Round 24: Gold Coast Titans vs New Zealand Warriors

[Boofhead]

Gold Coast Titans vs New Zealand Warriors

5.30pm Saturday 24 August 2013 - Skilled Park

[Boofhead]

Fingers crossed Birdy and Kelly will be fit.

[Toads]

Just watched the Warriors vs. Panthers Match.. We got no fricken hope for the remainder of the year.

[Boofhead]

Bailey and Kelly return to boost Titans
Liam Butterworth | Sun Aug 18 2013, 12:27

Coach John Cartwright says the Gold Coast's horror run of injuries may be tempered by the return of Albert Kelly and Luke Bailey next week as their final hopes still sit firmly in their own hands.

Utility Luke O'Dwyer joined centre Jamal Idris on the club's long term injury list after he was carried off against North Queensland on Saturday, with scans to confirm if the 30-year-old has been forced into early retirement with an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

Another injury scare had already gone through the team after captain Greg Bird was carried off with a back injury, but team doctors were hopeful it was just a spasm and he would be ready to play the New Zealand Warriors at home on Saturday.

But with fullback William Zillman and hooker Matt Srama making their return in the 22-10 loss to the Cowboys, Cartwright said the return of Kelly and former Origin and Test prop Luke Bailey could be consolation for the loss of O'Dwyer.

Earlier this month it appeared Bailey's career was over on 249 games after a serious ankle injury, while five-eighth Kelly was also in doubt for a return this season after serious bruising on his sternum.

"It's (finals destiny)still in our own hands and I knew that coming up here (to Townsville)," Cartwright said.

"We're getting some fresh troops at a really important time."

The Titans mentor said his fears were realised with a slow start against the Cowboys, saying the five day turnaround from Monday's win over the Canterbury Bulldogs had hurt them.

But they can't afford that type of start if they are wanting to keep their spot at eighth.

The Gold Coast's run gets even harder in the final two weeks, playing away to leaders Sydney Roosters and defending premiers Melbourne Storm.

Prop Nate Myles said the injury toll didn't excuse the loss against the Cowboys, with plenty of chances still left to win the match. He said they didn't deserve to be playing finals football this year if they couldn't produce 80 minute performances.

"I think it's probably a good test for us," Myles said.

"If we're not competing with sides like the Roosters and Melbourne, which to be honest we shouldn't even be talking about because we've still got the Warriors next week.

"In saying that the Warriors when they're on they're one of the best to play against.

"If we're not competing with those three teams and if we lose we don't really deserve to be in the finals."

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8708074

[Boofhead]

1. Mead
2. Gordon
3. Takairangi
4. Dowling
5. Zillman
6. Sezer
7. Kelly
8. James
9. Srama
10. Myles
11. Harrison
12. Minichiello
13. Bird

14. Taylor
15. Douglas
16. Ridge
17. Falloon

18. Bailey

[thelwall]

1. Mead
2. Gordon
3. Takairangi
4. zillman
5. dowling
6. Sezer
7. Kelly
8. James
9. Falloon
10. Bailey
11. myles
12. Harrison
13. Bird

14. Taylor
15. Douglas
16. Ridge
17. Srama
18. Minichiello

[Hail Sezer]

1. Zillman
2. Zillman
3. Zillman
4. Zillman
5. Zillman
6. Zillman
7. Zillman
8. Zillman
9. Zillman
10. Zillman
11. Zillman
12. Zillman
13. Zillman

14. Zillman
15. Zillman
16. Zillman
17. Zillman
18. Zillman

[Supergoose]

We are still in the 8 after the results this weekend. We should be very optimistic e about our chances. I don't want to see Bailey sharking hit-ups from James and Douglas who have been great in his absence. We need Bailey to take control in short bursts and leave the hard yakka to the young blood.

I'd love to see Kelly back in the halves and Harrison shuffled out to an edge if bird is good to go. Zillman to left centre for Dowling and Don to right wing with Mead at the back. Likely Falloon is out I guess

Mead, Gordon, Zillman, Taka, Don, Sezer, Kelly, James, Srama, Myles, Taylor, Harrison, Bird, Ridge, Bailey, Douglas, Minichiello, Dowling.

[teke]

I just wanna see them run hard and tackle hard which they didn't really do too well vs the cows

[Supergoose]

Not all of them, I agree. Did Taka have ice-skates on, because he could barely stand upright. Harrison showed why he's not a 5/8 and Sezer showed he still has a stack of improvement as far as consistency goes.

[C-Whiz]

Who is going to this game? Family day, etc. I'll be taking the 4 of us.

This is our season here. I still think Storm last round could give us their B team, depending on what they have to play for, and they might get beat up against Manly in round 25, rest players etc, so I still have us for 2 points from that game.

Either way, we still MUST WIN this game.

I'll be there enjoying the last home game of the regular season. Gonna make a day of it, catch a bit of FMX before the game, might even splurge on a couple of overpriced mid-strengths for me and some hot chips for the kids.

[Mt Smart]

Hi guys it's that time of year again.

Tough Weekend for us over here in Auckland , took my young fellah to watch the Warriors capitulate to the Panthers.

Still smarting ( pun intended ) from that one but I'll try me best to be constructive.

This game looms as a real tough call as far as who wins it goes.
But to give you all some sense of what many Warriors fans are seeing with the team of late.....a smart / surgical type offense will win it for the Titans
You have the edge players to take the Warriors apart in the same way Penrith did. Manu can't mark up one on one against a Winger who can move laterally.
This problem is amplified by Dane Neilson being out injured ( scans / xrays to come ) Jerome Ropati who is at the Clinton Toopi stage of his career is the likely replacement ( sheit )

Shaun Johnson defending on the other edge is a Nancy , a two on one using a tall / off loading player to commit Hurrell and a hard running Backrower will carry Johnsons Jersey grab all the way to the Try line.

Well that's my five cents.
The squad across the park looks flat , only one new player ( Suia Matangi ) is going to need careful watching ( runs like a cape buffalo ).
Freindy has had his contract extended of course and he is one of few who can hold his head up after this week.....expect the usual class from him ( have you got any more like that bloke you all want to sell ? ).
This is the only club I can stand losing to because it's the other mob of underdogs versus the Evil NRL Empire.

Good Luck enjoy the game , If you win I'll be ridding the Titans into the finals

[Titanic]

Nice summary MS ... I thought Neilson was going to be great for you guys but he's done a Champion on you this year. I would take Ropati over either of our centres at the moment but Matangi is a revelation particularly as he's in my DreamTeam ... we don't have any more players for you but we do have a coach you can have ... good luck this weekend but not too much of it

Also my 2 cents worth anybody else think it will be Minichiello or Ridge that will get the chop and not Falloon?

[K2G]

I think we'll win this game. But for the sake of debate...

Mead should've stayed at fullback
Sezer should've stayed at halfback
Bird should've stayed at lock
Why not just put James in the starting line up on the team sheet?
The 'Dave Taylor off the bench' experiment has failed.


Zillman is utterly boring at the back and despite his best season with us so far, has still been outshone by mead in the two and a half games mead has had in the shirt. Switching them mid-way through a game is either a) a pathetically un-rehe****d gameplan or b) a coach panicking

Stoked for Alby to come back - but it seems a no brainer to me that Sezer is our halfback, Alby is our 5/8 based on the roles they each play. I know it doesn't really mean much in the modern game, but it just reeks of Carty trying to 'fool' the opposition in the same way Ryan James starting is apparently intended to. But, for all I know Carty and Murphy are expert sports psychologists and have determined that keeping their own players guessing improves their on field performance. James has been awesome, so has Sezer really (all things considered).

Harrison has been pretty good on the edges so would've been fine in 2nd row. Bird's footwork and offload would be gold up the middle around tiring NZ forwards

I have no doubt DT will, like Jamal turn out to be a good buy for us eventually. Greater minds than mine have failed to solve the CoalTrain conundrum, so i certainly don't hope to, but i think it's time to elevate him to the starting side, or drop him completely until he jumps through whatever hoops carty has set for him. At the moment, he is being outperformed by everyone on the bench, and is essentially wasting a spot. I know the popular mantra for players trying to work their way into a starting side is more quality not minutes - but i just think DT is a confidence player. Coming off the bench is not doing him or us any favours.

Dowling has been okay as a defensive center, but Don shows more in attack, I'm not sold on either of them, and thought the competition for those spots would've unearthed far more exciting results by this stage of the season...

With us signing Blair next season I'm curious as to what that means for Takairangi. He hasn't been great the last couple of games, but i still think he has potential and would hate to see him goooone.

[titanfan1980]

I think we'll win this game. But for the sake of debate...

Mead should've stayed at fullback
Sezer should've stayed at halfback
Bird should've stayed at lock
Why not just put James in the starting line up on the team sheet?
The 'Dave Taylor off the bench' experiment has failed.


Zillman is utterly boring at the back and despite his best season with us so far, has still been outshone by mead in the two and a half games mead has had in the shirt. Switching them mid-way through a game is either a) a pathetically un-rehe****d gameplan or b) a coach panicking

Stoked for Alby to come back - but it seems a no brainer to me that Sezer is our halfback, Alby is our 5/8 based on the roles they each play. I know it doesn't really mean much in the modern game, but it just reeks of Carty trying to 'fool' the opposition in the same way Ryan James starting is apparently intended to. But, for all I know Carty and Murphy are expert sports psychologists and have determined that keeping their own players guessing improves their on field performance. James has been awesome, so has Sezer really (all things considered).

Harrison has been pretty good on the edges so would've been fine in 2nd row. Bird's footwork and offload would be gold up the middle around tiring NZ forwards

I have no doubt DT will, like Jamal turn out to be a good buy for us eventually. Greater minds than mine have failed to solve the CoalTrain conundrum, so i certainly don't hope to, but i think it's time to elevate him to the starting side, or drop him completely until he jumps through whatever hoops carty has set for him. At the moment, he is being outperformed by everyone on the bench, and is essentially wasting a spot. I know the popular mantra for players trying to work their way into a starting side is more quality not minutes - but i just think DT is a confidence player. Coming off the bench is not doing him or us any favours.

Dowling has been okay as a defensive center, but Don shows more in attack, I'm not sold on either of them, and thought the competition for those spots would've unearthed far more exciting results by this stage of the season...

With us signing Blair next season I'm curious as to what that means for Takairangi. He hasn't been great the last couple of games, but i still think he has potential and would hate to see him goooone.

I agree with a lot of your post. Especially the Dave Taylor part. Cartwright is so blind to see what actually having faith in blokes and starting them does to their confidence.. Case and point Ryan James.. Gives him
No time on the field, and when he did put james on it was 10 minutes before half time EVERY GAME and then pulled him off 10 minutes after. and then he cant figure out why he isn't going any good. Then he starts one game and gives him time look what happens. Having Dave sitting there angry at himself for not starting is just a waste of time. For god sakes just start the bloke! I'm sure you will be suprised.