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AAP
AAP
Sport
Ed Jackson

Titans facing crunch NRL period: Wallace

Jarrod Wallace says Gold Coast face a critical stretch of five NRL games in south east Queensland. (AAP)

As the prospect of another underwhelming NRL campaign looms, recalled Gold Coast forward Jarrod Wallace says the Titans are facing a make-or-break period in their season.

Saturday's Magic Round clash against St George Illawarra at Suncorp Stadium is the first of five straight games in south-east Queensland for the Titans.

Having slumped to 14th on the ladder after a five-game losing run, serious questions are being asked about whether the Titans are regressing after ending a five-year finals drought last year.

Wallace, who is off-contract at the end of the year, is one of the longest-serving players at the club having joined at the end of 2016.

Last year's elimination final loss to the Sydney Roosters in Townsville was, however, his only post-season appearance for the club and he doesn't want to miss adding to that tally this year.

"There's no better time for us to tell you the truth. We're in Queensland now for the next five rounds," Wallace said.

"We've got (a game in) Brisbane this week, then we're back home (v Sharks), then back to Brissie (v Broncos) and then I think we've got two back home (v Cowboys then Rabbitohs).

"This is our time.

"If we want to be playing football in the finals, late September, early October, it needs to change now.

"Obviously our early games have been disappointing but we know we can be better."

After Gold Coast slumped to a humiliating 44-16 loss to the Roosters in Mackay last weekend, coach Justin Holbrook has recalled former State of Origin representative Wallace for his first appearance since round seven.

The return of fullback Jayden Campbell also means Holbrook can play the young spine he opted to hinge his season upon with AJ Brimson moving to five-eighth to partner Toby Sexton in the halves.

While some believe that combination has been a failure, Wallace believes it will benefit the team to have all three in the positions Holbrook wants them playing in for just the third time this season.

"Having a full pre-season that was so important and then it kind of getting broken up after JC got injured, that's always hard, but I think we'll find that our spine will be completely different having all three back together," he said.

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