Star Gold Coast forward Jack Lukosius can expect some close attention from Richmond defender Nathan Broad, who makes a timely return from a month-long suspension for their crunch clash on Sunday.

The Tigers find themselves in unfamiliar territory having lost their last four matches, while the Suns have only banked two wins from their six outings to also sit outside the eight.

Broad missed all four of those defeats after his ban for a dangerous tackle on Adelaide's Patrick Parnell in round two.

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said Broad had been missed.

"He's an important player ... it's a lot of games to miss and we welcome him back," Hardwick said.

"He's one of those players who plays on a really good opposition player, he'll probably get (Jack) Lukosius and as a coach, he's a player I look at that and think, well I'm probably going to get that job done.

"Lukosius is a really damaging player, having a great year, so we're looking forward to Nathan taking on that challenge and hopefully beating him."

As well as Broad, ruckman Ivan Soldo comes into the side and will be tasked with handling Gold Coast co-captain Jarrod Witts - arguably their most valuable player.

Hardwick said it wouldn't be solely Soldo's duty to contain Witts, who has been in and out of the side this season as he battles general soreness.

"He's very important, an incredible competitor and leader ... and it's no coincidence that he comes back into the side and they look the side that we all know," he said of the 30-year-old Witts.

"That's going to be a real challenge for us and it's probably an area we were a little bit disappointed in our game last week, with our talls, but they're young and emerging.

"Soldo hasn't played footy for a long time but I think what it will do is it will spread the load with our talls which will be a better result for us if we go that way.

"Soldo himself isn't going to take on the whole burden of that match-up, it's Soldo, Ben Miller, Sampson Ryan, we've got some options... it's how we manage our guys with regard to keeping them fresh going up against one of their best players."

Hardwick felt Richmond's defence had been sturdy but wanted more return from inside 50, kicking 11 goals and 12 behinds in last round's loss to Melbourne.

"We need to execute inside 50 - the Dees kicked 5-1, we kicked 1-5, so there's things in our control we need to do better," he said.

"Defensively we're controlling sides and taking away some of their strengths, but what we're doing a little bit too much is Richmond hurting Richmond so we've got some work to do in those facets of the game."

In their last clash in July last year Gold Coast roared back from a 40-point deficit with Noah Anderson securing a two-point victory with a goal after the siren.

Touk Miller starred in that match but the co-captain will miss Sunday's game and a chunk of the season after undergoing knee surgery this week.