Round 19: Manly Sea Eagles vs Gold Coast Titans

[Titanic]

Again I sit back and regret losing Lawrence.

[teke]

Again I sit back and regret losing Lawrence.

one of my fav players of the year.

He could only have reached his potential under the manly structure. Good to see him thriving in the Nrl.

[DIEHARD]

The titans havent lost at brookvale since 2009

Which was also the last year I attended a Titans game there.

[Julius Sezer]

glad to see Rankin making a comeback. Hope he does well

[DavidBouveng]

Ok question... Anyone know what time the game would be on in Los Angeles? 3pm sunday here is 10pm Saturday there? Can Any travelers aware me?

[Titanic Believer]

I dont have much confidence for this one. After Newcastle and Panthers backlines tearing us apart and what Manly's outside backs did to the Cowboys..........Taka and Dowling have their work cut out for them

[Hail Sezer]

Ok question... Anyone know what time the game would be on in Los Angeles? 3pm sunday here is 10pm Saturday there? Can Any travelers aware me?

Yep that's it. srs. I can confirm i am time.

10pm sat l.a=3pm sun aus (Srs)

[Boofhead]

This game is probably at the do or die stage for us.

Surely Nate will back up after playing only 40 minutes in the game last night?

[TITAN PETE]

Sea Eagles v Titans preview
By Ben Blaschke
NRL.com
Thu 18th July, 3:15pm

Sea Eagles v Titans
Brookvale Oval
Sunday, 3pm

After enduring a brief mid-season flail – largely on the back of an injury toll that was bordering on crippling – Manly have resumed normal service with two consecutive wins shoring up their place in the top four and setting them on track for a big finish to the regular season.

With that in mind, the Sea Eagles will recognise what a huge opportunity presents itself this weekend when they host the Gold Coast at their Brookvale fortress in their favourite Sunday afternoon timeslot. But they will also be well aware that the Titans promise to provide a much sterner test than their past two opponents.

A 50-10 win over struggling Parramatta was a confidence boost if nothing else as they piled on some easy points and they produced some quality football in the second half last week against a North Queensland side down on troops.

Although Manly will know not to read too much into those results, there were a number of positive signs. One was the return from injury of fullback Brett Stewart, who has not only loomed large in many of their attacking raids but also produced a number of significant defensive plays in the 34-14 win over the Cowboys.

Another was the fact that they have scored 84 points in their past two outings while conceding just 24. And with halfback Daly Cherry-Evans and back-rower Anthony Watmough returning they will be looking forward to getting back out there and continuing their run.

For the Titans, the pressure is starting to mount. Three losses from their past four games has seen them fall out of the top eight for the first time this year and with injuries and Origin still playing their part, season 2013 is very much on the line.

At their best, the Gold Coast has been scintillating this year – driven by a monstrous forward pack and the youthful exuberance of exciting young halves duo Albert Kelly and Aidan Sezer. But they have looked tired of late and the absence of a number of their biggest names has seen a dramatic slump in form.

The good news is that they welcome back three players from injury this week in Dave Taylor, Brad Taikarangi and Beau Falloon. And although John Cartwright hasn’t named Origin stars Greg Bird or Nate Myles, he will be sweating on them being available for this one.

The Titans are still without fullback William Zillman through a groin injury while centre Jamal Idris is unlikely to return this season after breaking his ankle in the Round 16 loss to Newcastle.

The return of Cherry-Evans for Manly sees Jamie Lyon return to right centre with Peta Hiku dropping out of the squad while James Hasson drops back to the bench to make way for Watmough with Ligi Sao the other casualty.

The Gold Coast have the chance to make it three consecutive away wins for the first time in their history while Sea Eagles fullback Brett Stewart is in a race with Nathan Merritt to become just the sixth player in history to score 70 tries at a single venue. Both sit on 68.

Watch Out Sea Eagles: Manly will need to stay awake to the dangers that Gold Coast halfback Albert Kelly presents this week. The speedster has been in fine form in 2013 – leading the club for tries (11), line-breaks (9) and try assists (8) as well as averaging 100 metres per game. His ability to break the line is particularly notable. Last week North Queensland fullback Matt Bowen scored an easy try through the middle when he dummied past two defenders so they will need to be aware of Kelly when he has the ball in hand.

Watch Out Titans: Just how much work have the Titans done on their right-side defence over the past few weeks? They were embarrassed in the first half against Newcastle three weeks ago when they trailed 36-0 at the break and James McManus finished the day with four tries. All eight tries were scored against the Gold Coast’s right-edge defence while Penrith’s James Roberts also scored a hat-trick on that side last start.

Plays To Watch: Keep an eye on Albert Kelly when he receives the ball at pace on the right edge. The young half loves to drift across field then clamp on the afterburners and race through a gap if he spots a chink in the defensive line. Justin Horo is a key man in Manly’s left-side attack and his partnership with Kieran Foran has proved hugely successful.

A well-known play for the Sea Eagles is for Brett Stewart to swoop around the back where Foran will pass behind Horo to Stewart and create the overlap. However, with this in mind, Foran also loves hitting Horo, who runs a great ‘unders’ line, with a short ball to hopefully send him through a gap.

Where It Will Be Won: In the halves. With Daly Cherry-Evans back on the right and Kieran Foran on the left, Manly have all of their attacking options available and will throw plenty at the Gold Coast defence. Likewise, the Titans’ resurgence in 2013 has come largely on the back of the brilliance of Albert Kelly and Aidan Sezer. Their best chance of an upset is to pile on the points and in Kelly and Sezer the ability is there to do so.

The History: Played 11; Sea Eagles 6, Titans 5. Manly have won 33 of their past 40 Sunday afternoon games at Brookvale and remain undefeated since 2010 in this timeslot.

Match Officials: Referees – Ben Cummins & Chris James; Sideline Officials – Grant Atkins & Luke Potter; Video Referee – Steve Chiddy & Luke Patten.

Televised: Channel 9 – Delayed 4pm.

The Way We See It: Manly at home on a Sunday afternoon is a recipe for disaster for travelling sides and recent evidence suggests the Titans face a tough task again this weekend. Still below strength, they face a Sea Eagles side rediscovering their best form and with plenty to play for as they look to ensure a top-four finish as we near the business end of the season. Sea Eagles by 12 points.

[Skyfire]

I'm really hoping for a miracle here.

[Titanic]

Ok question... Anyone know what time the game would be on in Los Angeles? 3pm sunday here is 10pm Saturday there? Can Any travelers aware me?

Any body in the States can watch all games live or stored in HD free of charge courtesy of the NRL at http://new.livestream.com/nationalrugbyleague ... just use the Australian time or login (it's free) they are displayed in the local time. If you are in Australia or in a zone that already has broadcasting rights then you will need to use a vpn and point it to US servers to access this service.

[DIEHARD]

Weary Myles welcomes rest

QUEENSLAND hardman Nate Myles has backed Titans coach John Cartwright's decision to rest him and Blues bruiser Greg Bird from Sunday's crucial clash against Manly.

Myles and Bird were among the best at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night as Queensland claimed an emphatic eighth straight State of Origin series victory.

It capped off a draining eight weeks for the Titans co-captains, who have barely been on the Gold Coast since the series kicked off last month.

The Titans have dropped to ninth on the NRL ladder after consecutive big losses and have a horror run towards the finals.

A daunting trip to Brookvale Oval is the first stop on their mission and Myles said it would be hard to watch on as his under-fire team runs out without him but he understood Cartwright's thinking.

''It's worked out at the moment to be seven nights I've been home in the past eight weeks,'' he said.

''It's been enjoyable but I'm looking forward to getting home and just relaxing a bit. Carty's allocated a rest for the old boys.

''For sure (I want to play). It hasn't been an improvement as a team in the past couple of weeks.

''It's difficult to sit out and watch that but we've got to think long term. We want to come home strong and build as a team.''

It's a double-edged sword for Cartwright who needs his Origin stars on board but also needs them to be at peak fitness.

Myles carried a nagging groin problem through the campaign while Bird played through a painful ankle injury in the decider.

Myles, who now has 23 Origin appearances, was sporting a sore foot after Queensland's 12-10 win but said he was in good shape for the run home.

''The last eight weeks have been tough but it's been tough on everyone involved,'' he said.

''I'm not complaining but it'll be good to have a week off to freshen up.''

It was a gutting loss for Bird who is yet to taste an Origin series victory in his 14 appearances.

''I had a quick chat to him (after the game),'' Myles said.

''Birdy's efforts every game are great. He battled all week with an ankle injury but still got himself ready to play.

''He wouldn't want me to feel sorry for him. He's that sort of bloke.

''We got the win and we'll just get on with it now.''

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/

[TITAN PETE]

Resting the pair is the right thing to do, we almost beat the Rabbits last time we met so better to have our 2 best forwards fit & injury free for the rematch next week.

[DIEHARD]

Cartwright gets tough on Titans

Veteran forward Luke Bailey has revealed Gold Coast players were put through the wringer during their bye week after a pair of NRL thrashings.

Gold Coast players have endured a mid-season flogging from coach John Cartwright in a bid to spark their NRL campaign back into life.

The Titans went into last weekend's bye on the back of consecutive thrashings from Newcastle and Penrith, conceding 40 or more points in both fixtures.

Veteran forward Luke Bailey revealed on Thursday the players were getting "flogged every day" as they aim to reverse their recent slump.

The 33-year-old former NSW State of Origin star said a return to the principles that they started the year with may be the key to staying in the top eight.

"80 points is pretty disgusting so we just went back to the drawing board," Bailey said.

"Just the basics, pushing each other, talking under fatigue, that sort of stuff.

"Eight 100s, two kilometre runs. The boys enjoy it, it's a tough session, but hopefully it's brought something back."

The Titans will find out just how effective has been when they take on in-form Manly at Brookvale Oval on Sunday without Origin pair Nate Myles and Greg Bird.

The co-captains have been rested by Cartwright following their representative exploits but Bailey says delivering a result against the Sea Eagles without the pair is just another challenge the team has to overcome.

"Without the two captains it's going to be a tough one but I'm pretty certain the boys are going to be keen to stand up," Bailey said.

"We've got an eight-week block where we can either play some semi-final football or fall out early again.

"Everyone's just got to lift that extra five or 10 per cent."

SBS

[DavidBouveng]

Any body in the States can watch all games live or stored in HD free of charge courtesy of the NRL at http://new.livestream.com/nationalrugbyleague ... just use the Australian time or login (it's free) they are displayed in the local time. If you are in Australia or in a zone that already has broadcasting rights then you will need to use a vpn and point it to US servers to access this service.

Thanks mate. Ill be using hotel data? 90 odd minutes of streaming fall under the $10-$15 per day Internet they provide? I don't want to get home and tell the missus we need to mortgage the house to pay off my data bill from a titans game.