Gold Coast Titans: Biggest crowd in nearly five years tipped for Brisbane Broncos showdown

Gold Coast Titans bosses are confident the resurgent NRL side is on track to welcome its largest home game crowd in nearly five years.

GOLD Coast Titans bosses are confident the resurgent NRL side is on track to welcome its largest home game crowd in nearly five years.

The Titans will take on the also resurgent Brisbane Broncos on Saturday night at Cbus Super Stadium in a Queensland derby.

The Broncos are hoping to bounce back from a shock loss to the Canberra Raiders while the Titans are hoping to cement its top-eight status after slaying a full-strength St George Illawarra Dragons on Sunday.

Tino Fa'asuamaleaui of the Titans following the team’s win over the Dragons. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Titans prop and captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui said it was one of the games he was most looking forward too: “I’m excited, it’s one I’ve written down in the books for a long time now.

“We just have to go to another level and hopefully win here at Cbus again.”

The Titans defeated the Dragons 20-18 in a nailbiting finish on the back of a Toby Sexton try and Tanah Boyd conversion in the final minutes.

Titans CEO Steve Mitchell said the team had a ticket sales spike for Saturday’s game after the Easter Sunday win.

Titans CEO Steve Mitchell. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“It will be our biggest game of the year, because for a long time it was a case of big brother vs little brother but I think it will be one of the biggest events of 2023.

“We had a gritty win over St George and we are now going up against a Broncos side which will be down here with purpose and wanting to make a statement and so too will we.

“This contest at Cbus Stadium will be something people will not want to miss because we want to make it a fortress for (Coach Justin Holbrook) and the whole team.”

50 PICS: TITANS V DRAGONS MATCH

Top-of-the-table Brisbane are the favourites, having defeated the Titans twice in 2022 and having won more than 70 per cent of all previous match ups since 2007.

Brisbane is expected to be at full-strength.

Titans chairman Dennis Watt tipped Saturday’s game to have the Robina stadium’s biggest home crowd and first regular season sellout since Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston’s swan song in 2018.

Adam Reynolds of the Broncos. The competition leaders will be looking to bounce back from their loss to the Raiders (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“There is always great anticipation for a local derby clash between the Broncos and Titans and both teams are travelling really well,” he said.

“The Broncos have been flying though they did have a bit of a setback against the Raiders but they will be suitably chastened by that loss.

“They will seek to make amends against their M1 rivals, so we are hoping to get our best home crowd since the sellout game we had against the Cowboys when Johnathan Thurston played his farewell.”

The 15-year-old Cbus Super Stadium has a capacity of 27,000 seats.

Nearly 15,000 people saw the Titans defeat the Melbourne Storm at home in March while Sunday’s game against St George played to a crowd of 12,452.

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Originally published as Gold Coast Titans: Biggest crowd in nearly five years tipped for Brisbane Broncos showdown