The Gold Coast Titans, savaged by injury and with new signing Dale Copley not eligible to play, desperately want to get on the board against Parramatta, who have been the eye-catcher over the opening weeks of the NRL.

Parramatta's return to being a presence in the competition hasn't come as a complete surprise, given their nightmare year in 2016 when they missed the finals after being stripped of points due to salary cap rorting.

Even then, the signs were strong that when the off-field madness finally subsided, they could be a force to be reckoned with on the park. A win over Manly, then a thumping of the Dragons, has all but confirmed suspicions.

The Titans entered the season full of hope but have once again found out how fickle fortunes can be in rugby league - and on the Gold Coast. Already they have dealt with off-field issues around star man Jarryd Hayne, who will miss a month after injuring his ankle in the loss to Newcastle.

He joins a lengthy list of players already occupying the Titans rehab centre, while efforts to slot former Rooster and Bronco Copley straight into the side were foiled on Thursday by the NRL.

Copley was signed during the week but not in time to be named in the original 21-man squad. The Gold Coast's application for a special injury exemption fell on deaf ears at head office.

"Whilst we have some sympathy towards the Titans and their injury problems, in this case, Dale Copley was not a registered Titans player when the team lists were announced on Tuesday and the request was declined," the NRL statement said.

Earlier, Titans coach Neil Henry said he could see little reason why the request would not be accommodated.

"I can't really see a reason. We couldn't name him but now he's here and we've done all of the formalities around that," Henry said.

"It came down to us getting an offer to him and one they accepted. We had been negotiating for a while so it wasn't something completely new. He's a regular first grader, he's connected to the area, he's a big body and I think his best footy is ahead of him."

The news wasn't all bad. Corey Norman, who has been in superb touch for the Eels, will miss the match with a hamstring strain and has been replaced in the halves by Jeff Robson.

"He's been in form, hasn't he? But they've got Jeff Robson coming in, who has been a really experienced campaigner. Certainly Corey has been in great form and pivotal to their attack. Hopefully they miss him a fair bit," Henry said.

Henry said he always expected Parramatta to be one of the teams to rise this season and admitted the pace and power at their disposal has been impressive over the past fortnight.

Semi Radradra has continued scoring tries at will while young fullback Bevan French, who may not have been there should the Eels have won the race to sign Hayne, has added some silken skills to his fast feet.

"Oh yeah. Their roster is great. Their forward pack, there's plenty of power there. Radradra on the edges. Bevan French has been a revelation. We always knew he was quick but he's really adapted to to fullback. He's obviously worked hard in the pre-season," Henry said.

"Not only has he got his speed but he's got a nice pass. He's a real threat on their edges. It's a tough assignment but we're capable of a win."

The Titans are staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start to a season many predicted would end in the finals. Their task only gets harder, with the Cowboys visiting in round four before a trip to New Zealand the following week to play the Warriors.

Teams have rebounded from tardy starts in the past to have strong seasons and Henry was ensuring the glass was half-full on Thursday, saying some early adversity should be seen as an opportunity for his side, particularly their young playmakers Ash Taylor and Kane Elgey.

"It's a chance to step up and show what you can do. On top of that it's up to other guys to lift and not expect the young guys to carry the team. We've got enough experience," he said.

"There's enough footballers that have played a lot of first grade. Last week, it was some of our more experienced guys that didn't aim up defensively. We need to address that."