NRL 2016: Gold Coast Titans thrash St George Illawarra Dragons to pinch eighth spot

THE Dragons have been bundled out of the NRL’s top eight by a rampagin Titans, who walked all over the Red V at Kogarah.

Chris McQueen of the Titans celebrates a try.

IF you didn’t know anything about rugby league, you’d swear after watching the game at Kogarah the Dragons were the team everyone tipped to finish this year with the wooden spoon.

Coming on the back of their embarrassing 36-6 thumping to Manly in their most recent game, last night they let in six tries to two as the giant killing Gold Coast secured a stunning 32-12 victory to jump over the Dragons into the top eight.

And even after going into the game without injured stars Josh Dugan and Benji Marshall, Paul McGregor wasn’t hiding form the reality of the performance he labelled not up to NRL standard.

“Well, we can use that as an excuse (not having Dugan and Marshall) but we won’t,” McGregor said.

“They are obviously two very big parts of our footy team but I am not going to use that as an excuse tonight.”

Given the run ahead for the Dragons from here, this defeat could prove crucial to the Dragons’ hopes of making this year’s play offs.

“Definitely, considering it would have put us four clear of Gold Coast (on the ladder),” McGregor continued.

“We were in the eight, we are out of it now. So we have got some work to do.”

Starting with the Wests Tigers next Sunday, they then face Canterbury, Brisbane and Cronulla in a tough month ahead.

Their final three games are then against the Roosters, Parramatta and Newcastle, with the Dragons probably still needing at least four wins to make the top eight cut.

“Look, we always talk about it but it is a ruthless competition and that was why tonight was so important,” McGregor added.

“When you play in front of your home crowd you need a better performance than that.

“It definitely wasn’t up to standard.”

Greg Bird was put on report.

But the Titans continue to defy what everyone predicted for them this year.

Now in the top eight, they have Parramatta next followed by the Sharks, Warriors, Tigers, Knights, Panthers and Cowboys.

And the way they are going right now, you’d have to say they are in with a better than fighting chance.

Asked if he thought they were a hope of making the play offs this year, Neil Henry said: “I thought we had a chance.

“We sat down and talked about what our goals were and it was to make the top eight, to play finals footy.

“We had a roster that wasn’t complete at that stage.

“We had money in the cap.

“We deliberately left it late and we were fortunate enough to pick up Konrad Hurrell and Nathan Peats.

“They are ready made first graders.

“I think the other guys have worked really hard on their games.

“Some guys have been able to improve as they have gone along, we have also been able to recruit experience.

“They have set the tone of what it takes to play week in week out.

“It can be a rapid rise to get to the level.

“We have got to sustain it.

Konrad Hurrell of the Titans is tackled.

“We are getting more consistency, hopefully we can hang on.”

They started fast and they never let up with their halves Ash Taylor and Tyrone Roberts setting up the victory on the back of some outstanding kicking.

While Roberts has been around the NRL for a few years now, the rise and rise of Taylor is one of the great stories this year.

Like the Titans, he’s come from nowhere to now be the standout favourite for this year’s Dally m rookie of the year.

“Ash had the best kicking game in the NYC,” Henry said.

“He had a very good success rate of short range kicks.

“He is a hard worker.

“He is carrying a few niggling injuries but he stepped up again tonight.

“I think he has got to be a contender (for the rookie title).

The Titans went to the break ahead 14-6 on the back three first half tries to one.

And the second half was only a minute old when another Roberts bomb ended with the Titans’ fourth try to David Mead and from there it was always going to be by how much.

A disappointed skipper Gareth Widdop added effort at training is not the problem, it’s just at the moment their onfield performances aren’t showing it.

“That is the disappointing thing,” he said.

“We are putting in a lot of effort and we get to game day and we are not turning up, we are not doing our jobs for the team.

“It is not good enough. We need to be better.

“That is the truth.”

Originally published as NRL 2016: Gold Coast Titans thrash St George Illawarra Dragons to pinch eighth spot