NYC Trial: Central Comets vs Titans NYC

[DIEHARD]

Comets to put up strong fight

JUST because the Gold Coast Titans big names like Scott Prince and Mat Rogers are not in the squad to play the Central Queensland Comets on Saturday it doesn?t mean the visitors won?t be competitive.

The Titans yesterday named their under-20 squad for the trial match at Browne Park, with many of the players already earmarked for a bright NRL future.

Team manager Peter Smith said four of the players coming to Rockhampton are already train- ing as a part of the A-gradesquad.

One of those with an exciting prospect who has already made his A-grade debut is stand-off Jordan Rankin.

Still under 19 years of age, Rankin hit the headlines when named by the Titans as a 16-year-old while still attending school.

The teenager is also an Australian Schoolboy international like some of his Titans team-mates who are also among the visitors? squad.

Smith said the three others training with the top team, Ryan James, Dominic Walsh and Sepoluni Alovili, come to Browne Park with a similar pedigree.

James and Walsh have been selected in the second row, while Alovili is one of the Titans props.

Last year the match between the two clubs proved to be a battle, resulting in a final score of 26-26.

The Titans manager said it had been a good try-out for both sides, but remembers Karl Johnson as being the Comets? biggest threat.

In that match the Titans had been given a bit of direction by the experienced campaigner Chris Walker, who scored a try and kicked a conversion.

Unfortunately the match was also memorable for the serious neck injury incurred by Comets forward (now Cutters) Todd Titmus.

Most of this Titans team has had a run this season, going down 36-16 to the Burleigh Bears last week.

?They got away on us in the second quarter; we had problems with our completion rate, but once we got that sorted we were in the game,? Smith said.

The Comets match with the Titans has an 8pm kick off.

THE TEAM

The Titans squad for Saturday?s trial match against the Comets at Browne Park.

1: Tom Merritt, 2: Matthew Hundy, 3: Sione Akauola, 4: Guy Borgas, 5: Jamie Dowling, 6: Jordan Rankin, 7: Rhys Jacks, 8: Sepoluni Alovili, 9: Matthew Srama, 10: Luke Page, 11: Dominic Walsh, 12: Ryan James, 13: Jack Bruton, 14: Chris Bloomfield, 15: Sam Ross, 16: Tim James, 17: Brody Ollard, 18: Ryan Tongia, 19: Cody Walker, 20: Sam Saville.

Staff: Rod Patison, Peter Smith, Colin Hooker, Peter Gill, Danny Burgess, Don Saunders.

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[DIEHARD]

Comets strong in trials

THE trials for the Central Queensland Comets are over, with the young Gold Coast Titans team giving the home side a good run at Browne Park on Saturday night.

The Comets started the match well and looked as if they were going to notch a cricket score.

With arguably the best line-up the Comets are able to put on the park it looked as if the game would turn out to a men-against-boys tussle, with big forwards Aaron Summers and Alan Rothery in competition to see who could gain most metres.

Coach Wayne Barnett could not have asked for a better start as the Comets surged forward, with Summers winning a penalty and Josh Bishop powering through flimsy defence from the resulting set of six. Ian Webster kicked the extra points.

Within three minutes the contest looked to be over as Jade Williams set off on a run, fending away a few hopeful tacklers and scoring in the corner.

To their credit the Titans tightened up from that point but the damage had already been done.

In the first half hour the Comets produced some of their best football, with few handling errors and solid defence that rocked the Titans ball carriers and caused crucial turnovers.

It came of little surprise when the Comets scored another try, with Williams throwing a dummy the defence willingly accepted, dancing through a hole and going over.

Webster's kick was wayward.

For a while the Comets went into cruise control, allowing the Titans to put together their best set of six for the half.

The result was interchange player Ryan Tongia barging over despite a number of Comets hands trying to pull him down.

The Comets rebounded quickly, with a slick passing movement ending with Mick Esdale crashing over.

However, with the lead at 20-6 the mistakes started creeping into the Comets' game.

Barnett would not have been happy with his team allowing Titans winger Dominic Walsh to pull back a try less than a minute after the restart to send the teams in at the interval at 20-10.

The second half will not be remembered too fondly by either camp, with far too many errors.

One of the players who made few mistakes was Dallas Williams, who made two try-saving tackles and bravely plucked the ball from the in-goal with Titans players coming from everywhere.

Guy Williams and Matt Minto worked well together in the halves, while Bishop was a slippery customer during the first spell.

Jade Williams atoned for his ordinary display against the CQ Indigenous All Stars.

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