NRL 2021: Titans look the real deal after stunning start
It’s official – the Titans are the best Queensland team in the NRL. But can they keep it up as they face two finals contenders in the next two weeks?
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The Titans have settled it – they really are Queensland’s best NRL team.
A week after taking down the Broncos, the Titans travelled north to Townsville to tear apart a struggling Cowboys outfit in a 44 to 8 demolition job.
And Gold Coast fans will be waking up today to find their side sitting fourth on the ladder as the club stakes its claim as a finals contender in 2021.
The new-look Titans side was tipped to be a top eight contender this year and it has done its chances no harm following Sunday’s performance.
It is only three games into the season but history suggests the Gold Coast enjoy a successful start to the season.
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On the three occasions the Titans have made the finals, they’ve started the year with at least two wins from their opening three clashes.
And they’re doing so in dominant fashion over their Queensland rivals to make it back-to-back wins leading into their clash with Canberra.
Their upcoming schedule will see them face the Raiders (6th) and Knights (8th) in what will be a true test of where they are at this season.
The win may have been against a Cowboys side without the likes of Michael Morgan, Jason Taumalolo and Kyle Feldt but an AJ Brimson double helped the Titans to their second win of the year.
Justin Holbrook’s late switch to pitchfork Tyrone Peachey at lock and start Tino Fa’asuamaleaui in the front row proved a master stroke as the rampaging Titans pack dominated the Cowboys middle in the first half.
Fa’asuamaleaui proved hard to stop with 183 running metres and one tackle break as the Gold Coast ran out to a 26-nil lead after 40 minutes.
Star signing David Fifita continued his dominant start in Titans colours with a try, nine tackle busts and 147 running metres.
It sparked Fox League commentator and former NRL enforcer Steve Roach to declare Fifita “the most powerful ball runner I’ve ever seen”.
Holbrook was spotted looking understandably concerned at the 50th minute mark when the Cowboys started the second stanza in much better form, with tries to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Murray Taulagi.
The Titans will need to fix up their ball handling to prove genuine finals contenders with an error-riddled second stanza threatening to allow the Cowboys back into the game.
The 36-point win was also the Gold Coast’s second highest ever winning margin over an opponent in club history in further signs that the tide is starting to turn at the Titans.
“To put together two good games at the club is good for us,” Jamal Fogarty said after the match.
“Hopefully we can keep building on our combinations.”
PAYTEN TO SWING THE AXE
Cowboys coach Todd Payten has confirmed changes are imminent in his side’s ranks, at a loss as to how to arrest the “behaviours” that have become deeply ingrained in the playing group.
In the absence of injured captains Michael Morgan and Jason Taumalolo, North Queensland struggled for direction in attack, while the defence was powerless to prevent Gold Coast Titans stars Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and David Fifita from causing chaos in the 44-8 defeat.
Fifita in particular was unstoppable, running for 147m metres, breaking nine tackles, offloading five times and scoring a try for good measure.
Titans utility Tyrone Peachey was also impressive after being promoted to the starting side, backing up his declaration he would be gunning for star recruit Fa’asuamaleaui’s lock jersey.
Titans coach Justin Holbrook said he respected the tenacity and competition Peachey had brought to the side.
“The early plan was to bring Peach on after 25 or 30 minutes and leave him out there, but with the pace of the game we have to take him off,” Holbrook said. “Knowing how warm it was going to be, if I start him I need him on at the back end of games.
“It is a real competitive side that they all want to start, and I am okay with that. Any forward that comes off the bench, they all want to start and I get that. But it is what is best for the team.
“This time we put Mo back to the bench and he was phenomenal for us. He showed what kind of an impact player he can be. The balance of the side worked really well.”
WHERE’S THE CAVALRY?
North Queensland will still be without Taumalolo for next week’s clash against Cronulla, while question marks remain over the future of Morgan as his worrisome shoulder continues to plague him.
Deserved troops are in short supply for the Cowboys, and coach Todd Payten has been unwilling to swing the axe after the first two rounds — sighting the fact not one player could be singled out for the performances.
However with the likes of hulking rookie prop Wiremu Greig waiting in the wings, and firebrand forward Tom Gilbert due back from injury shortly, the new mentor may be forced to send a statement to his squad — with high profile stars Coen Hess and Jordan McLean struggling to make inroads on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ve spoken about being a team that competes and being accountable to each other, and we’re at that point at the moment,” Payten said.
“We’ll look at division, we’ll talk as coaches and go from there.
“I think our behaviours have become learned over the past how many losing seasons. The good teams that have been up the top of the competition for a while now, when something goes against them the first thought is what’s important next and they all dive in.
“At the moment, we’re going inside our own head, we’re not communicating with our teammate and it’s putting our team under pressure.
“It’s a behaviour that’s ingrained in us at the moment. Across the board our effort wasn’t good enough.”
FIRE AND BRIMSON
Four unanswered tries in the opening half buried the home side, with AJ Brimson opening proceedings with a touch of individual brilliance.
When play shut down shifting to Anthony Don’s wing, the Queensland fullback put a deft grubber through for himself, finishing the job with a trademark front flip on the put down.
While that was a moment of class, four-pointers to Phillip Sami, Corey Thompson and Mo Fotuaika were all the result of poor defence, all occurring from close range, as the Gold Coast went into the sheds up 26-0.
Speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow finally gave the Queensland Country Bank Stadium faithful a reason to celebrate, crossing early in the second stanza on the back of a swift movement close to the line.
But it was another defensive lapse in the middle of the field opened the floodgate for Jamain Joliffe to burst through, putting an unmarked Brimson over for his second.
“We missed far too many tackles, and that puts pressure on the edge,” Payten said.
“It’s a bit of a snowball cycle, but I don’t think it was our edge D that lost us the game, it was a lot of things before that.”
RARE SHINING LIGHT
Murray Taulagi added respectability to the scoreline late in the contest, scoring off a final pass from Valentine Holmes in his comeback to the NRL.
The 22-year-old flyer was a rare bright spot in a well beaten side, finishing with 114m and a pair of tackle busts.
Holmes also tried in vain to create opportunities, his move back to the custodian role with 201m, four tackle busts and a try assist, as Scott Drinkwater assumed Morgan’s number six jumper.
“I thought Murray Taulagi did pretty well coming in, probably short of a run without playing for the last couple of weeks,” Payten said.
“I thought he carried strong, made some really good decisions — he’s a threat out there for us, so that’s a real positive.”
HOLMES BACK AT HOME
Cowboys fullback Valentine Holmes tried in vain to get his side back into the contest.
His move back to the custodian role came after Morgan was ruled out of the contest, but he has made a strong claim to remaining at the back for the rest of the season.
Holmes finished with 201 metres, four tackle busts and a try assist as he set up speedster Taulagi for the first of his double.
Scott Drinkwater, who was moved to five-eighth, also appeared much better on the ball but lacked communication with partner Clifford.
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