Round 13: Gold Coast Titans vs North Queensland Cowboys

[C-Whiz]

I still don't think Prince played any better (or different) than he has been for the last 2 months.

I agree with most of your post, but there is no doubt Prince ran at the line last night, took it too the line and even through it, rather than trying to offload it 3 metres from the defensive line. That is what keeps their defensive line on the back foot, even running backwards as they worry about what he is going to do. Champagne Prince.

[Mexican titan]

+1 ... how anybody can credit that win, with a completely un-Cartwright structure, to the coach amazes me but that does not take away from the extraordinary effort from the players.

Interesting that you are prepared to bag the coach while they are losing but give him no credit when they start winning. Maybe the "un-Cartwright structure" you refer to is now possible because we have the best team on the field.
Anyway, that is for another thread I guess and we should concentrate on what a great win it was.

[DavidBouveng]

I noticed also with prince, who has ran at the line more recently, that he was seriously Motoring at the line with real pace. like sprinting at times, not gliding or ambling.

The urgency he showed kept defenders on him.

It was goot

[DavidBouveng]

just read an article in the SMH commending us on our defense after 'kicking out on the full to begin the game' as well as saying our third straight win complemented our wins over Canterbury and Wests Tigers....

[Jamal's Hamstring]

Too far north to care about mate.

[Titanic]

Interesting that you are prepared to bag the coach while they are losing but give him no credit when they start winning.

I have addressed it an another thread but suffice to say that one excellent game in 2 years says it all but that's only my opinion and you are certainly welcome to yours.

[DIEHARD]

This was the type of game you want to keep on the shelf because it makes you so proud as a Titans supporter!

The team across the board were fantastic and a good handful in contention for best player.

Prince, Bird, Mead and Zillman were awesome. Prince was tremendous.

And it was a great game of rugby league. It was an arm wrestle not a walk over. We can take pride in that performance. It was one worthy of Friday Night Football!

The ball movement and defence was awesome. And REPEAT SETS! That's how you dominate!

It's probably the best I can remember seeing them play, as they didn't switch off.

If we can get through Origin and then pick up that other BYE and hold or improve our form. WATCH OUT NRL!

I feel like my team is actually COMPETING in the National Rugby League now!

[karnage]

Yes Yes Yes
Ridgey will be another Menzies/Hindmarsh type player that will always put in 100%

His best effort last night came on an inside ball to Bowen who was sniffing around at the back of the ruck. Bowen was away straight up the centre except that Ridge did the hard work from the inside and SMASHED him right on the advantage line.

It was a classy play by a guy with huge upside.

I agree with others who credit Chalky with a decent game last night but there is no way that he should be able to keep Ridge out of the team.

[Titanic]

Gee lads, it's nearly time to start second guessing Cartwright on next week's team ... can't wait for the thread :-)

[Toads]

One incredible night of Footy, most of youse have already covered it to how I felt about the game, pretty well a faultless effort all round. And for the small crowd, the atmosphere was electric, it's been a long time since we've experienced that at home. There's no doubt in my mind, that the effort the boys put in last night and the crowd backing them. It will instill a new confidence within the squad that may give em that extra lift for the remainder of the season. Even the extra drummers from within The Legions pit were giving it their all..

The only two downsides of the game for me was.. Firstly, the drunken goose behind me that couldn't handle his liquor, and had to yell everything that he was driveling on about so everyone in the surrounding area could here him. If it was the usual run of the mill game last night. I would've been prepared to run the risk of getting the a-holed from the stadium, just so I could have the satisfaction to put a couple on him. Fortunately by half-time he was that pissed, that he could hardly speak. So the rest of us finally got to enjoy the game from then on..

And secondly, I was disappointed to watch the replay only to painfully sit thru that dropkick Ray Hadley commentating. Channel 9 can expect a dirty e-mail from me, come Monday Morning..

Also, on a side note.. What happened with the Lads and them meant to be wearing the Indiginous Jersey last night, as I had big plans of getting a few of them to sign mine. But seemed pointless because they didn't play in it.

Nonetheless, the Best performance I've witnessed from our belovered Titans in a couple of years.

[DIEHARD]

Also, on a side note.. What happened with the Lads and them meant to be wearing the Indiginous Jersey last night, as I had big plans of getting a few of them to sign mine. But seemed pointless because they didn't play in it.

I was thinking the same thing. But I dont have an answer on that. Seems strange to me. Especially with all the effort, promotion and that the Cowboys were the ideal opponent.

It'd a bit rough for those many Titans fans who purchased one, expecting them to be worn.

Maybe they will pencil in another game for that.

[DIEHARD]

Also bloody funny that our own Hully Gully parked directly in front of me!

Thanks Gavin! I also followed you out, so my car wouldnt get bogged!

[TITAN PETE]

Titans spirit returns
Travis Meyn **|**02:40pm June 2,

AT the Titans' final training session before last night's gritty 28-12 win over North Queensland, the northern in-goal area of Skilled Park was roped off.

It was a no-go zone the groundsmen had declared and last night in front of 12,092 loyal fans and against one of the NRL's most highly-rated teams, the Titans continued to treat it just like that.

In one of the most impressive defensive performances from any team this year, Gold Coast somehow managed to withstand one of the fiercest attacking outfits.

After eight minutes, the Titans had made 45 tackles without touching the ball once. North Queensland had forced four line drop-outs, had 21 play the balls and 16 tackles inside Gold Coast's 20m line.

Four minutes later and the trend was continuing. Titans prop Luke Bailey was on his way to hospital with a rib injury and his team had made 70 tackles while having just one use of the ball.

Put simply, the Johnathan Thurston-led Cowboys should have been well on their way to riding home with two valuable competition points.

For a team that possesses attacking dynamos Matt Bowen, Brent Tate and Ashley Graham, the result should have been a foregone conclusion.

But this isn't the Gold Coast team many have been laughing at for the past 18 months. It looked more like the preliminary finalists of 2010.

Back then the Titans were known as a committed and desperate team.

Their spirit and determination, not an all-star roster, were the qualities that led them to within one win of the grand final.

Last night it looked like that had returned. In droves.

They left nothing on the field in a defensive performance that saw coach John Cartwright shelve his usual poker face for a well-earned smile.

For the first time in a long time Cartwright was able to breath easy in the Skilled Park coaches box as his team snapped a six-match losing streak at the venue and won their first home match this year.

Statistics aren't everything in rugby league but for the Titans to come out on top after what the Cowboys threw at them is something a season can be built on.

The Cowboys had scored the second-most tries (53) in the league, behind Melbourne, before last night but left dejected after crossing just twice in the latter stages.

It wasn't just the Titans' work without the ball that was impressive, their use of the football was first class.

Captain Scott Prince is returning to the form that made him one of the competition's best halfbacks while the rise of rookie five-eighth Aidan Sezer continued.

Jamal Idris brushed off concerns about his weight with a stellar outing while high-profile recruit Beau Champion iced the victory and his best performance of the year with a double. Wingers Kevin Gordon and David Mead were outstanding.

Queensland duo Ashley Harrison and Nate Myles continued their rich veins of form while Blues enforcer Greg Bird rose to levels he has rarely reached before.

Cartwright knows there is a long way to go but after three straight wins he can start to breath easier. The Titans are two points out of the eight and a return to September is within reach.

Hooker Matt Srama was man of the match in another livewire performance.

*

[Julius Sezer]

Time to win the competition!

[Chaos]

Now that we've enjoyed the Titans winning...what about he Cowboys season?
I honestly thought they were premiership contenders this year...that was until Lui got 12 months suspension from the NRL.

I feel sorry for them...Thurston needs service if he wants to continue at 5/8.
Sheens has moved Benji back to 7 because he was getting poor service from Humble
Maybe Thurston will have to do the same...if he does, I hope the Cowboys do it after the Origin series is over.