Matthew Sadler and Steve Jancetic

SYDNEY, April 1 AAP - Gold Coast's hopes of kick-starting their NRL season have been dealt a massive blow with skipper Scott Prince in serious doubt for Saturday night's clash against Canberra due to a hamstring injury.

Prince limped off 20 minutes from the end of the Titans' final training run on the Gold Coast on Friday, the veteran playmaker said to be touch and go after joining his teammates on the flight to the nation's capital.

The Titans would be desperate to have their leader on the park against the Raiders after opening the season with three straight losses.

"He's had a little bit of a twinge and he carried it last week. We're not sure what the cause of the pain is," Cartwright told reporters.

"If there's a strain there he more than likely won't play but it's too early to know what it is. We'll need 24 hours before we know."

The Titans didn't add anyone to their squad for the trip south, with Preston Campbell to come off an extended bench to play halfback should Prince be forced out.

While Prince is likely to be a game-time decision, Canberra coach David Furner said Raiders fans could expect to see the real Matt Orford after an indifferent start to his time with the club.

Orford has been a shadow of the player who won the 2008 Dally M medal in his two games for the green machine, with his return to the NRL hampered by a groin strain which ruined his pre-season.

"The more he trains the more he plays," Furner said at Friday's final training run.

"He's going to be more comfortable. I think you're going to see that tomorrow."

Orford's bid to get used to life with the green machine will no doubt be helped by the return of fullback Josh Dugan, who played his first game of the season last weekend after injuring his calf during the pre-season.

Dugan showed glimpses of his best as he dragged in multiple defenders with each run of the ball, and his mere presence on the field takes some of the weight off Orford's shoulders.

Both sides are under massive pressure heading into the game, with the Titans facing a tough battle to work their way back into finals contention should they drop a fourth straight game.

The Raiders aren't travelling much better with just one win from three matches, and Furner can sense that importance of the Canberra Stadium clash despite it only being round four.

"For us it's about improving," Furner told reporters.

"Whether it's the Titans or Brisbane or whatever other team comes here we've got to perform."

Cartwright denied the result would define his side's season.

"It's not do or die," he said.

"It's still very early in the season and whether it's three in a row or two in a row, you want to win every week."

Canberra Stadium could be the last place the Titans want to go as they look to kick-start their season, given no Gold Coast team in any of its different guises has ever won in the nation's capital.

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