BUT PAIN FOR THE TITANS
Taylor, Roberts to join squad in New Zealand after third straight loss
GOLD Coast will take playmakers Ash Taylor and Tyrone Roberts to Auckland today in the hope they can be reinforcements for a must-win clash with the Warriors on Friday.
The move comes after South Sydney halves Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker helped hand Gold Coast sole possession of last place on the NRL ladder last night despite a bold challenge to Wayne Bennett’s men at ANZ Stadium.
Gold Coast were edged out 28-20 despite a rousing hand from two-try centre Brian Kelly and a committed shift by the Titans forwards.
The Titans ultimately paid again for a lack of organisation late in tackle counts while Taylor (quad) and Roberts (Achilles) are still injured.
Coach Garth Brennan said they would take a flight from the Gold Coast and meet with teammates who are on a morning flight from Sydney.
Gold Coast trailed 24-8 with 22 minutes left, but two tries, coming from a kick apiece by halves Ryley Jacks and AJ Brimson, surprised the Rabbitohs. But in the first half, a winger, Dale Copley, had the most kicks by a Titan, with three, as Souths asserted an 18-8 halftime lead.
Jacks finished with 260 kick metres from 10 kicks due to a more settled second half, but Reynolds had 536m from 18 kicks.
“We aren’t polished with the ball in hand,’’ Brennan said.
“You take the starting halves and the starting hooker (the injured Nathan Peats) out of your team and it hurts.
“Ash and Tyrone will fly from the Gold Coast and meet us there. That’s not to say they will definitely play but they trained well yesterday.’’
Canterbury’s surprise win over Wests Tigers earlier in the day leaves Gold Coast as the only team to have lost all three games this year.
The Titans closed to a fourpoint deficit with 15 minutes remaining when Kelly came down with a Brimson bomb and from his desperate inside ball, cult hero winger Anthony Don pilfered possession from Souths forward Ethan Lowe.
It was Don’s 68th try for Gold Coast, breaking a club record he had held with David Mead.
“Everyone loves the Don don’t they? He’s a real class winger and a real humble guy,’’ Brennan said.
Souths joined Melbourne as one of the two undefeated teams with a hat-trick of wins to start Bennett’s first season.
Reynolds had one try assist and Walker two.
“They (the Titans) made it hard for us, but I thought we were always in control,’’ Rabbitohs coach Bennett said.