Storm’s top trio Gilly’s big fear
TREVOR Gillmeister has spent more than seven years studying the movements of Melbourne’s big three – Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk.
And the Titans assistant coach will need every bit of his knowledge to help his team dismantle the NRL heavyweights on Friday night.
After a lean month, the Storm exploded at the weekend to smash Penrith 46-6 and r e a s s e r t themselves a s a premiership contender.
Fullback Slater and halfback Cronk were instrumental in the demolition of the Panthers, producing two tries, five try assists, three linebreaks and four linebreak assists. Smith controlled the ruck with his usual poise.
Gillmeister, an assistant to Q u e e n s l a n d c o a c h Ma l Meninga, said the Titans had studied the trio closely ahead of the AAMI Park contest, which i s shaping as Gold Coast’s biggest hurdle in its charge towards the finals.
‘‘Billy, Cam and Cooper are going to feature in our tip sheets. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work that out,’’ he said.
‘‘Billy’s had a couple of games under his belt (after a knee injury). He probably wasn’t 100 per cent the first couple of games back.
‘‘I reckon he’d be 90 per cent and a 90 per cent Billy Slater is probably better than 100 per cent most blokes. It’s dangerous.’’
Slater, Smith and Cronk tore the Titans apart earlier this year at Skilled Park, with the fullback unleashing at the back end of the game.
Facing the Storm is never an easy task but the Titans will be buoyed by f i e l d i ng t hei r strongest team in over two months.
Origin forward Greg Bird was yesterday named on an extended bench and is a certainty to play, with coach John Cartwright reluctant to publicly name the player who will miss out.
It is possible Cartwright c o u l d o p t t o d r o p S t e v e Michaels from left centre and start utility Luke O’Dwyer on the flank to add some more defensive starch to the Titans’ edges.
Prop Brenton Lawrence was yesterday c l e a r e d by the Queensland Cup match review panel after being sent off in Burleigh’s win over Central. The panel declared Lawrence had no case to answer.