ROUND NINE MATCH REPORT | Gold Coast Titans 16 – 12 New Zealand Warriors

Brad Inger reviews the Gold Coast Titan’s clash with the New Zealand Warriors. Here’s how the match went.

Embed from Getty Images

MATCH TIMELINE

MATCH SUMMARY

1st Half

After their much-needed win last week, the Warriors came out swinging right from the first set. They surged up the field and put pressure on Titans debutant Treymain Spry who knocked on his first touch handing the Warriors prime position. The Titans look to hold the New Zealand Warriors as a Roger Tuivasa-Sheck offload dribbled over the outline, but the kiwi skipper challenge the call successfully and moments later cut through the Gold Coast defensive line for the first try of the match. Another Titans handling error saw the Warriors in control once again, and this time Ken Maumalo was over to score after a nice pass from Peta Hiku. The Titans started to complete some sets and showed some glimpses of stacking potential but struggled with execution until Anthony Don scored from a nice set play off a Titans scrum. The Warriors dominated the remainder of the first half but were unable to capitalise on some poor Titans plays with several try attempts held up over the line by some desperate Gold Coast defence. It looked like loan player Jack Hetherington had scored a certain try for the Warriors in the last notable play of the first half, but the Bunker ruled that he had impeded the Titans player that was trying to regain a Jai Arrow wayward offload. It appeared to be the wrong call but was a nice reprieve for the Titans as they went into the break on down 12-6 after a poor first half.

Embed from Getty Images

2nd Half

The Titans came out of the break a more focused side, and it only took them seven minutes to find themselves on the scoreboard again, scoring perhaps their best try of the year when Tyrone Peachey tapped backed a grubber that looked almost certain to go over the dead ball line, Sam Stone dived on the loose ball get the much-needed try as the momentum in the match started to swing towards the home side. Both sides traded blows with neither gaining the advantage, with both teams giving away silly penalties or handling errors. A Tuivasa-Sheck knock-on gave the Titans the chance the needed, and they took it with both hands as Beau Fermor dived on a loose ball in the Warriors in-goal to hand the Titans the lead for the first time in the match. The Warriors won a short kickoff but failed to convert it into points, and the Titans punished them with a 40/20 but also could not turn it into points, the Warriors had one final chance to steal back the win. Still, the Titans refused to let victory slip out of their hands and walked away with a hard-fought 16-12 win.

Embed from Getty Images

GAME HIGHLIGHT

Embed from Getty Images

The highlight of the match was the game-changing moment when Tuivasa-Sheck knocked on a simple chip kick which gave the Titans prime position to score the match-winning try. A kick like that would typically be easy pickings for the Warriors skipper but just shows how well the Titans did when it came to shifting momentum in their favour. It will be a case of what if for the New Zealand side but a confidence-boosting win for the Titans.

SQUADS

Gold Coast Titans: 1. Corey Thompson, 2. Anthony Don, 3. Beau Fermor, 4. Bryce Cartwright, 5. Treymain Spry, 6. Ashley Taylor, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 8. Moeaki Fotuaika, 9. Erin Clark, 10. Jaimin Jolliffe, 11. Sam Stone, 12. Keegan Hipgrave, 13. Jai Arrow, 14. Tanah Boyd, 15. Sam Lisone, 16. Tyrone Peachey, 17. Jarrod Wallace

New Zealand Warriors: 1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2. David Fusitu’a, 3. Patrick Herbert, 4. Peta Hiku, 5. Ken Maumalo, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Blake Green, 8. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Adam Blair, 11. Jack Murchie, 13. Karl Lawton, 12. Tohu Harris, 14. Agnatius Paasi, 15. Jack Hetherington, 16. Isaiah Papali’i, 17. Jazz Tevaga