Craig Cauchi reviews the Titans resilient victory of the Dragons. Here’s how the game went.
MATCH TIMELINE
| Minute | Scoring Play | Score |
| 22nd | Penalty Goal Zac Lomax (Dragons) | Dragons 2-0 |
| 40th | HALF-TIME | Dragons 2-0 |
| 46th | Try Jacob Host (Dragons) | Dragons 6-0 |
| 48th | Goal Zac Lomax (Dragons) | Dragons 8-0 |
| 50th | Try Phillip Sami (Titans) | Dragons 8-4 |
| 71st | Goal Zac Lomax (Dragons) | Dragons 10-4 |
| 74th | Try Tyrone Peachey (Titans) | Dragons 10-8 |
| 75th | Goal Jamal Fogarty (Titans) | Draw 10-10 |
| 76th | Try Jamal Fogarty (Titans) | Titans 14-10 |
| 80th | FULLTIME | Titans 14-10 |
MATCH SUMMARY
1st Half
It took over 20 minutes before the first points was scored with a penalty goal to the Dragons after Matt Dufty was taken out as he kicked through the line. Before that moment, both teams were grinding it out with the Titans having broken the Dragons defence a few times. The Dragons camped themselves down in the Titans half but couldn’t come away with any points to show for it. The closest they came was through half Adam Clune, who almost carried defenders over the line before losing the ball.
2nd Half
The Dragons dominated the opening exchanges of the second half and continued to enjoy the better of possession. They eventually cracked the resilient defence of the Titans, with a crash over from Jacob Host off a deft pass from Ben Hunt. The Dragons made a mistake off the kick off and the Titans expansive attack finally led to a try to Phillip Sami. The Dragons kicked their second penalty goal of the match after Zac Lomax was taken out while chasing a midfield bomb. The two points gave the Dragons a six point advantage in the final 10 minutes. The Titans crossed the line through Tyrone Peachey after a grubber kick rebounded off the post and into the arms of the lock forward. Titans captain Jamal Fogarty scored the match winner after Ash Taylor put AJ Brimson through with an inside pass.
GAME HIGHLIGHT
The match will be remembered for the try in the final 5 minutes to captain Jamal Fogarty but the victory was set up by the strong defence that continued to turn the Dragons away. The Dragons had the better of the field position but could do little to break apart a fast moving Titans defence. Previous years would have seen the Titans fold but they held strong under the adversity.
SQUADS
St George Illawarra Dragons: 1. Matt Dufty 2. Jordan Pereira 3. Euan Aitken 4. Zac Lomax 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Corey Norman 7. Adam Clune 8. Blake Lawrie 9. Ben Hunt 10. Josh Kerr 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Jacob Host 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Kaide Ellis 15. Trent Merrin 16. Jackson Ford 17. Billy Brittain
Gold Coast Titans: 1. AJ Brimson 2. Corey Thompson 3. Brian Kelly 4. Young Tonumaipea 5. Phillip Sami 6. Ashley Taylor 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Jarrod Wallace 9. Mitch Rein 10. Jaimin Jolliffe 11. Sam Stone 12. Beau Fermor 13. Tyrone Peachey 14. Erin Clarke 15. Sam Lisone 16. Keegan Hipgrave 17. Jye Whitbread
