Titans score late as Warriors check out
THEIR rivals’ jerseys might have been an eyesore but at least the scoreline was a pleasing sight for the Gold Coast Titans as they clinched a 16-12 win over the Warriors to end their year-long winning drought at home.
Trailing 12-10 with 15 minutes to go, the Titans seemed down and out, with milliondollar man Ash Taylor injured and taken from the field.
But up stepped halfback Jamal Fogarty.
A deft grubber kick into the in-goal was pounced on by young gun Beau Fermor – in just his second NRL game – to seal the win in just the dying minutes at CBUS Super Stadium on Friday night.
It was a gutsy effort by the home side despite an errorriddled game with a busted Keegan Hipgrave also spurring on his teammates.
Hipgrave came reeling out of a tackle in the 29th minute clutching his shoulder and continued to do so for a further 40 minutes before he was almost dragged from the field in protest.
The win takes the pressure off the Titans, for now, who face a daunting month, with clashes against three of the top four clubs in the Storm, Panthers and the Roosters.
It also takes Gold Coast two spots clear of the Broncos on the NRL ladder, in more bad news for the struggling Brisbane club.
The win ended the Titans’ 10-game losing streak at their home ground.
It hasn’t been since Round 6 last year when the team last got to celebrate a win in front of their home fans. And weren’t the 5206 fans happy.
On several occasions, the Warriors took advantage of the Gold Coast’s two centres
Bryce Cartwright and Fermor.
Why? Because they’re both traditionally edge forwards and not outside backs.
Injuries forced Justin Holbrook to reshuffle the backline and he chanced his hand by playing his two versatile backrowers at No.3 and No.4.
A brain fade by Cartwright in the first half nearly gifted the Warriors an easy try if not for a contentious penalty call by the video referee.
Warriors forward Jack Hetherington, on loan to the club from Penrith, seemed to bag his first NRL try but was denied by the bunker, much to the dislike of the rugby league community.
In the end, Fermor made up for the four missed tackles and three errors between them by scoring the winning try.
New Zealand’s controversial “bush shirt” uses traditional Wellington colours of yellow and black and was hoped to “spark some joy” amid the current global crisis.
But instead, it sparked nothing but criticism.
From “nanna’s tea towel” to a “picnic rug”, the jersey copped plenty of flak online.
The players didn’t seem fazed by their appearance but it may not be coming back any time soon.
IN the other Friday night NRL game, South Sydney beat Wests Tigers 18-10 at Bankwest Stadium.