Jai Arrow shows his Origin potential for the Titans, but Bryce Cartwright doesn’t cut it at five-eighth
FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED: The Titans lock should the Maroons’ plan B but Bryce Cartwright doesn’t cut it at five-eighth. Here’s what else we took from the Titans’ loss.
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1. JAI Arrow is the man to replace Josh McGuire in the Queensland No. 13 jumper. The Titans lock was outstanding, amassing a game-high 155 metres, three tackle busts, two offloads and one line break in another ironman display. If McGuire is ruled out of Origin I with torn ankle ligaments, Arrow has to be the Maroons’ Plan B.
BATTLE: Sharks down Titans with power of one
2. FIVE-eighth is not the position for Bryce Cartwright. The big-name recruit answered an SOS following the demotion of Kane Elgey but Cartwright doesn’t look comfortable in the halves. He threw a forward pass and one crosskick went backwards. A ball-playing role on the edges best suits him.
3. THE Titans need to play smarter in the red-zone. Their only try was a barge-over by Mitch Rein. In one attacking set, halfback Ashley Taylor — their main man — didn’t touch the ball. In another, Jarrod Wallace dropped the Steeden cold. It’s cruelling them.
4. TITANS hooker Mitch Rein is doing a respectable job in the absence of injured Origin rake Nathan Peats. Rein scored the Titans’ only try to ignite their fightback and tackled with gusto in a committed display.
5. VALENTINE Holmes won’t give up his Origin jumper without a fight. Broncos rival Corey Oates is in red-hot form but the Sharks Test winger hit back. Holmes scored Cronulla’s opening try and made some dangerous runs to throw down the challenge to Oates.
Originally published as Jai Arrow shows his Origin potential for the Titans, but Bryce Cartwright doesn’t cut it at five-eighth
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