Round 22: STORM vs TITANS

[DIEHARD]

STORM vs TITANS

[IpswichTitans]

1 Josh Hoffman
2 David Mead
3 James Roberts
4 Nene Macdonald
5 Kalifa Faifai Loa
6 Aidan Sezer
7 Kane Elgey
8 Luke Douglas
9 Beau Falloon
10 Nate Myles (c)
11 Ryan James
12 Agnatius Paasi
13 Greg Bird

Interchange
14 David Taylor
15 Eddy Pettybourne
16 Matthew White
17 Kierran Moseley
18 Lachlan Burr
20 Daniel Mortimer

[JunctionBlock]

That's a shame. Happy with the back line but the forward pack needs tweeking. Players that aren't going to be here next year should sit out for players that are still in with a chance. Maybe we can buy White a one way ticket for Melbourne.

[DavidBouveng]

Matt White has been on my chit list for a while, but he played much better last night i thought. some real charges.

But i dont think he is in our long term plans, so hope he finishes year well and gets himself a contract elsewhere

[Nick]

Happy to see burr outside of the 17. Imo he needs some time in qcup and a big offseason. Not a fan at all, hasn't shown anything yet tbh.

[DIEHARD]

NRL star Nate Myles to return from injury for Gold Coast Titans against Storm

THE Gold Coast Titans will welcome their skipper Nate Myles back to the starting line-up for Sunday’s clash against the Melbourne Storm.

Myles will return from a shoulder injury that kep him out of last night’s win over the Parramatta Eels at Cbus Super Stadium.

Club coaching staff will monitor Myles’ fitness in coming days but said should be fine to line up at AAMI Stadium in Melbourne.

Daniel Mortimer has also been named in an extended squad.

TITANS TEAM: 1. Josh Hoffman, 2. David Mead 3. James Roberts, 4. Nene Macdonald,

5. Kalifa Faifai Loa, 6. Aidan Sezer, 7. Kane Elgey, 8. Luke Douglas, 9. Beau Falloon, 10. Nate Myles (c), 11. Ryan James, 12. Agnatius Paasi, 13. Greg Bird. Interchange: 14. David Taylor,

15. Eddy Pettybourne, 16. Matthew White, 17. Kierran Moseley, 18. Lachlan Burr 20. Daniel Mortimer.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/

[TitanSam]

Looks like Zillman is outfor the season.. Should retire tbh

[Titanic]

And give up a sweet contract..? Unlikely

[TitanSam]

And give up a sweet contract..? Unlikely but if it's a serious back injury then he may not have a choice

[JunctionBlock]

but if it's a serious back injury then he may not have a choice

He might just call in sick for the next 18 months. At least Timba will be getting plenty of attention.

[TitanSam]

Timba? What's that?

[Hail Sezer]

Timba? What's that?

nobody tell him

[Toads]

My sources have Timba at a 74.63% done deal.

[TitanSam]

Ah thanks for the message man! A horse he owns? Lol

[JunctionBlock]

Ah thanks for the message man! A horse he owns? Lol

I don't think he "owns" the horse as much as they are in a symbiotic relationship with each other.

[gotitans101_]

Matt White has been on my chit list for a while, but he played much better last night i thought. some real charges.

But i dont think he is in our long term plans, so hope he finishes year well and gets himself a contract elsewhere

He did this the last time he was playing for a contract. Then once we resigned him he was back to being his old self again. I hate when players only play when their contract is up for grabs then bludge for the rest of it. I don't care how well he plays now, he's far past his use by date at this club.

[Hail Sezer]

My wallpaper

http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2015/05/09/1227348/510935-3a946286-eee1-11e4-a8c1-66bef7df9c05.jpg

[gotitans101_]

lol very touching

[shamus]

Wow! Didn't this thread go off topic.. :rolleyes:

[DIEHARD]

Melbourne Storm v Gold Coast Titans
AAMI Park Sunday 2pm
http://www.nrl.com

Plenty of points and a nail-biting finish – if that is the kind of game you're after then history suggests this is the one for you.

The last five games between these two teams have been decided by eight points or less and in their past three meetings an average of 47 points have been scored.

After being hit with a reality check last week Melbourne can ill-afford another slip-up as they run into a Gold Coast outfit that is just as prone to the scintillating as they are the shocking.

For the second time this season the Storm were defeated by the last-placed side in the competition after allowing the Wests Tigers to pile on six of the last seven tries last Friday night in what was their worst defensive performance of the year.

The untimely result has left them two games adrift of the top four, leaving them to play a daunting game of catch-up for the final five games of the season.

A dismal year was dealt a rare shining light for the Titans last week as they snapped their five-game losing run by overturning a half-time deficit against the Eels to win 24-10.

The visitors have received a huge boost ahead of Sunday with captain Nate Myles returning to the side from a shoulder injury.

Melbourne have resisted the urge to significantly reshuffle their lineup after last week's disappointment, with Felise Kaufusi being relegated to the bench in place of Tim Glasby their only change for now.

Watch Out Storm: "We've got a problem." That was the succinct summation of coach Craig Bellamy after last week's loss to the Wests Tigers. The worrying trend of the season for Melbourne is their inability to consistently get the job done against opposition they seemingly should have no trouble beating. Five of Melbourne's nine losses in 2015 have come against teams that currently sit in the bottom half of the table. With another lowly opposition waiting this week in the 14th-placed Titans, Melbourne must put an end to the upset results before they dig themselves a hole too big to get out of.

Watch Out Titans: Sunday's game sees the NRL's second best defence up against the second worst and there is no prize for guessing where the Titans sit in those rankings. Neil Henry's side possess the worst points differential in the competition (-141) thanks largely to their habit of leaking points, badly. Prior to last week's win over the Eels, the Titans had lost five games in a row by double-digit margins conceding an average of nearly 32 points a game. Unlike the travel-weary Parra, Melbourne will be well rested off a nine-day break and desperate to make amends of last week's capitulation. The Titans best make the trip prepared to offer their share of resistance or else this contest could be over before it really begins.

Key Match-Up: Will Chambers v James Roberts. These two centres may be lining up on opposing sides but the importance of both men to the fortunes of their respective sides makes their need to outdo each other a vital subplot in this contest. Roberts has scored 15 tries in 19 games this season, comfortably more than any other teammate and he ranks third at his club for total metres. As does Chambers, who started the season in a rich vain of form and at one point also topped his club's try-scoring list. However Chambers has hit a scoring slump, failing to get across the line in eight consecutive games now. Roberts will be the Titans' biggest attacking threat against a Storm left edge that showed last week it can be a significant chink in the purple armour. Chambers is often the deciding X-factor in his own right, whichever man can fulfil their role could prove the difference on the outside.

The History: Played 13; Storm 8, Titans 5. Gold Coast should hold no fears of coming to AAMI Park having taken the points home from their last visit in Round 5, 2014 thanks to a Greg Bird penalty kick as time expired.

What Are The Odds: Melbourne have been the best-backed side of the round, with an incredible 10 times the amount placed on the Storm in comparison to the Titans. Melbourne 13+ is the only margin that punters want to bet on with Sportsbet. Latest odds at Sportsbet.com.au.

Match Officials: Referee: Grant Atkins. Assistant Referee: Chris Sutton. Touch Judges: Rick MacFarlane & David Ryan. Video Referees: Jared Maxwell & Daniel Irvine.

Televised: Fox Sports – Live from 2pm AET.

The Way We See It: The Titans could well be in the wrong place at the wrong time against a Storm side that will be hungry to redeem themselves. Storm by 12.

[DIEHARD]

Storm coach Craig Bellamy says it's going to be tough for his team to catch the NRL top four heading into the finals.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy believes his NRL team is out of the race for a top-four finals berth.

Heading into their round-22 clash with Gold Coast at AAMI Park on Sunday, Bellamy concedes their shock loss to Wests Tigers last round has put a large dent in their title aspirations.

The Storm blew a 10-point lead to lose 34-16 and fall to sixth on the ladder, four points behind fourth-placed Souths.

"It's going to make it pretty hard to catch them after last week," Bellamy said.

[DIEHARD]

Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith frustrated by club’s lack of consistency
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/

CAMERON Smith admits he is frustrated and “puzzled” by Melbourne Storm’s lack of consistency as it prepares for its most important month of the season.

Storm missed a golden opportunity to stay in touch with the top four when it suffered a horror 34-16 loss to then bottom-placed Wests Tigers last Friday night.

The side is now fighting to stay in the top eight with a crucial match against Gold Coast at AAMI Park looming on Sunday.

The Storm skipper said plenty of honest words have been spoken behind closed doors at AAMI Park this week.

“I’m pretty annoyed and I think everyone is,” Smith said.

“I just think given the opportunity we put in front of us with two strong wins, coming up against a team like the Wests Tigers.

“No disrespect to them, but if we play to our capabilities we should have taken the two points away from that match.

“Leading into the last five weeks, it would have kept us in touch with the top four and instead we are a few games back from the top four and trying to stay in the top eight now.

“That is all our own doing, which is the most disappointing part.”

Storm has a good draw over the next three weeks with clashes against battling Gold Coast, Cronulla and bottom-placed Newcastle.

Smith said it will count for nothing if his side cannot fix its consistency and complacency issues.

“There is an opportunity for us to win matches there, but if we don’t have the right attitude and we don’t apply ourselves properly for an entire 80 minutes, we’ll be in the same position this week,” he said.

Storm conducted its review of the Tigers’ debacle earlier week, which would have been unhappy watching for most of the team.

It was described by Smith as an “open and honest” discussion between the coaching staff and players.

Smith said there was no clear explanation for the poor performance, in which Storm inexplicably leaked 34 points.

“Everyone was quite stuck for the right answer,” Smith said.

“I thought the preparation was great and I spoke to the boys twice before the match about having the right attitude leading into the game.

“We started well but maybe a few guys got a little bit too comfortable and they scored some pretty easy points on us.

“I think Craig summed it up well after the game — it was a pretty soft effort by our team.”

[Yankee Doodle Titan]

What does everyone think about Myles being back in the lineup? I can't get that image of him tossing the ball to a Manly player out of my head...

[JunctionBlock]

What does everyone think about Myles being back in the lineup? I can't get that image of him tossing the ball to a Manly player out of my head...

I think Myles is getting so tired of playing for us that he will try and get suspended this week to have a couple of weeks on the sideline.

[Titanic]

My wallpaper
There are many things I'd like to add to this reply but suffice to say: some things are just not funny.

[Hail Sezer]

There are many things I'd like to add to this reply but suffice to say: some things are just not funny.

Mate if you want the .jpeg just ask, no need to be cryptic about it ;)

[Titanic]

Mate if you want the .jpeg just ask, no need to be cryptic about it ;)
Never liked soiled goods :)

[DavidBouveng]

when i saw that article the first time

http://j.gifs.com/vqVdB2.gif

[DIEHARD]

Storm: There's every chance Tohu Harris could revert to the forwards, with the New Zealand international spending time in the centres of late. Nelson Asofa-Solomona is in line for a recall, as is Kurt Mann.

Titans: Despite being named to return from injury on Tuesday, there is still some doubt surrounding captain Nate Myles, who continues to battle a shoulder injury.

[DIEHARD]

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy says team must lift against Gold Coast Titans

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy says the proof will be in the pudding as to whether his side bounces back from a disappointing loss last round.

Bellamy described his side's performance as "soft" after they fell 34-16 to then bottom side Wests Tigers last Friday night and Sunday's clash with Gold Coast Titans at AAMI Park shapes as another danger game.

The Titans have had success against the Storm in Melbourne in past years and despite sitting at the bottom part of the ladder, the Titans are still a difficult opponent.

Bellamy said he had made his feelings clear early in the week and his players had since trained well but it would mean nothing if they lost on Sunday.

"Hopefully it's a better effort this week," Bellamy said.

"We've had a good review, training has been good, so hopefully something good comes from that.

"It's about everyone getting out there and giving their best.

"You would like to think the players are hurting after last week; it's important we hit back this week."

Bellamy wouldn't be drawn on whether he would swing more changes to his side after the disappointing loss, but there are players in form in the reserve grades who could come back into the side.

Bellamy said he was more concerned with the Titans' recent strong record in Melbourne.

"The Titans have a pretty good record down here to be honest - they have won three out of the last five games we have had," Bellamy said.

"Most of those times they have led at half-time and basically their positions on the table have been the same.

"They had a win last week and their results weren't great before that but they had a lot of injuries then.

"They have as good a side on paper this week as they have had so that's another little wake up for us as well - they have Nate Myles back and that's a big return for them.

"Being comfortable shouldn't come into the equation this weekend - we should be looking to hit back after what happened last Friday night."

The loss to the Tigers has hurt the Storm's top-four aspirations and another loss would push them into the battle for eighth place.

But Bellamy isn't getting drawn into the discussions about the Storm's finals chances considering how inconsistent his side's form is.

"The top four at the moment stand out from the other sides and Brisbane Broncos are the standout for their consistency," Bellamy said. "But they had a little hiccup last week, then you have the Sydney Roosters who with their roster will always be hard to beat.

"The North Queensland Cowboys have shown a lot of resilience this season and won some games coming from behind.

"Making the top four will be tough for us after last Friday night but it's not about where we are on the table - if we get our performance right then the table will take care of itself.

"If we prepare right then a good performance should follow on Sunday."

The Storm host the Titans at AAMI Park on Sunday at 2pm.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/

[DIEHARD]

LU Storm v Titans preview http://leagueunlimited.com/news/26645-storm-v-titans-preview

[DIEHARD]

Storm's Glasby keen to get one over Taylor
http://www.sbs.com.au/

Melbourne NRL prop Tim Glasby feels he's finally due a win over Gold Coast's Dave Taylor.

Glasby, 26 and Taylor, 27 have been butting heads on the rugby league field since school days in central Queensland.

Ahead of their AAMI Park clash on Sunday afternoon, the Storm forward recalls that Taylor usually got the better of him.

"Our schools used to play against each other and he was a handful then," Glasby said.

"He was about the same size then back in high school as he is now so it's nothing new to me."

It's not just Taylor, who will leave the Titans at the end of the season for Super League outfit Les Catalans, that the Storm have to worry about size-wise.

Skipper Nate Myles is returning from injury to join Luke Douglas in the front-row while Eddy Pettybourne is also lining up on the bench alongside Taylor.

A win is something the Storm desperately need to keep alive their slim chances of a top four finish heading into the finals.

A shock last-round loss to then last-placed Wests Tigers saw them fall to sixth.

Glasby, who has been converted from the second row into a starting prop following injuries to their usual big men, said Melbourne were focused to make amends for that result.

"We've had a couple of tough training days after a frank and honest review," he said.

"We're not going into this match thinking that our top four hopes are on the line because we can't control what other teams do.

"We just need to learn from where we went wrong."

Prior to last week's win over the Eels, the Titans had lost five games in a row by double-digit margins conceding an average of nearly 32 points a game.

But Glasby said they were a better team than their lowly ladder position suggested.

"They've had a few injuries this season but the results have shown that any team can beat any other so we need to be switched on."

[DIEHARD]

Round 14, 2014
Melbourne Storm 24
Tries: Will Chambers 2, Ben Roberts, Ben Hampton, Kurt Mann
Goals: Ben Roberts

Defeated.

Gold Coast Titans 20
Tries: Kevin Gordon 2, James Roberts, Brad Tighe
Goals: Kevin Gordon

at CBUS Super Stadium.

<script height="349px" width="620px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=fd5fc71d2bcc4b60a622cf8d3348d605&ec=U0cWZibjreciOGAnD207QwbuomMnVllW"></script>

[DIEHARD]

Current ladder.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/diehard2/round22mid2_zpslfpp99rr.jpg

[DIEHARD]

Melbourne Storm star Marika Koroibete wants consistency from team and himself

In some ways Marika Koroibete's season has mirrored the form of his Melbourne Storm side.

The highlights for the Fijian winger have been brilliant while the lows have been frustrating.

In the Storm's past three matches they have had big wins over Penrith and St George-Illawarra followed by a loss to the struggling Wests Tigers last round - against his old club Koroibete scored two tries early but he and his side faded in the last hour to lose the game.

Against Gold Coast Titans at AAMI Park on Sunday they will be out to not only atone for last round, but also searching for a winning formula for the run to the NRL finals.

Koroibete rates his own season as inconsistent although, he has still scored 14 tries in 17 matches [sixth in NRL] showing that, just like the Storm, his best play is as good as any player in the NRL.

"It has not been a consistent season for me - I've been pretty much inconsistent," Koroibete said.

"But everyone should be all good now because the Origin boys have come back so we should start winning every game."

Koroibete started the season with some impressive long tries showing the fruits of his first full preseason with the club after transferring to Melbourne in the middle of last season.

But in early June he fractured his thumb against Sydney Roosters and missed a month - his loss further compounded the Storm's troubles during State of Origin as they lacked his attacking speed plus the talents of veteran stars like Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.

"I can't remember how I injured it - the last thing I remember was contesting the ball against the Roosters and I got up and felt some pain," Koroibete said.

"That thumb has always been a bit loose so I strap it up but after the game I saw the physio and he said I had a broken thumb.

"Most games it's sore but I didn't think it was that bad."

While he was out Koroibete welcomed his first child, son Iliesa, into the world with wife Emma.

Koroibete said he felt more responsibility now he was a parent.

"It's a big motivation for me, I have a son, I have some responsibility on me and it will make me work harder to put the food on the table," the 23-year-old said.

"It was a really good feeling, especially to have kids at a young age, hopefully he will grow up and can see me play."

While scoring lightning fast tries is his NRL trademark, Koroibete said putting his son to sleep was his best parenting skill.

"Just putting the baby to sleep and carrying him around the house - he is a big boy and getting very heavy so that means I'm doing some extra weights," Koroibete said.

"Looking at him, holding him, seeing him when he goes to sleep - that is the best part of it."

As for the Storm's chances at making a run at the NRL premiership, Koroibete said the side had to take hold of their season.

"Everyone is frustrated but we just have to work hard, bond together and get a win, week in, week out for the rest of the year," Koroibete said.

The Storm play Gold Coast Titans at AAMI Park on Sunday at 2pm.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/

[TITAN PETE]

Storm wary of complacency, and Bird

Sun 09 Aug, 2015, 7:30am
By William Botoulas, Melbourne Correspondent, NRL.com

Melbourne's best football is good enough to beat any team in the competition.

However it is their inability to display it for the full 80 minutes so far that has been the struggle for the Storm this season.

So far their 2015 campaign has included some dominant wins over strong opponents, while other results have left their supporters understandably gob-smacked. Recent weeks are a testament to that.

Double-digit wins over the Panthers and Dragons were followed by an 18-point loss to last week's bottom-placed side the Wests Tigers.

Against the Tigers Melbourne burst out of the blocks, scoring the first two tries before allowing six of the next seven. That mid-game drop of fuels the belief that their unpredictable form line can change not only from game to game but also minute to minute.

As they prepare to again go into a contest as overwhelming favourites, hosting the 14th placed Titans on Sunday, their string of up-and-down results needs to stop.

A win would again put them within touching distance of the top four while a loss could see them slip as low as eighth and uncomfortably within reach of the chasing pack.


In spite of all their peaks and troughs the Storm playing group has remained steadfastly confident in the belief that their best is capable of beating any team in the competition.

"I think so, it is probably just about consistently playing for 80 minutes and I guess that is something that the top four [teams] have done on a regular basis," Storm lock Dale Finucane told NRL.com

"I'm not sure if complacency comes into it at all, it is hard to put your finger on it… at stages our execution wasn't great, some of our defensive reads weren't great as well.

"The mood has been quite good this week actually; you can't dwell on it too much otherwise it will creep into your performance this week."

Finucane will have his hands full on Sunday against opposing number Greg Bird, a player so vital to the Titans' fortunes.

It was Bird's last-minute penalty kick that sent the Gold Coast home victorious from their last visit to AAMI Park in Round 5 last season, in was the Titans' second win in Melbourne from seven visits.

The Storm lock knows he will be a busy man trying to outdo the opposition's proven match-winner.

"It is always really challenging to go up against someone of Greg Bird's caliber," Finucane said.

"He's been at the peak of his career for a long time and it is always good to test yourself against those guys and gauge yourself where you're at."

The Storm host the Titans at 2pm on Sunday at AAMI Park.

[hammer]

Channel 9 stating that Myles is out today and Pettybourne out also due to the flu.

[TitanSam]

Ooooo if Hala plays then he'll be the 100th Titan!!

[toddythetitan]

I saw a pic of eddy doing the castle hill run on renee gartners instagram?

[Bayside Titan]

@travismeyn: Beau Falloon dropped for Daniel Mortimer. Hala in for Pettybourne. Myles OUT. #NRLstormtitans

[gotitans101_]

Think I'd still rather have Falloon out there than Mortimer...

[Titan4Life]

Why take the two when we're looking so sharp?!? Stupid....

[gotitans101_]

White, ffs

[Titan4Life]

Melbourne been on top ever since we took the two.

- - - Updated - - -

NEK MINNIT!!! Great work Sezer, Morts and LG.

[gotitans101_]

got out of jail there...poor effort by Macdonald...needs to work on his D badly.

[JunctionBlock]

Storm just need to remind the refs that they are the Storm and when required a penalty for nothing is required to march you down the field.

Then when the ref tells Cronk to "wait a minute" before feeding the scrum, apparently he can feed it whilst the ref is still giving under 7 instructions on how to pack a scrum as Cronk feeds it nearly resulting in a try. These guys are kidding themselves.

[Titan4Life]

Seriously I am a huge fan of Nene but he needs to fix up his defence.

[TITAN PETE]

Good to see the team playing off natural ability rather than all set plays

[Titan4Life]

We're looking sharp but need to keep it up. No silly errors or penalties and we need to defend strongly.

[JunctionBlock]

Allowing the quick plays has let us down again. I think it's time to change Jiu Jitsu clubs for our wrestling training.

- - - Updated - - -

I love the commentators, "taylor read the play early and went to cover the kick". More likely that the lazy sh!t didn't get off the line in defence and was sitting on the line when it was kicked and managed to stuff it up regardless.

[Titanic]

Seriously I am a huge fan of Nene but he needs to fix up his defence.That's the coach's job for young blokes.

Good first half and we look so much better without Plodder and the hobbitt.

Hala doesn't look fit but the forwards look willing … how much better will we look with Shillo the Pillow for White?


I love the commentators, "taylor read the play early and went to cover the kick". More likely that the lazy sh!t didn't get off the line in defence and was sitting on the line when it was kicked and managed to stuff it up regardless.Yep, he was racing to fill in the huge gap he'd left.

[Titan4Life]

Mate what's your problem with Henry can I ask? He has been handed a scapheap of a club and has done a lot of positive for us. But still a LOT of work to do obviously.

Also, 'Shillo the Pillow' is averaging 115m this year. Definitely an improvement on White and Myles.

[Titanic]

Mate, I'm a massive fan of Shillington.

I'm not a fan of Henry's because I don't think he can coach. He can manage a team but always gets caught out when coaching becomes important. In fact, my comment above was in defence of Macdonald not a shot at Henry.

[K2G]

Gotta give our goal-line defence a wrap - albeit with a bit of luck, we have handled their horizontal spread really well. They've had 19 tackles in our 20, compared to our 6 in theirs. Plenty to improve on, but credit where credit is due.



.... 3 minutes into the second half, i feel like im going to regret the above comment :drinkies:

[Titan4Life]

Mate, I'm a massive fan of Shillington.

I'm not a fan of Henry's because I don't think he can coach. He can manage a team but always gets caught out when coaching becomes important. In fact, my comment above was in defence of Macdonald not a shot at Henry.

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on Henry. He turned the Cowboys around from spooners to regular finalists through roster clean out and is trying to do exactly that for us.

[Mexican titan]

Pretty good effort in the first 40 and the Storm would be beaten by most sides today.
As others have said, Nene's defence is poor and you would hope by reaching NRL level he should have the tackling basics right by now.
We dodged a few near misses which makes me fear the second half but if we hold them for the first 20 we are a chance.

[JunctionBlock]

Well that's not the start we wanted to the second half.

[Mexican titan]

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on Henry. He turned the Cowboys around from spooners to regular finalists through roster clean out and is trying to do exactly that for us.

I agree with you re Henry. You have only got to look at our attack improvements to see his influence. Defence is still poor though, but he is generally working with the same under performers from the past. I want to give him a chance to get the roster that he wants.

[Titan4Life]

Mead just had the worst opening 2 minutes of a half in his career. Dropped ball and missed tackle.

Not a good start by the boys.

[Mexican titan]

We dodged a few near misses which makes me fear the second half but if we hold them for the first 20 we are a chance.

I said the first 20 not 2.

[JunctionBlock]

Henry has his positives and his negatives but he is better than the last tool squeezer we had.

[TITAN PETE]

2 minute into the 2nd half & Hala can't get back onside , very weak & too fat

- - - Updated - - -

That is why we have signed Friend

[Mexican titan]

Moseley was lucky not to get pinged for a few forward passes in the first half - sh1t what a time to give it away with one now.

[JunctionBlock]

That was a costly error off the scrum. Moseley to Taylor and you can blame both, second time Taylor has mistimed his run but Moseley shouldn't have let it go.

- - - Updated - - -

What do you say about that? Burr, Taylor (again), Hoffman. All terrible defence.

[Mexican titan]

We were a much better side (today at least) with Mortimer on there. Go back to the starting 13.

[JunctionBlock]

Actually, do you know what you can say about that, when is Kurt Manns contract up and is he interested?

Bird's kickoffs have been our only saving grace in this second half.

[gotitans101_]

more terrible execution. so frustrating

[Mexican titan]

That was a costly error off the scrum. Moseley to Taylor and you can blame both, second time Taylor has mistimed his run but Moseley shouldn't have let it go.

- - - Updated - - -

What do you say about that? Burr, Taylor (again), Hoffman. All terrible defence.

Burr has done nothing for me all year. Hoffman's defence has not been good either and as for Taylor it was just laziness.

[Titanic]

We've settled back into our normal pattern.

[Titan4Life]

Piss Taylor off now please..

[JunctionBlock]

Free penalties, get your free penalties*



*Valid for Melbourne Storm only

[Mexican titan]

FFS sake Nene, block or jump.
Starting to see why the Roosters let him go.

[Titan4Life]

This team is so bloody stupid it's not funny.

[teke]

Watch Burr running around.

Clearly he is either clueless or hasnt been given clear instructions on where to run

[Toads]

We've settled back into our normal pattern.

So we can expect to concede 30 points in the 2nd? :p

[JunctionBlock]

I'd hate to see the scoreline if Birds kickoffs weren't somehow blessed by a unicorn.

- - - Updated - - -

If last weeks penalty try wasn't a penalty try then this one won't be.

Not even a penalty this week. WOW!

[teke]

Ffs, he's only scored 3 tries and now he's held back again

[Boonarga]

Bird's kickoffs have been our only saving grace in this second half.

Cool. He's going to get plenty of them.

[JunctionBlock]

Ffs, he's only scored 3 tries and now he's held back again

Hopefully 4..........

Nope Hoffman gets it.

[teke]

Ffs Hoffman psssss off

[JunctionBlock]

Nene defending next to a lame James is becoming painful to continue to watch.

[gotitans101_]

and Nene still cannot tackle.

James obviously playing with an injury and has been for a few weeks.

[Titanic]

That view of James grabbing uselessly high as others score is becoming far too common, imho.

And I have to add, we are sooooooo unfit.

[gotitans101_]

Paasi & White zzz

[JunctionBlock]

Actually watching anyone trying to "defend" next to anyone is becoming painful to watch.

[gotitans101_]

no spirit in this team anymore. gone are the days when we hung in there and gave it a good crack

[5 Year Contract]

I still remember that back to back victory against the warriors back at the start of the year. The last time I felt any joy watching this team play. Not much else to say about today bring on the end of the season!

[JunctionBlock]

I'd have Zillman back over NENE.

I'm in a dark place.

[Mexican titan]

We need to get over this Jimmy the Jet crap which is all well and good in attack but defence is an equally important part of the game. A lot of them might do some great things but the fundamentals then show them up to their real ability.
As Sterling said re Sandow, there is no point scoring three great tries and then letting in 4. Too many of our blokes (and supporters) live by that philosophy.

[Toads]

I'd have Zillman back over NENE.

I'm in a dark place.


*** Whoa!!!.. you just stop right there!

[gotitans101_]

I'd have Tighe over Nene, at least Tighe can tackle.

Roosters must be laughing their asses off at us.

[Toads]

Good game.. We got a couple of areas to work on, but definitely not something we cant have sorted by 2018.

[Titanic]

Gee JB that's a stretch :) he got the ball once in attack in 80 minutes but his defence really is crap. That last effort, he looked up and saw he had no one to mark so he took the wing rather than helping Elgey inside … what's that?

Having typed that, I think he is worth persevering with because that's what a rebuilding year is about. More worrying is that Paasi and Hala, in particular, seem to have taken a leaf out of Myles' book on plodding.

[JunctionBlock]

We have no other choice but to persevere as we have no other options.

As for Paasi, I've been saying for the last three or four games that he shouldn't be playing in the 2nd row. Hala has never been impressing enough to deserve a spot in first grade and showed it tonight.

Nene seems to be rocks or diamonds. Unfortunately it takes millions of years for diamonds to form.

[gcboyz]

I'd hate to see the scoreline if Birds kickoffs weren't somehow blessed by a unicorn.

- - - Updated - - -

If last weeks penalty try wasn't a penalty try then this one won't be.

Assuming the infield ref did not see it (which he did) and the video ref then excused it, then both these refs should be back to under nines next week. Holding a player back in the act of scoring is ten in the bin.Professional foul all day long. Jarryd Maxwell hang you head in shame.

Not even a penalty this week. WOW!

[teke]

I'd have Zillman back over NENE.

I'm in a dark place.id have Nene on the wing, he looks like he could be good there and I'd def have zilly over him at centre

[DavidBouveng]

missed parts of the game cos i had it on in the office at work, but from what i saw,

the forwards early on looked good, and mortimer looked his best yet as a hooker. he was really sharp.

Nene is a handful with the ball, threatens often, but that D needs work. He is a kid played 10 or so games...so im not worried really. He offers plenty and the rest is coachable.

Mead had a mixed day. held back from one or two tries, then hoff stole it. radradra then koribete...Meady is ready for a holiday.

Kane and Aiden are a great mix and each week goes by the Sezer loss hurts me more and more. he has probably been ou best this year after Dougie and maybe Pettybourne. Mention to Jr for his freaky efforts too.

We need to run run run this off season and get fitness into our young raw forwards.

[TITAN PETE]

Titans capitulate in second half

Sun 09 Aug, 2015, 7:06pm
By William Botoulas, Melbourne Correspondent, NRL

Gold Coast came to AAMI Park prepared to take the game on but a failure to do so for the entire 80 minutes ultimately sealed their fate against the Storm.

The visitors resembled witches hats at times in the second half as they helplessly watched their 8-6 halftime lead turned into a 36-14 dismantling that condemned them to their sixth loss from seven games.

The capitulation left coach Neil Henry with a simple cliché summation to make post-match.

"It was a bit of a game of two halves wasn't it?" he said.

"A pretty good first forty [minutes] and a pretty ordinary second forty. Conceding three tries in the last 10 minutes was very disappointing for the effort that had gone before.

"We turned some possession over cheaply at times instead of getting some points or repeat sets and we had some defensive issues when they switched the play.

"It is a bit of a work in progress for some of our young players as well to be consistent defensively and we weren’t today."

As the game wore on Gold Coast appeared to tire defensively, committing 18 missed tackles to seven in the second half.

They enjoyed 53% of possession but again shot themselves in the foot time and again with ill-timed errors in Storm territory.

Skipper Nate Myles withdrawing from the side for a second straight week with a shoulder injury did not help the Titans' cause, with the club is hopeful he will be available next Sunday to take on the Bulldogs.

After racing out to an 8-0 lead after 20 minutes the Titans rode their luck in the first half as the Storm had five tries disallowed, three from forward passes.

While their defence appeared somewhat shaky under pressure stand-in captain Greg Bird said the side had been confident heading into the sheds at the break.

"We felt good, we felt confident at halftime that we were playing well and deserved the lead," Bird said.

don't know whether a few blokes went out to defend the lead or what happened but we didn't have that tenacity or enthusiasm that he had in the first half in defence."

[JunctionBlock]

We didn't miss Myles, we missed Pettybourne (and a sheet load of tackles).

[DavidBouveng]

also with Burr...he is a big lad and i think can be something, but he is lost positionally in defense as much as slipping off tackles.

sometimes they slide past him and he looks confused AF

[Titanic]

Totally agree DB. I repeatedly notice the young guys struggling to find their position. It's like they know where to go in theory but get lost when faced with any variation from the norm. That may come in time with juniors but at this level they should be able to compensate and so it smacks of an inflexible structure or rigid game plan or some players not buying-in or all of these.

[JunctionBlock]

Or the very few other "senior" players choosing to do whatever it is they feel like doing and leaving gaping holes in our defence.

[lonegull]

I agree Burr was caught out a few times in the middle of the ruck not reading the storm and was left grasping at thin air, needs to work on his positional play in defence as this is not the first game he has been caught out more than a few times

[shamus]

We need to get over this Jimmy the Jet crap which is all well and good in attack but defence is an equally important part of the game. A lot of them might do some great things but the fundamentals then show them up to their real ability.
As Sterling said re Sandow, there is no point scoring three great tries and then letting in 4. Too many of our blokes (and supporters) live by that philosophy.

You can read him like a book..Anyone comes down his and Mead's side he will ALWAYS come out of the line putting Mead in 2 minds as to what to do next. Don't get me wrong, he is a very exciting player with ball in hand but DM must get concerned every time the play come their way.

[nimud]

Or the very few other "senior" players choosing to do whatever it is they feel like doing and leaving gaping holes in our defence.

I recall that the majority at least three tries were let in by some very unenthusiastic inside defence by Matt white.

Funny saying it, ,but we lost our attacking mojo when Mortimer went off.

Looking fwd to seeing the boys again down at gosford this weekend. Always great going to a Titans game!

[lonegull]

Agrre Nimud, whites defence in the middle was terrible slow at marker and no idea on reads in the guts. And I agree when Morts was at hooker we looked dangerous in attack we had really good structure.

[Boonarga]

Moseley was awful at dummy half. Often stunting the attack with poor passes causing the receiving player to either stop or even go backwards.

[Titanic]

Yep, Moseley arrived full of beans and flair and has been turned into a tentative, indecisive waste of space.

Mortimer looked really good taking the ball to the line and he adds something in defence and organisation as well. Dare I say it but he gets my vote as our best 9 option in front of Redman, at least until Friend gets here.

[JunctionBlock]

Yep, Moseley arrived full of beans and flair and has been turned into a tentative, indecisive waste of space.

Mortimer looked really good taking the ball to the line and he adds something in defence and organisation as well. Dare I say it but he gets my vote as our best 9 option in front of Redman, at least until Friend gets here.

100% agree but once again we have to wait on the coaching staff to make the easy decision leave Moseley in Qcup for the rest of the year, have Friend mentor him next year and give him a taste when injuries allow for it.

Surely with the reduced interchange next year we will only be playing one hooker and yet we will still have Mortimer, Friend, Srama, Moseley still contracted.

[Titanic]

Matt Allwood anyone? TBH, I like this guy as a player although I know he has off-field issues. Would be cheap and maybe the Warriors would stump-up something.

[TitanSam]

Titanic I think he's going to Tigers.

[JunctionBlock]

I think he's going to Super League

[DavidBouveng]

i think he a worse version of Dane Neilson :ugh: