Titans count cost of errors
Gold Coast’s season on life support after heartbreaking Cowboys loss
MAROONS coach Kevin Walters will be sweating on the fitness of Josh McGuire after Queensland’s injury woes continued last night.
It was like any sibling rivalry in Townsville last night between the Titans and Cowboys – scrappy and desperate – but the last-minute inclusion of backrower Jason Taumalolo proved the difference to help the Cowboys to their third win of the season.
The Cowboys’ $10 million monster returned where he left off and his presence helped his side to a 28-14 win. But the return of Taumalolo was compounded by the injury of enforcer McGuire.
The former Bronco was visibly upset as he limped off just before halftime and was ruled out for remainder of the game with a calf injury.
His injury adds to Walters’ woes with the loss of Greg Inglis (retirement) and injuries to Manly’s Daly CherryEvans (ankle) and Roosters rake Jake Friend (biceps).
With McGuire out, the Cowboys didn’t drop their heads as they put on one of their best attacking performances of the season against an error-riddled Titans.
The 10,655 fans weren’t treated to the best spectacle in a game marred by 21 errors and 12 penalties.
The Cowboys welcomed back Taumalolo six weeks after he ruptured his MCL in Round 2 against the Broncos.
And what a much-needed boost he was, running for a team-high 216m, making five tackle busts and scoring a try.
The Titans’ own enforcer Jai Arrow was their best player, running for 215m and racking up 35 tackles.
North Queensland still have plenty of work to do ahead of next week’s clash with ladder-leaders Souths, missing 27 tackles and making seven errors.
History will show the Titans are out of premiership contention, with no team winning the title after starting the season 2-6.
The Coast went into the match on the back of a sevengame losing streak against the Cowboys, with their last win dating back to 2014.
They will rue two early overturned tries when halfback Ash Taylor dropped the ball over the line before winger Phillip Sami cost his side another by impeding a Cowboys defender.
“That’s frustrating they check a try that goes against us and then don’t do it for the Cowboys, that hurts,” Titans coach Garth Brennan said.
After conceding the first try, the Titans hit back in the 16th minute through AJ Brimson, who was brought on in place of Michael Gordon, who failed a HIA assessment in the third minute.
North Queensland went into the break leading 16-4, but Titans backrower Kevin Proctor had his side back in the contest when he made it 16-10 and Anthony Don scored his sixth consecutive try to bring it to 16-14.