The Gold Coast Titans are set to blood 21-year-oldย Alofiana Khan-Pereira on the left wing in their Round 1 clash against the Wests Tigers.
Khan-Pereira, a former Queensland U18s representative is said to be one of the fastest players coming into NRL grade, boasting a top speed of 36.5km/h according to the Titans' internal testing.
For reference, his likely Round 1 wing partner, Jojo Fifita clocked in at 36.9 km/h last year, when he ran down Josh Addo-Carr in the Titans and Bulldogs Round 19 clash.
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The Titans' backline depth has suffered considerably since last season, losing the likes of Corey Thompson (retired), Greg Marzhew (trade deal) Esan Marsters (Huddersfield) and Jamayne Isaako (Dolphins).
Now, a knee injury to Patrick Herbert and the suspension of Brian Kelly has opened the door for Khan-Pereira to make his first-grade debut provided he can impress in the trial matches.
According toย The Daily Telegraph,ย Titans' head coach Justin Holbrook has already settled on a halves pairing of Tanah Boyd and Kieran Foran ahead of the trials, with AJ Brimson shifting back to fullback.
Former Bulldogs' centre Aaron Schoupp is expected to accompany Jojo Fifita on the right edge with Phillip Sami pairing Khan-Pereira on the left.
Khan-Pereira had a staggering year playing Q-Cup with the Burleigh Bears in 2022, appearing 19 times and tallying 25 tries.