Round 2: St George-Illawarra Dragons vs Gold Coast Titans

[dean]

Some things in life never change and one of them is the Titans pathetic performances on the road. Ill disciplined amateur garbage from them today. Friend and Prince tried hard, forget the rest. The sooner Rogers gets out of 5/8 the better and not just for the team but also the fans. This performance has really cheesed me off. I honestly thought that the Titans may have finally learned how to play and win away from Skilled. On that schoolboy performance, obviously not. I just have that really horrible feeling of Deja Vu.

[GCT_07]

Some things in life never change and one of them is the Titans pathetic performances on the road. Ill disciplined amateur garbage from them today. Friend and Prince tried hard, forget the rest. The sooner Rogers gets out of 5/8 the better and not just for the team but also the fans. This performance has really cheesed me off. I honestly thought that the Titans may have finally learned how to play and win away from Skilled. On that schoolboy performance, obviously not. I just have that really horrible feeling of Deja Vu.

You have got to be kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is so much wrong with what you said I dont even know where to begin...... so I wont!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dean]

You have got to be kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is so much wrong with what you said I dont even know where to begin...... so I wont!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please do.
I am interested to hear your interpretation of their performance today.
And I am not kidding !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe that my comments 100% are justified. Please justify yours.

[hammer]

Disappointing result indeed!
Our attack loses its cohesion when we are on the road and this is an ongoing frustration. We dropped the ball when we had been put through gaps and/or had marginal forward passes called. Just very rusty indeed!
I thought our defence was pretty solid but penalties just killed us.
We have the personnel to do very well on the road in 2009, just need to keep injury free and improve 10% in all facets.
We can do it...stay positive!

[Boofhead]

What a frustrating game of football to watch...

The only real positive I can take from the game is... Nathan Friend, boy we would of been in trouble today (and in general) without him. He was at every break down trying to spark something but no one else was interested.

Was heart breaking watching Prince making very silly errors he would normally never make (5 errors overall!), Preston and Rogers tried to step up to help him but fell short.

Zillman scoring again will boost his confidence.

DISCIPLINE... DISCIPLINE... DISCIPLINE.... Drill it into them Carty...

[GCT_07]

Cartwright proud despite loss to Dragons


Jetstar Gold Coast Titans coach John Cartwright has praised his side?s tenacity in defence despite tonight?s 16-10 loss to St George Illawarra at WIN Stadium.

The Titans? hoodoo against the Dragons continued as the visitors fell to their fifth loss in as many matches against the red and whites since 2007.

However, Cartwright said there was plenty to like about his side?s performance given they were on the wrong end of a 10-6 penalty count and were not suited by the tempo of the game.

?I couldn?t have been more proud of the players today the way they defended,?? said Cartwright.

?You don?t like to make statements and its too this early in the year to say you look back at a game but as I sit here and look back at that 80 minutes, that last 40 minutes I couldn?t have been more proud of the way our boys kept turning up.

?I thought it was a real dour affair. There wasn?t a lot of speed at the play the ball and it seemed every time Princey was getting the ball in his hands he seemed to have a fair bit of attention around him.

?It sort of became a grinding out match and whoever got the 50-50 calls was going to win.??

Jetstar Titans co-captain Scott Prince said it was a frustrating affair.

?It was just frustrating. Carty touched on it, al the 50-50 calls seemed to go one way it was just a bit frustrating from that aspect but what can you do,?? said Prince.

Before a crowd of 13,329, the Titans got off to a good start when Prince got his boot onto a wayward pass by Ben Hornby and re-gathered to score in the right corner and give the visitors a 4-nil lead.

However the Dragons hit back through Jeremy Smith, who crashed over under the posts in the 22nd minute to give the home side a 6-4 lead heading into the halftime break.

The Dragons extended that lead not long into the second half when Neville Costigan cleaned up the scraps of a grubber kick to score and give the home side a 12-4 lead.

The Dragons were again on the spot to take advantage of a kick when Titans winger Jordan Atkins fumbled a Jamie Soward crosskick and winger Justin Nightingale pounced on the ball to score.

The Titans gained some late consolation when new recruit William Zillman scored his second try in as many matches in the right corner and Prince added the extras from the sideline.

www.titans.com.au

[Boofhead]

Bennett scores first win as Dragons' coach downing the Titans 16-10
March 21, 2009

Wayne Bennett banked his first competition points as St George Illawarra coach before declaring the Dragons were on the right track despite a scratchy 16-10 NRL win over Gold Coast.

Much as they did in last week's golden point loss to Melbourne, the Dragons relied on their defence to keep them in the contest with their attacking play leaving plenty to be desired at WIN Stadium.

In the end they relied on a pair of deft Jamie Soward kicks to get over a sluggish Gold Coast side, the Titans succumbing to a relentless red and white defensive blanket and host of touch and go refereeing calls which left the men in blue scratching their heads.

The Dragons however were not to be denied as they finally got the Bennett era off the ground, Soward setting up four pointers for Neville Costigan and Jason Nightingale to turn a slender 6-4 half-time advantage into a comfortable 16-4 lead.

William Zillman scored in the final minute for the Titans to add some respectability to the scoreboard.

Despite the win, Bennett admitted his side still had plenty of work to do.

"Attack-wise I think we can can all see we're struggling a bit there, but I expected that, it's not something I hadn't budgeted for," Bennett said.

"We're patchy, I think that's pretty obvious. But I'm not worried about it, it will come, it will come."

Asked what was the basis for his confidence, Bennett said:

"Because I know what I'm doing."

For much of the game, the Dragons didn't look like they knew what they were doing with players running into each other and passes hitting the ground time and again.

Thankfully for the Dragons the Titans struggles were a lot worse as they slumped to five losses in as many games against the Dragons since coming into the competition in 2007.

Besides Zillman's last minute effort, their only other points came from a piece of Scott Prince individual brilliance as he rushed out of the defensive line to toe through a floating Ben Hornby pass, and then won the race to the line after just four minutes.

The Titans claimed they weren't allowed to play any football from then on due to the slowness of the ruck, while three crucial forward pass rulings - including one which denied Mark Minichiello a try on the half hour - also went against the visitors.

"It's just frustrating ... all the 50-50 calls seemed to go one way" Prince said.

"What can you do?

"I just thought the two referee system was there to speed up the play the balls, but tonight it seemed to go one way, it was pretty obvious which way it was going."

AAP

[Steve]

With Preston coming off for Zillman, then coming back on again to replace Atkins with Zillman moving to the wing, I have to wonder if we'll see Atkins pulled next game.

I gotta say, I don't think it'd make much difference if we had Mead, Gordon, Walker or anyone else in the side because we make no use of our wingers. The odd bomb which they always miss.

[matti]

i think the boys played a little poor today, alot of dropped balls and a few forward passes, watching the toyata cup whoever is number 1 is def going to be in our top side soon. that guys a machine!

[Paul]

Nathan Friend is the only player able to come away with his head held high from todays mess.
I don't give a flying **** what money he's asking for,He's worth every penny of it and is the heart and soul of the team along with Prince

What has happened to our back row? the first two rounds this year Mini/Boof and Ash have all been really below standard,especially Boof who I've barely noticed is even on the park

Atkins should be dropped,I don't see what he offers the team,Stick Gordon in there,He may be a bit lightweight but at least he will score tries or chase people down

Start Zillman from now on,why have an explosive player like him coming on for ten minutes? waste of time. he should be causing havok from the first minute.

[Steve]

Nathan Friend is the only player able to come away with his head held high from todays mess.
I don't give a flying **** what money he's asking for,He's worth every penny of it and is the heart and soul of the team along with Prince

What has happened to our back row? the first two rounds this year Mini/Boof and Ash have all been really below standard,especially Boof who I've barely noticed is even on the park

Atkins should be dropped,I don't see what he offers the team,Stick Gordon in there,He may be a bit lightweight but at least he will score tries or chase people down

Start Zillman from now on,why have an explosive player like him coming on for ten minutes? waste of time. he should be causing havok from the first minute.

I agree on some points. Having Prince, Campbell and Zillman on the field together will create all sorts of headaches.

Atkins I playing on one good game a couple years ago. That said, I don't think Gordon would make a difference, as I said earlier. We just don't utilise our wingers.

As for Friend. Bugger 'im. Yeah, he's playing superb football, much better than last year. And that's exactly it. He's been capable of it, but only now when he needs a contract is he putting in. Give him his 4 year contract and we won't see him play like this again.

[Paul]

what are you talking about Steve? along with Preston, Friend was our best player last year by miles,he's merely continuing his good form as opposed to "doing it now he's after a contract"

[dee13]

After his performance yesterday you have to wonder why Atkins is in the starting team and Zillman isn't. Matt Rogers... non existant. Both Delaney and Graham lack imagination and impact in the centres. Alot of simple mistakes, even from Pricey right on the line in the first half. Yes we lost the game. St George didn't win it. Ordinary and frustrating performace.

You can't candy coat what I saw last night, sorry guys.

[Ryan]

I'm ****en disgusted, what the **** was that?

30 missed tackles and struggling to pass the ball properly. The ref was bad but not as bad as the way they played, that game was up for grabs.

Don't worry about injuries keeping us out of the finals, gotta learn to play football first

[Steve]

what are you talking about Steve? along with Preston, Friend was our best player last year by miles,he's merely continuing his good form as opposed to "doing it now he's after a contract"

I'm not saying Friend wasn't good last year, I'm saying he's a lot better this year (okay, just 2 games, but still). Now, if it's purely because he's improved in the off season, great!
But all we're hearing is he's playing for a new contract now, so he has to be good. Not just from the media, but from teammates. Says to me he could have been playing as well as he is last year too, he just chose not to.