runs, 2 tackle breaks and 23 tackles, highlighting how much time his side spent without the ball, but also showing the return of his renowned work-ethic. It was a shorter first stint than usual, which may talk to his return from injury or possibly a new rotation plan with the addition of Reagan Campbell-Gillard to the forward rotation. 

In his return to the field before half time Fa'asuamaleaui tried to inspire his team, making multiple runs and helping lay the platform for his sides first two tries.

He would go on to play the early part of the second half, continuing his high workrate and scoring his sides third try, before coming back on for the final minutes of the game as his side chased a last gasp win. 

Fa'asuamaleaui finished the game with 55 minutes, 1 try, 15 runs, 122 metres (52 post-contact), 1 line break, 7 tackle breaks, 2 offloads and 39 tackles. 

Errors costly in Belmore heat 

The Titans will be glad that they do not return to Belmore Sports Ground again for at least another year. 

After a loss in 2024 that saw a season-ending injury to Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, the Titans would have been hoping for a better day out in the 2025 installment.

Unfortunately, a fast start from the Bulldogs on a day that saw the temperature hit 40 degrees, and a fired up pro-Bulldogs crowd, helped the home side skip out to a 22-0 lead, with errors compounding the issue for the Titans.

The away side only completed five of their first ten sets making life difficult early on.

The Titans would hit back through two tries to Alofiana Khan-Pereira however, to go to the break 22-12.

Both sides traded tries in the second half but the lead was too big to pull back in for the Titans as they conceded 40 points on the night. 

New faces debut for Titans

There were two new faces in the Titans side today, but they have come via vastly different journeys to make Des Hasler's side.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard has played grand finals, state of origins and test matches before joining the Titans in the off-season, while at the other end of the spectrum, journeyman Brock Gray is a 28-year-old debutant.

Campbell-Gillard was the biggest name to join the Titans in 2025, but after a pre-season shoulder injury, today's game was the first time 'the legion' got to see their new man in the Titans colours.

In a first stint that included 21 minutes, Campbell-Gillard spent more time defending than with ball in hand, but his second stint gave fans a better look at the type of impact he can have in rotation with fellow big men, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Moeaki Fotuaika and Jaimin Jolliffe. 

Campbell Gillard finished with 40 minutes, 70 run metres and 20 tackles on a solid first outing post-injury.

For Gray, it took until the 66th minute of the game to live out his dream and enter the field.

Known for his tradesman like work, Gray got straight into the action with two hit-ups in the first set he was on the field.

He then went about his work in defence putting on two jarring shots in the first three tackles he made. 

With a plethora of friends and family in the stands, Gray can be proud if his first game in the big leagues and now look to build on that in future weeks.

The Titans return to Cbus Super Stadium next Saturday night as they take on the undefeated Newcastle Knights at 6:35pm (Qld time). Grab your tickets here.