Wallace vows to lift after thrashing from Dragons

Gold Coast Titans prop Jarrod Wallace has warned his side that a repeat of the ''embarrassing and unacceptable'' performance against St George Illawarra on Sunday would result in another hiding against arch rivals Brisbane.

Wallace thought his team lacked desire in the 54-8 loss to the Dragons and admitted that a massive reversal in attitude and form was needed against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday night.

Wallace was struggling to explain the Titans' performance in the aftermath of the shellacking.

He said the Dragons wanted it more and that their halves Gareth Widdop and Ben Hunt ''ran us ragged'' after the Titans were outplayed up front.

The pre-season mantra from Titans coach Garth Brennan and several of his players was that any side that beat Gold Coast this year would know they'd been in a contest, but that certainly wasn't the case in Toowoomba.

''The Dragons were good. We were terrible,'' Wallace said.

''We had no desire in defence. I know we are way better than that and the team knows we are better than that.

''There have been a couple [of games] last year that were worse but it is embarrassing for us and embarrassing for our fans and coaching staff.

''It is just unacceptable from us.''

The Broncos thrashed the Titans 54-nil in the last derby encounter on the Gold Coast in 2017 in what Wallace also labelled an embarrassment.

''The local derby is always good and will get the boys' spirits up hopefully but it could be anyone we could be playing. We want to be better,'' Wallace said.

''I thought we were in it for the first 30 minutes but we just didn't help ourselves in the second half.

''We have to get ready for the Broncs and make sure we don't do that to them because they will put 50 points on us as well.''

Wallace was playing his first game of the Telstra Premiership season after serving the final two weeks of a three-game suspension from last year and missing the trials through injury.

He said his legs felt heavy but did not use that as an excuse. Wallace reckons his performance was not up to the mark, despite him leading the way with 121m from 13 runs and accruing just one of his team's 42 missed tackles.

''I am very disappointed with the way I played in my first game [back] and I want to bring a lot more energy and punch to the team,'' he said.

''As a senior player I need to make sure I am the leading front-rower every week and not just letting guys like Jai Arrow and Morgan Boyle come out and be the best players on the field.

''If they are playing well I've got to be playing better or at least on par with them because if we are all working together as a unit that is where we are better.''