If we make the eight from here...

[DIEHARD]

Gold Coast Titans face uphill battle to reach finals after shocking second half against Warriors

GOLD Coast hooker Matt Srama concedes the Titans' finals run is now all uphill after what is believed to be a record for poor handling in a half of NRL football.

The Titans completed only 31 per cent of their attacking sets in the second half against the Warriors on Saturday night as they let a 14-4 lead collapse into a 32-14 defeat.

Gold Coast's completion rate of only five of 16 plays is believed to be worse than either half of North Queensland's 36 per cent horror show against the Titans in round 1, which was acclaimed as the worst since data was kept.

The Cowboys were consistently poor across the entire 80 minutes that night whereas the Titans were what skipper Scott Prince called a "totally different football team" when they emerged after the halftime break with an extreme case of the fumbles.

The Titans finished with a 50 per cent (16 of 32) completion rate for the game, which is the equal second-worst of the season with the round 3 effort of the Wests Tigers (18 of 36) against St George Illawarra.

With upcoming rivals Canberra buoyed by their upset over ladder leaders Melbourne, the Titans not only drop to 12th on the competition table but find themselves two wins off the pace. They will need at least six, possibly even seven, wins from their last eight games to qualify.

"We're just outside the eight now and we really needed that win to stay alive," Srama said. "Without it we're going to have to push really uphill now because all the teams below us are starting to get some good wins together as well. Hopefully we come away with two points this week and then string a few together."

With Origin trio Greg Bird (pectoral), Ashley Harrison (broken toe) and Nate Myles (sternum) unlikely to play, prop Luke Bailey (ribs) and centre Beau Champion (ankle) also in the casualty ward, the Gold Coast face mission impossible heading to the nation's capital where they have won once in five visits.

Winger David Mead (pictured) is also expected to be absent, with the prolific tryscorer heading home to Papua New Guinea for his father Stephen's funeral this week. Mead produced a rare highlight against the Warriors with a diving try in the corner that left teammates stunned.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au

[Rage]

Ugh that's just downright embarrassing and even the 2011 team could serve up better than that. It's a long shot but normally when a team dishes up such rubbish, they come out firing and a whole different team the next week, let's hope that happens for us...

[Titanic]

There is noone defending Carty

They will re-appear immediately after we win another game.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but these nuffies replacing the guns are the best replacements the current Titans squad has.

I don't doubt that but I meant that surely there are the likes of Falloon and others who should be being positioned. Not one mention of depth recruitment other than Taylor.

we arent a bottom four team... but we arent a top eight team either

I can only see the Eels and Panthers behind us at the end and both of those have it in them to beat us.

My problem is not that these guys played last night - it is that when our big guns do return Carty will pick the wrong team:
1. He will pick a guy who just won the Wally Lewis Medal in the second row, at prop.
2. He will start Mini and leave Douglas, among the best 80min props in the NRL, languishing on the bench.
3. He will have O'Dwyer in the team ahead of Ridge.
4. He will persist with Zillman at fullback even when he looks about as likely to break the opposition line as I would in gumboots after drinking a sixpack.
5. Point 4 is likely to persist until 2018!! My God, the worst fullback in the entire NRL has been locked away until 2018... Next to that decision the CoE looks like a genius move.
6. He will continue to play Idris even though he is presenting himself to work in an unprofessional manner.

All of this except Point 4 ... I think you'd probably go alright but in summary anything other than the spoon would be better than last year.

[Jamal's Hamstring]

Still calculating... Sparks and smoke everywhere. I have on a lead apron and welding mask.

[Toads]

I can only see the Eels and Panthers behind us at the end and both of those have it in them to beat us.

Thats about the size of it. As the Raiders 'n Chooks will leave us in their dust, both of those teams will most likely come on strong for the remainder of the season. The Chooks are renouned for it.

Still calculating... Sparks and smoke everywhere. I have on a lead apron and welding mask.

LOL, I amire your sense of humour 'n dedication, JH. Keep up the good work.

[Jamal's Hamstring]

Mate, no matter how bad it gets we don't quit.

[Jamal's Hamstring]

I upgraded the calculator:



So currently:

Warriors 20
Wests 20
Dragons 18
Raiders 18
Titans 16
Knights 16
Roosters 16

Next week Brisbane beat the Kiwis, Melbourne beat the Cowboys, Manly beat the Knights, Souths beat the Rooters, the Sharks beat STG and unfortunately the Raiders do us. Which means:

Warriors 20
Wests 20
Raiders 20
Dragons 18
Titans 16
Knights 16
Roosters 16

BUT- a new major sponsor is named (Selleys) who donate box upon box of Kwik Grip and out ball handling errors disappear and we remember how to complete a set. The eased financial burden also means Searle comes out of hiding, gives Cartwright a jolly good talking to an *BOOM* a new gameplan is born that sees a whole lot of new creativity.

From there we ambush the Broncos, while only the Knights and Tigers win out of the rest of the cripples meaning:

Wests 22
Warriors 20
Raiders 20
Dragons 18
Titans 18
Knights 18
Roosters 16

Sydney- pffft. But the Knights beat the Raiders.


Wests 22
Warriors 20
Raiders 20
Titans 20
Knights 20
Dragons 18
Roosters 16

Our resurgence continues and we roll Souths. Sydney beats STG.

Wests 22
Titans 22
Warriors 20
Raiders 20
Knights 20
Dragons 18
Roosters 18

New Zealand and us have a win and once again... Kevvy gets a haircut.

[Julius Sezer]

marvellous.

[Julius Sezer]

Honestly guys i think we will beat the Raiders. So JH i think you need to change your results there

[Jamal's Hamstring]

But if the documentary Back to the Future taught me anything it is that if the Raiders don't win, there probably won't be a Selley's contract, Searle out of hiding, Cartwright getting read the riot act and creative play with completed sets.

I don't like it.

[DIEHARD]

13. TITANS 16 pts (4/8 games against top-eight sides)

The Titans are two wins outside of the top eight and are running out of time to make the finals. They'll need to get their Origin players back on deck to be a realistic chance of finals football, but can't afford to lose many more games. They'll be heartened by the fact that three of their four games against top-eight opposition are at home.

Titans: Raiders (a), Broncos (h), Roosters (a), Rabbitohs (h), Storm (a), Eels (h), Panthers (a), Sea Eagles (h)

http://www.nrl.com

[Princey's Titanz]

This is my assumption

Raiders (LOSS), Broncos (WIN), Roosters (WIN), Rabbitohs (LOSS), Storm (LOSS), Eels (WIN), Panthers (WIN), Sea Eagles (WIN)

5 wins out of the next 8 matches. I dont think that will be enough.

But unless we beat Raiders i think we should be on track. We desperately need a winning streak.

[karnage]

I stand corrected about Carty putting Myles back in the front row. Love the look of him with 13 on his back and great to see Ride rewarded with a run on spot.

The Raiders are gay deceivers, they will be ripe for the picking this week after their big win over the Storm - it is just the way they roll, constantly frustrating and disappointing their fan base.

We will win this weekend.

[Titanic]

There is no doubt that even this patched-up team can do the Raiders except that we have no real indication of what level of hurt Bailey and Myles are in ... there lies our season.

[TITAN PETE]

I stand corrected about Carty putting Myles back in the front row. Love the look of him with 13 on his back and great to see Ride rewarded with a run on spot.

The Raiders are gay deceivers, they will be ripe for the picking this week after their big win over the Storm - it is just the way they roll, constantly frustrating and disappointing their fan base.

We will win this weekend.

Agree with u mate & will be taking them 1-12

If we lose i believe we can start planning for 2013..