Four Pointers: Canterbury Bulldogs 26 Gold Coast Titans 14

Strong First 40 for the Bulldogs

The Bulldogs enjoyed their best first half in a long time, with their 20 points being the most first half points they have scored in 38 games. The Bulldogs first try came in the 14th minute when fullback Will Hopoate crossed for his first try of the season. Just 4 minutes later, David Klemmer also saved himself from the dreaded nudie run when he crossed under the posts. Marcelo Montoya and Hopoate crossed again to give the Bulldogs a 20-0 lead at the half, which would prove to be too large of a lead for the Titans to chase.

Titans End the Season Battered and Bruised

The Titans terrible end to the 2017 season has received plenty of attention in the media for their off-field dramas and poor on-field performances, and a building injury list has further compounded their woes. Hooker Nathan Peats left the field with a season-ending shoulder injury in his first game as Titans captain, while centre Dale Copley will also miss their last game after injuring his groin in the second-half. The duo join a long list of Titan’s who have had their season cut short by injury.

Bulldogs Lose Mbye for the Game, Titans lose Wallace for the Season

After Titans prop Jarrod Wallace hit Bulldogs prop Moses Mbye with a late shoulder charge, Canterbury were forced to play the remainder of the game without their halfback leading the way. It was cruel for the Bulldogs, however the Titans and Wallace are set to be punished far more for the incident, with Wallace being hit with a grade-three charge for the shot. Wallace could miss 5 games for the hit, however he is likely to take an early guilty plea which will result in a 3 game suspension. The Titans will now be without their Queensland Origin representative for not only the final game of the 2017 season, but also at least the first 2 games of 2018.

Hayne Plane Crashes Again

Many people expected Jarryd Hayne to turn up on Saturday and put in a big performance after being one of the key reasons that coach Neil Henry was sacked on Monday, however the Titans fullback once again failed to justify his ridiculous price tag. Hayne didn’t produce any of the type of big plays that are expected from a player of his calibre, and he made two woeful errors consecutively, first by kicking the ball out on the full, and then throwing a poor forward pass not long after. His efforts were met with boos by the home crowd, and Hayne will need a major improvement in 2018 to justify his worth to the Titans fans and club.

Scoreboard

Bulldogs: 26

Tries: Hopoate 2, Klemmer, Montoya, Morris

Goals: Mbye 1, Elliot 1

Titans: 14

Tries: Roberts, Don, Sami

Goals: Roberts 1