MAROONS SNUB ASH
There was plenty of love for Ash Taylor from teammates as the Titans half helped steer his side to a 30-12 win over Wests Tigers yesterday. Unfortunately Maroons selectors did not share the sentiment, preferring Daly Cherry-Evans over Taylor for the Origin team.
A DERBY clash with the Broncos next weekend will make or break the Gold Coast’s season, after the Titans yesterday spoiled a Wests Tigers party with a 30-12 win at a packed Leichhardt Oval to keep their finals hopes alive.
The Titans have joined the Tigers and Raiders on 14 points in a chasing pack three wins adrift of the eighthplaced Broncos on 20 points.
Gold Coast host Brisbane at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday and the result could finalise the top eight two months out from the finals.
If the Titans win it will keep the chasing pack within touching distance of the Broncos. But a Brisbane win would increase their buffer, even though Brisbane do have a tough run home.
In Gold Coast’s favour is the fact they have already beaten Brisbane this season – a 26-14 boilover at Suncorp Stadium in Round 4 – and both teams will be understrength without their State of Origin stars.
But unlike the last time they played Brisbane, the Titans will this time at least carry some encouraging form into the local derby.
The win over the Tigers yesterday gave the Titans back-to-back wins for just the second time this season, following their win over the Bulldogs in Round 15.
Yesterday’s win over the Tigers was the more meritorious of the two, with the Tigers faithful packed in to Leichhardt yesterday to celebrate the return of Robbie Farah and the arrival of Moses Mbye after mid-season transfers.
Three times Farah broke into the backfield with the game there for the taking. He finished the afternoon with three tackle busts, two offloads and a try assist.
Mbye also impressed with a team-high 158m and six tackle busts, but it wasn’t enough as a gritty Titans outfit went toe-to-toe before coming through in the clutch.
Titans forward Jai Arrow, who was arguably his team’s best, sealed the win with a 78th minute try.
Asked whether he could feel some momentum building in their season, Titans coach Garth Brennan said: “I’m not sure so much momentum. Probably a bit of belief ... believing that they can win and they’re good enough to come up with the right results.”
Brennan, in his first season as an NRL coach, insists his side are showing genuine signs of improvement after losing seven of nine games before the win over the Dogs.
“I said at the start of the year, we’ll be a better team at the back end of the year than we were going to be at the start of the year and that’s starting to come together,” Brennan said.
“They’re working hard, starting to trust each other, believe in each other and believe in the process that I’ve brought in.”
Brennan got plenty of key contributions against the Tigers, but his Queensland State of Origin pairing of Jarrod Wallace and Jai Arrow were immense with a combined 365 metres.
Wallace’s effort comes after being criticised for his performances in the opening two Origin games.
“I thought Jarrod was strong today. He carried the ball strong and that’s my game plan for Jarrod. To carry the ball, take the metres and he’s got a pass in him as well,” Brennan said.
“Whether he stuck to the plan that (Maroons coach Kevin Walters) wanted him to do or not, I don’t know. You’d have to ask Kevvie that.
“But the job that Jarrod did for me today was enormous. I’m sure he’ll do the job if given another opportunity.”