WARRIORS CODE
Titans enforcer vows to protect young halfback from Kiwi monsters
TITANS back-rower Zeb Taia says he will be there to ensure young half Cameron Cullen is not an easy target for the New Zealand Warriors.
Cullen, 22, is in the frame to replace boom rookie Ashley Taylor, who could miss the match at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday with a groin injury.
At just 170cm, Cullen could be a target for the Warriors’ big forward pack, who will be looking for any advantage in their key clash with the Gold Coast.
But Taia, the Kiwi hardman who returned to the NRL this season after a stint in the British Super League, said he would not leave Cullen on his own to be exposed.
“If he does get in there I’ll be making sure I’m helping him a lot,” Taia said.
“I’ll be in his ear. Our whole left edge likes to talk a lot. We try to talk teams out of coming down our side.”
Taylor did not train with his Titans teammates yesterday due to the injury concerns and it appears coach Neil Henry will rest his young star after a tough first season in the NRL.
TITANS forward Zeb Taia has vowed to protect rookie halfback Cameron Cullen from the monster Warriors.
Cullen is in the frame for an NRL call-up for Saturday’s clash in Auckland with rising No.7 Ashley Taylor battling a groin injury.
Taylor didn’t train yesterday and is likely to be rested by coach Neil Henry for the Warriors game.
Taylor has been a shining light in his first full NRL season, playing a pivotal role in the Gold Coast’s unlikely surge into finals contention.
However, the 21-year-old is to feel the rigours of first-grade football and spending three weeks on the sidelines, given the Titans have a bye after the Warriors game, will do him a world of good.
Cullen has shown promising signs in his two NRL games but at 170cm he could be a defensive target for the in-form Warriors.
“If he does get in there I’ll be making sure I’m helping him a lot,” Taia said.
“I’ll be in his ear. Our whole left edge likes to talk a lot. We try and talk teams out of coming down our side.
“Shaun Johnson will definitely be coming down our side. He likes to attack the left.
“We’ll have to defend as a team and make sure no one is coming out of the line to solve it on their own.”
Taylor’s injury is extremely untimely for the Titans, who dropped a crucial game to the Raiders last Sunday.
A loss to the Warriors, who have won three of their past four games, could see the Titans drop to 11th position after being in the top eight a fort starting night ago. The Gold Coast are hoping to buck the trend of recent seasons, where they start the year with a bang then fizzle out of contention.
After 14 rounds last year they were eighth and finished the season 14th.
“We’ve got that never-saydie attitude,” Taia said.
“That’s the main difference I see between this year and last year’s team.
“It’s going to be a hard one going to New Zealand.
“They’re in some good form at the moment.
“We let last week slip. We needed to win that and it’s the same again this week.
“We’ve got a lot of pressure games coming up.
“If we get this win we’re sitting on 20 points (after the bye) and you usually need 28 to get into the top eight.
“If we lose this one it’s going to be hard to get back five games towards the end of the year.
“We’re chasing but we’re still in a good position.
“We all want to win. It’s a good vibe in the camp.”
The Titans team will fly out for Auckland today and finalise their match preparations for the Warriors with a training run tomorrow.