STORM vs TITANS
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STORM vs TITANS
This game is gonna be a massive test. Storm just got belted by the Bulldogs over in Perth. They will be out for blood.
A massive game for many reasons for us , if we play the way we have in the past couple of weeks through great defense it will go a long way towards giving the Storm a real shake in this match & there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to compete against a Storm side that will be out for redemption on their last performance against the dogs..
A win in Melbourne could push us to a 25k plus crowd at home the following Friday night against the Donkeys..
Agree with everyone's comments so far. Bellamy called is team a "Sometimes Team " after last weeks performance so anything short of a convincing win for the Storm will not be acceptable in the Bellamys eyes.
As for us if we get a win however it comes over the Storm then like Pete said I would hope for about 25k fans the week we play the Broncos.
What changes can we expect? C'mon, guys it's Tuesday morning and that's "pick your team" time. I vote that Cartwright will opt for no changes.
Probably no change. Also depends on Birds finger. He badly dislocated it in the first 5-10 minutes. It had to be put back in and the crowd around where he was could see his pain when the finger went back in. So have to see if all ok though.
As for James kind of feel for him but how can you replace Bull and Whitey??? Can't believe that Whitey has the injury that he did and has played like nothing has happened. Other players take a while to bounce back. Also look at the the offload stats for the NRL Whitey is in the top 10 for offloads.
Myles to 2nd row, bird to lock and harro out so james can start in front row would be ideal but thats never gonna happen
Fantasy help please ...Guys I urgently need 3 players please jump in if you can ... League name: Piston Broke Invite code TE8PZHBR
I hear Cam Smith had scans on his dodgy back and will be racing the clock to be fit for this game.
That aside, I doubt they'll play as poorly against us as they did in Perth on the weekend.
Titans
1 David Mead
2 Kevin Gordon
3 Brad Tighe
4 Brad Takairangi
5 Anthony Don
6 Aidan Sezer
7 Albert Kelly
8 Luke Douglas
9 Beau Falloon
10 Nate Myles (c)
11 Greg Bird (c)
12 David Taylor
13 Ashley Harrison
Interchange
14 Matthew White
15 Luke Bailey
16 Mark Minichiello
17 Paul Carter
Coach: John Cartwright
The Titans are unchanged, with William Zillman sidelined with a hamstring injury and Ryan James to play in the Intrust Super Cup.
If there is no Cam Smith we are a big chance. They really struggle without him. But are still brimming with talent and I think the Bulldogs got the ambush, no ambush on offer for us.
Storm
1 Billy Slater
2 Sisa Waqa
3 William Chambers
4 Mahe Fonua
5 Young Tonumaipea
6 Ben Hampton
7 Cooper Cronk
8 Jesse Bromwich
9 Cameron Smith (c)
10 Bryan Norrie
11 Kevin Proctor
12 Ryan Hoffman
13 Ryan Hinchcliffe
Interchange
14 Kenny Bromwich
15 Tohu Harris
16 Jordan McLean
17 Mitch Garbutt
18 Tim Glasby
Coach: Craig Bellamy
I watched these blokes play in Melbourne against the Panthers and I can tell you if we tackle like we did last night we are a big chance but they will try to isolate our right side defence and also drive over our left edge ... that's their whole thing. I would suggest that Gordon will be in serious trouble unless Tighe can scramble too.
I agree DB, there wont be any easy kill for us. They will be at battle stations.
Ryan James' shoulder must still not be 100%. That's the only thing that could be preventing him playing first grade. Watching him in the Intrust Super Cup and his only appearance in first grade, it did look like he was favouring it. Let's hope we're working on some plays to try and unpick this Storm side. We won't be given as many chances as we were against the Cowboys so will need to take them when they present.
Our record off the back of MNF is disgraceful. Historical trend so say we we cannot win.
That said, the Storm have not been any better than we have through the first month. This game will not be easy on the eyes....
Titans five-eighth Aidan Sezer has been cleared of a serious thigh injury
TITANS five-eighth Aidan Sezer has been cleared of a serious thigh injury after struggling through Monday night’s win against the Cowboys.
Sezer had his quad heavily iced after playing a crucial role in the Titans win and is expected to play against the Storm at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Sunday.
The Titans have named an unchanged side for the Melbourne clash and coach John Cartwright said he would reassess the fitness of his players at a recovery session today.
“We just named the side that we had but there’s nothing major there, we’ll have a bit of a recovery day again tomorrow and hopefully they’re all good,” he said.
“Aidan had a good game.”
The head coach said he would continue to monitor the progress of fullback William Zillman who is hopeful of a comeback soon following a hamstring injury.
For the second week Zillman will sit on the sideline and Cartwright said he was planning on giving the 27-year-old plenty of time to recover for the Titans’ Round 6 clash against the Broncos.
Cartwright praised the performance of Sezer in tough conditions at Cbus Super Stadium but played down the side’s scrappiness of play.
“They won’t lose too many times twice in a row this year (the Cowboys), they’re a good side so to get away with a win was very pleasing and we weren’t too worried about how ugly it looked we were just happy to get a win,” he said.
“The conditions meant … whoever kicked the best was going to win and Aidan’s long kicking game was good.
“His and Albert’s short kicking game was fantastic.
“When it rains your kickers certainly come into play.”
Defence will be the key for the Titans moving forward as they seek to improve on their 3-1 record.
The team official said limiting the opposition’s scoring opportunities was a sure-fire way to win games and said the Titans had been particularly successful in defence thus far.
“If we can keep our attitude in defence and keep our line from being crossed, you’re in every game so it’s going to be a tough ask down there this week, they’re coming off a big loss and they don’t lose twice in a row too often either but we’re going down there full of confidence,” he said.
“There’s always room for improvement I think the very best sides in the competition are striving for improvement, we’re no different, we’ve won a couple of games based on the back of our defence.
“That’s going to be the focus for us for the rest of the year but that doesn’t mean we’re spending any less time trying to improve with ball in hand.”
http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/
These will be the plays we use to try and unpick this storm side:
Play 1 - Mead hit up, 8 metre gain
Play 2 - Gordon hit up but jinks as he comes to the defence and is pushed back to where the ball was played.
Play 3 - Taka hit up, gain 12 metres
Play 4 - Harrison hit up, slow motion and gains 5 metres
Play 5 - a couple of passes off the ruck but as the team is standing flat, a 25 metre sideways movement for a 10 metre gain.
Play 6 - pass back to Sezer who kicks it down Slaters throat who returns the ball at least 30 metres.
I might have plays 1 to 4 around the wrong way but this will be pretty close.
Here is the inside 20 blueprint:
1. Bailey hit up.
2. Myles hit up.
3. Falloon or Carter dummy half dart.
4. Slow pass to Sezar who turns Harrison back under.
5. Two slow passes to a flat footed centre who is tackled for a four metre loss.
6. Hopeful kick to the in-goal area either low or high or in between.
Is the Centre of Extravagance booked out on a Tuesday so they miss their recovery session?
Storm v Titans
AAMI Park Sunday, 2pm
A perennial finals contender goes up against a team looking to return to the business end for the first time since 2010.
Just one point separated these sides in the Round 26 corresponding fixture last year, with Storm defeating the Titans at AAMI Park.
Last week was a tale of the opposite for the Storm in 2014: a strong 10-to-nothing start against the Bulldogs looked promising before a last 60 minutes that coach Craig Bellamy labeled as 'rubbish,' in which the Bulldogs piled on six unanswered tries to hand Melbourne its first loss of the season.
A lack of flair in attack was apparent without their skipper Cameron Smith, who missed the loss with back spasms. Smith underwent scans on Monday and while the results remained in-house, the club expects their star hooker to take his place.
The Storm were uncharacteristically uncompetitive in the second half last week, conceding five tries as the Bulldogs scored 40 points – the most points scored against a Melbourne team since Round 18, 2012 (v Raiders).
Bellamy's side would have welcomed the seven-day break after a grueling week that saw them play two games in six days on top of the emotion surrounding Alex McKinnon's injury.
Meanwhile the Gold Coast built on their strong start to the season, improving to 3-1 after a one-point victory over northern counterparts the Cowboys.
Aidan Sezer proved the match winner and was pivotal in attack. However by his own admission Sezer returned for the match prematurely from a quad strain and with a shortened week and a trip to Melbourne, the Titans will be hoping the five-eighth has not pulled up sore.
If the Titans can return from Melbourne with two points, fans may start finally believing that their team can deliver a season of consistency.
Their side remains unchanged as it aims to make it three wins in a row.
The Storm have named captain Cameron Smith to return, Tim Glasby drops back to 18th man and Ryan Hinchcliffe is set to return to the No.13 – he will play his 150th NRL game while fellow teammate Bryan Norrie will notch up game 100 for the club.
Show your true colours. Become a member of your club.
Watch Out Storm: Is there a player in the NRL on whom his team's fortunes are so reliant? Cameron Smith pulled out of last Saturday's loss to Canterbury in the warm-up due to back soreness and the purple camp will be hoping their captain is fit and ready come Sunday. You have to go back to Round 14, 2011 for the last time the Storm won without Smith – that is seven matches at an average losing margin of 22 points. It's a stat that proves not only the 30-year-old's greatness but also just how important he is to this Storm outfit.
The Storm have historically been a good defensive team however this season opponents have targeted the wings when attacking them. In the last three weeks, opposing right-wingers have scored five tries against them. Young Tonumaipea has been solid in attack for Melbourne but clearly opposing teams are looking to target the 21-year-old at the other end of the field.
Watch Out Gold Coast: You have to go back 11 rounds (Manly in Round 21, 2013) to find the last team to get a win after a Monday night victory. The Titans were the first team to attempt the feat this season but endured a 40-point demolition at the hands of the Tigers. They will be hoping for a much improved effort against much better opposition and given the Titans play five Monday night games this year it will be a hoodoo they need to break soon.
The Titans rank equal first in the competition in the exact areas they wouldn't want to. John Cartwright's side has made 61 errors in four games this season and missed a total of 134 tackles – 31 more than the Melbourne Storm. These are fundamentals of the game that if left unaddressed could be punished by this week's opposition.
Plays To Watch: Albert Kelly's need for speed – the young halfback has just 34 games of NRL experience but is an excitement machine given a bit of space to work in. Aidan Sezer's left foot magic – involved in every Titan scoring play last week, his will be an interesting battle with Cooper Cronk. Waqa wonder – set AAMI Park alight on the left wing against the Knights a fortnight ago, expect more of the same.
Where It Will be Won: Melbourne are a team that thrive on controlling the football. For the first time in 2014, Craig Bellamy's side lost the battle for possession (just 43 per cent) and suffered their first loss of the year last week.
If the Titans want to be in with a chance they have to limit their error count that has hampered them to date. The best way to limit the influence of Cronk and (possibly) Smith is to keep the football out of their hands.
The History: Played 11; Storm 7, Titans 4. Five of the past six meetings have gone the way of the Storm and the Gold Coast won just one of six trips to Melbourne.
Match Officials: Referees – Ben Cummins & Brett Suttor; Touch Judges – Luke Potter & Ricky MacFarlane; Video Referees – Steve Clark & Reece Williams.
Televised: Fox Sports – Live 2pm.
The Way We See It: Statistically this looks to be a very even contest. So much depends on the fitness of Cameron Smith but with champion hooker expected to play the Titans may have to wait a little longer for their second-ever win in Victoria. Storm by 4 points.
• Statistics: Champion Data.
http://www.nrl.com/
I have been reading a lot of comments about how good the Titans defence has been so far this year.... Those comments don't really stack up against the actual stats.
The only club to have scored less tries than us is the Sharks.
The NRL site has a stats table that you can use to see how your team is going. But the 2 stats that I would like to see don't seem to be recording data and they are Effective plays and Ineffective plays. Would be interesting to see how we perform on that measure.
Rugby league is a perverse game ... wins on the back of poor team performances can't continue.
NRL Round 5 Preview: Melbourne Storm v Gold Coast Titans
http://www.sportal.com.au/
The Melbourne Storm host the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday, April 6 in Round 5 of the NRL. The match kicks off at 2.00pm (AEST).
Who: Melbourne Storm v Gold Coast Titans
When: Sunday, April 6 – 2pm local (AEST)
Where: AAMI Park, Melbourne
I can watch it on: Channel Nine/Gem
Form guide:
Melbourne: LWW
Gold Coast: WWL
Sportingbet odds:
Melbourne $1.25
Gold Coast $4.10
Things you need to know:
The Storm have never lost to the Titans at AAMI Park in three clashes there, but the Gold Coast boys came closest to pinching a win in enemy territory in Round 26 last year. The Titans were edged 23-22, having previously getting the better of Craig Bellamy's side 18-12 at home in Round 15.
Melbourne lost nine games in 2013 - with eight of those coming in pairs. Titans coach John Cartwright will be all too aware that his side has a brilliant chance to capitalise on a flat Storm, who were pummelled in Perth by Canterbury-Bankstown.
Cam Smith (back spasms) is set to return after being a late withdrawal against the Bulldogs, while Jordan McLean will miss seven weeks after he was suspended for his part in the tackle that seriously injured Newcastle's Alex McKinnon in Round 3. Storm could yet appeal the judiciary's decision. Matt Duffie (ACL) is out for the season, while Justin O'Neill (knee) is still 2-3 weeks away. Felise Kaufusi (pectoral) should be available next week for the Storm's hosting of St George/Illawarra. Hymel Hunt (ankle) and Junior Moors (knee) are pencilled in to be fit a week later, for Storm's Round 7 trip to take on the Canberra Raiders.
The Titans should welcome back Will Zillman (hamstring) and Matt Srama (shoulder) for their trip to Melbourne, after their 13-12 victory over state rivals the North Queensland Cowboys on Monday night.
Reason to watch:
The two sides going head-to-head are 3-1, and can set themselves firmly at the top of the bunched ladder with another victory. The 12th-placed Parramatta Eels are just a win off top spot, meaning any two points picked up will be crucial. That the Titans came so close to knocking off the Storm on their own paddock so recently must give them plenty of confidence to go the extra mile on Sunday.
The Storm, meanwhile, will be bitterly disappointed with the Perth showing, as their hot start in WA was then offset by conceding seven unanswered tries. Bellamy will have no doubt put a rocket up his men, and they will be aggressive early as they look to get back to winning ways.
Reason to turn away:
Handling errors troubled both the Cowboys and Titans on Monday night in humid conditions at Cbus Super Stadium, with the latter committing 12 mistakes. The Titans also missed 35 tackles, and certainly cannot afford to do the same against the Storm, or risk conceding easy points.
The Storm have their own defensive queries too, missing 39 tackles against the Bulldogs in uncharacteristic fashion. Melbourne's left side of defence has been a query for them this season, and could be the Titans' way in to the try zone.
Say what:
"Unfortunately, Cam just woke up with a little bit of a stiff back, and it wasn't too bad through the morning. But as we got to warm-up, it jammed up, and we worked feverishly to try and get him right, but we didn't think it was worth the risk. He probably could have played, but given it's Round 4, we had a long trip back, we had a long trip over there, and given his age – sorry Cam – all those sort of factors contributed," Storm physio Tony Ayoub said of Smith's late withdrawal against the Bulldogs.
Final word:
The Titans did not show enough on Monday night to suggest they can travel to Melbourne and win well. Weirder things have happened though - especially this season - as so many underdogs have managed to walk taller a week after a below-par performance. It speaks volumes about the Gold Coast that they could win ugly, and while they will likely fall short on Sunday, a valiant loss would not dent their confidence too much. With steady-handed skipper Smith back in the side, the hosts should be too strong. Storm by six points.
Carty's come out and said Zillman will be saved for the broncos game next week.
Interesting about Srama though. There wasn't any update on him in the latest injuries video on the titans website? He was originally due back around rd 4 IIRC. He'd have to have a few games in Qcup to get meters in the legs and test out the shoulders i imagine, but an interesting selection headache awaits Carty once Matty is ready to go...
Couldn't drop Falloon or Carter on their recent form. Can't see our coach playing Carter off the bench as a second-rower ahead of Mini or Ridge though. What are peoples thoughts?
I would actually like to see carter play lock. with drama and falloon in the hooker rotation.Quote:
Couldn't drop Falloon or Carter on their recent form. Can't see our coach playing Carter off the bench as a second-rower ahead of Mini or Ridge though. What are peoples thoughts?