Round 6: MANLY vs TITANS (2022)

[Titanic Believer]

Sorry to not see Corey there. I think he has been hard done by with service from his centres. At fullback he may have had a bit more room to move.

[gotitans101_]

I hope the media have awoken the beast and Fifita scores a hat-trick on the weekend.

[Dooldog76]

Definitely prefer to see Thompson instead of isaako. No proctor= happy days.

[Blade07]

I actually don’t think Fifita has played all that bad this year I think he’s not doing the damaging runs that led to tries last year so he can last the full 80. He is definitely better defensively and playing more well rounded. I feel for him when he’s scoring tries he gets blasted for running at halfbacks and then when he sticks to solid 10 meter runs he gets blasted for not unleashing the beast. He can’t win

[willhelm]

Fifita has been fine this year. He's getting mobbed by defenders -- Toby just needs to work out how to better utilise that.

[coreythompson]

Late mail I will be playing don't worry
Just you wait and see

[GCTTSD]

Fifita should be instructed to get in and run out of dummy half anytime there's only one marker should follow Tino would be unstoppable. It's all effort and desire I guess though

[Titslover]

'They forget this is the NRL': Titans teammates hit back at Fifita criticism

It’s indisputable David Fifita is one of the most talented forwards in the NRL.

A marquee signing for the Gold Coast, he is a much-valued member of the Titans squad and what he brings on and off the field can’t be understated or dismissed.

The proof of that is in the outpouring of support from fellow teammates, members and fans in response to the criticism heaped on the powerful edge forward in recent days about his performance in the opening five rounds of the competition.

Critiqued for not being involved enough, past players and commentators have been vocal, headed by SEN's Scott Sattler. In response to the criticism, Fifita's back-row partner Beau Fermor took to radio on Tuesday, slamming the comments being made about the Origin forward’s opening month in Titans colours.

“David cops a lot and I think a lot of it is very unfair. I mean, people are expecting him to run over everyone and score three tries every week," Fermor said on Triple M’s Rush Hour Queensland.

“They forget that this is the NRL and everyone's a good player and he's not going to be able to do those things every week.

“As much as we'd like him to, there's just as good defenders and just as good players in other teams and we've just got to use him in the best way possible.

“I think a big thing with Dave is he's doing a lot more work that people aren't seeing this year and that the general spectator doesn't see. His defence and his work out of our own end, I think he's having 15 carries and 30 tackles a game and people are ripping into him saying that he's not getting involved enough.

“I just don’t really know where [the criticism] comes from.”

Scoring his first try of the season at the weekend in style with a barnstorming run out of dummy-half 40 metres out, the 22-year-old is averaging 127 run metres, a line break and a line break assist every game, on top of four tackle busts per appearance.

These numbers are more than commendable in attack, but it’s his defensive effort that should really be celebrated, averaging 29 tackles a game at 92 percent efficiency on the right edge.

To put it into perspective, he is only three tackles short a week of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s work rate in defence in the middle third, with the skipper the club’s leading tackler with an average of 32 a match.

With plenty of expectation on the 71-game star – most times, unrealistic all by himself - Titans interchange forward Jaimin Jolliffe feels it’s the responsibility of the entire team to help get the best out of Fifita.

“Dave's obviously a big name and he's a great footballer, and there's a level of expectation. He's a great player, and there's no doubt about that. He’s been really strong, but I suppose because everyone knows who he is and what he's capable of, there's that expectation,” Jolliffe said.

“He does a great job for our team. He scored a great try on the weekend that kind of got us back in the game and he's working really hard at training.

“To be honest, I don't think Dave would look at that sort of outside noise. I think it's a bit harsh, to be honest.

“As a team, we need to help Dave as well. If we're playing good football and we're completing well, Dave's playing his best football.

“When we have 36 percent possession in the first half and Dave's doing 30 something odd tackles a game, it’s going to limit the impact. It swings both ways.

“When we all play better as a team, he plays a lot better, so I think we can all just keep working harder for him.”

The last word goes to Fifita himself, who brushed off the criticism when speaking to local media on Tuesday, sending a key message to his critics.

“For him to say those kind of words… I’ll take it on the chin and prove him wrong,” Fifita said.

Expect a big game from the Titan against the Sea Eagles on Saturday.


I think Scotty Sattler is gonna owe Manly fans an apology on Saturday night.

[lonegull]

Hopefully they poked the bear, good on Fermor though to come out and support his team mate

[willhelm]

Scott Sattler is hardly an impartial observer given his history with the club

[5 Year Contract]

Scott Sattler is hardly an impartial observer given his history with the club

110% Sattler has been whinging about us ever since “bring back muh north Sydney bears” when everyone was death riding our club to fold.

Great news on Proctor finally being dropped. I’m still not sold on Issako but couldn’t stop Marzhew or Sami on current form. I suppose between JC, Thompson and Issako we have some completion for the FB spot.

I hope Fifita has a blinder this weekend and I hope we come out firing. I want to see that giraffe necked backflippers team cop it

[DIEHARD]

Sea Eagles v Titans Preview: Taupau ruled out; Kelly rejoins backline
https://www.nrl.com/

The Sea Eagles made a winning start to Tom Trbojevic's injury lay-off last week while the Titans suffered their second narrow defeat of the season to the Eels in round five.

Stand-in fullback Reuben Garrick got the job done for a Manly side that easily accounted for a disappointing Knights outfit.

The Titans had a more eventful evening, luckily dodging a couple of sin-bins as well as a now-infamous pitch invader, eventually going down 26-20 at home to the Eels after a high-scoring four-point loss to the same side in round one.

Team news
Sea Eagles: Prop Martin Taupau and centre Morgan Harper are both out due to COVID. Toafofoa Sipley is the new front-rower and Tolutau Koula returns from a calf injury to fill in for Harper.

Titans: Brian Kelly returns at centre with Phil Sami shifting to the wing and Corey Thompson dropping out. Sam Lisone displaces Kevin Proctor on the interchange. Jayden Campbell is still at least a week away. No changes to the squad in the 24-hour update.

Key match-up
Andrew Davey v David Fifita: an intriguing clash looms out wide on Saturday afternoon. For Davey, the laconic lad from Emerald who debuted at 28 then had to come back from a knee reconstruction, every chance is to be cherished and so far every post is a winner, with a try last week in just his sixth ever run-on start. You can guarantee he won't be overawed by the prospect of marking up on Titans' right-side wrecking ball David Fifita, who scored a try of his own last week - one neither Davey nor almost anyone else could have scored. He's been quiet this year though, and how he gets into the game and how Davey handles that will have a big say on the outcome.

Stat attack
Titans powerhouse Greg Marzhew currently tops the NRL for tackle busts with 29, so Manly's kick-chase off the back of Daly Cherry-Evans NRL-high 2482 kick metres will need to be spot on.

[DIEHARD]

Sea Eagles v Titans
https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/04/14/...gles-v-titans/
Zac Bailey and Anthony Seibold preview the Saturday afternoon match between the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Gold Coast Titans

[DIEHARD]

Greg Marzhew: The metre-eating machine
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...ating-machine/

No one can argue Greg Marzhew is in red-hot form this season.

Loved by Gold Coast Titans players, coaching staff, members and fans; the 104 kilogram beast has been a strike weapon on the flank over the past month with three tries, 29 tackle busts, three line breaks and an average of 150 metres a game.

His good form helped him retain his spot after coach Justin Holbrook was forced into a healthy selection headache, opting to rest Corey Thompson to help the experienced flyer get his hand 100 percent.

This tips the hat to the 25-year-old who will re-link with close friend Patrick Herbert on the right wing, ready to take the tough carries out of yardage once against for the Titans.

"Greggy, he's been killing it. He's doing so much for us, getting it out of trouble and he's just a strong bloke," Herbert said.

"I think that's the modern day winger... everyone doesn't give them enough credit for the work they do because those are the hardest carries to do.

"You've got a whole team of 13 on the other end waiting to smash you when you're 10 metres out from your own line, so Greg's carries have been massive for us.

"I think now that he's got a spot, he knows his job so it's a lot clearer for him and that's all he needs."

"He just needs to run hard and tackle hard and he's great at it."

Marzhew is currently leading the competition for tackle busts with 29, although such is the humble player he is, the flyer isn't worried about the accolades or statistics and instead just wants to focus on continually getting better, especially his combination on the right.

"There's always room for improvement. I think we just need to try and get some more chat going," Marzhew said.

"I've only got a handful of NRL games under my belt and Toby (Sexton) is the same, so we just need to keep working with David (Fifita) and Patty to try and get that combination going so we can be better for the rest of the season."

Much loved by the rest of the squad, Gold Coast hard man Jaimin Jolliffe best described the winger as one of a kind.

"He’s just a freak of nature. He’s throwing blokes off him left, right and centre," Jolliffe said on SEN Queensland with Pat Welsh and Ian Healy.

"Some of the carries Greg takes... I don’t know how he does it, but he makes it look like Under 7s."

The beast will be ready to unleash at 4 Pines Park this Saturday against the Sea Eagles.

[DIEHARD]

LU Sea Eagles v Titans preview
https://leagueunlimited.com/news/37190-sea-eagles-v-titans-preview/