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Match Report

Injury-hit Titans survive late Cowboys comeback

Author
Kelsey Hogan NRL Reporter
Timestamp
Kelsey Hogan

The Titans overcame the loss of several stars to hold off the Cowboys 20-18 to claim their second victory for the season.

The Gold Coast lost halves duo Kieran Foran (hamstring), AJ Brimson (groin) and Harley Smith-Shields (pec) late in the match and Phillip Sami (hamstring) in the early stages but a re-shuffled Titans side stood tall to deny the Cowboys a chance to steal the victory. 

The Titans anticipated a close match when they opted to take a shot at goal after Cowboys backrower Heilum Luki was penalised for a dangerous tackle and Brian Kelly slotted it between the posts for a 2-0 lead.

Both sides traded sets over the next 15 minutes before the Gold Coast extended their lead when they created a contest out of a Foran kick before sending the ball out wide for Jojo Fifita to crash his way over on the left. 

Jojo Fifita Try

Five minutes later David Fifita showed Roosters fans the player they'll be getting next year when he came up with a trademark scoop from dummy half and crashed over from close range for a 14-0 lead. 

The Cowboys gifted the home side a third try five minutes before the break when Semi Valemei had a brain fade moment, soccer kicking a Foran bomb ball back to the Titans and Brimson capitalised, slicing through from close range in the next set. Kelly converted for a 20-0 lead at half time.

David Fifita Try

The Cowboys looked to open their account after the break when veteran winger Kyle Feldt was charging down the right edge however spilt the ball after a superb trysaving effort from Brimson.

On the 60-minute mark, North Queensland got on the board after a charging run downfield from Scott Drinkwater handed halfback Chad Townsend a chance to punt one in the in goal and Jeremiah Nanai was the beneficiary. 

With less than three minutes to play, the Cowboys set up a grandstand finish when Feldt crossed on the right edge to reduce the deficit 20-18 however the Gold Coast defence held firm, despite a completely re-shuffled spine.

Match Snapshot

  • Titans winger Phillip Sami left the field in the 26th minute of the match with a hamstring injury and was later ruled out.
  • Gold Coast star AJ Brimson hobbled from the field in the 69th minute with a groin injury and was later ruled out.
  • Veteran playmaker Kieran Foran failed to finish the match after hobbling from the field in the 58th minute with a hamstring injury and did not return.
  • Cowboys hooker Reece Robson was placed on report in the 62nd minute of the match.
  • After a big week of contract negotiations departing Titans backrower David Fifita left it all out on the field with 118 run metres and ten tackle breaks to go with his first half try.

Foran saves another try

  • Beau Fermor was immense on the edge for the Titans, running 169 metres and coming up with a spectacular trysaver after filling in at centre late in the match.
  • The Titans’ last four games have been decided by four points or less.
  • Titans fullback AJ Brimson has scored nine tries in 12 games against the Cowboys.
  • Cowboys second-rower Jeremiah Nanai has scored five tries in his past five games.
  • The Titans have now won only two of their past eight games at Cbus Super Stadium.

Play of the Game 

Jojo Fifita was a handful all afternoon for the Titans, running in the opening try and breaking open the defensive line on several occasions but his spectacular trysaver on Valentine Homes in the 69th minute proved to be a vital moment of the match.

What a save from Jojo Fifita

What They Said 

"That was a pretty gutsy win, it had that written all over it, particularly with the way they played to set it up in the first half and then to hang on and keep turning up. I lost count after about five trysavers, we kept turning up. That's probably vindicative of what they've been doing over the past five weeks and it's really good that we got rewarded with the two points on the back of the effort. It was battle stations and they did a really good job covering and working hard for each other which is a really good trait to have as a footy side." - Titans coach Des Hasler

Titans: Round 5

"We got what we deserved. We gifted them two tries off kick defusals which weren't executed properly from our end. We found ourselves on the back foot and in a hole and then showed some great fighting spirit in the second half to give ourselves a chance to pinch it but we also left four tries begging. I can't say that we've got anyone else to blame today or for the last five weeks but I know the only way to out of it is to work hard, put our heads down and stay tight as a group because we saw in that second-half that the care, fight and resilience is there." - Cowboys coach Todd Payten

Cowboys: Round 10

What's Next 

The Titans face the Knights on Saturday afternoon at Magic Round while the Cowboys meet with the Rabbitohs later that night.

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