Daniel Mortimer will be rushed straight into Gold Coast's lineup to take on St George Illawarra, less than a week after joining the NRL club.
Mortimer, granted an early release from the Sydney Roosters on Tuesday, will make his club debut on Sunday at halfback as the Titans battle a halves crisis.
With Albert Kelly (calf), Aidan Sezer (pectoral) and Beau Henry (knee) all ruled out, Titans coach John Cartwright had little option but to opt for the 25-year-old against the Dragons.
With the Titans' season slipping away after five straight defeats, Cartwright says he's confident Mortimer, a premiership winner last year with the Roosters, will cope with his immediate inclusion.
"He's slotted in very well. We brought him here to supply pressure in the halves and, in fact, play in the halves," he said.
"We've got two injuries there over the last couple of weeks with Aidan and Beau Henry out in the medium-to-long term.
"We bought him to play first grade and he's played enough of it to be able to handle going straight in."
Mortimer will partner Maurice Blair in the halves alongside Dragons pair Gareth Widdop and Benji Marshall, himself a mid-season recruit.
The Titans' State of Origin representatives, Nate Myles, Greg Bird and Dave Taylor will also back up following Wednesday's game two in Sydney.
"They know the importance of the game to the club and they're going to be out there," Cartwright said.
"We'll have to tape them up and maybe have to needle them up to get them out there but they wouldn't have it any other way."
The Dragons' Origin representative Josh Dugan will return to their line up.
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