NRL trials: Gold Coast Titans forwards step up to secure 20-all draw with Parramatta Eels

THE Titans will be praying their forward pack stays fit this season, after the big men up front handed the Gold Coast a 20-all draw with Parramatta.

Parramatta Eels prop Daniel Alvaro and teammate Tim Mannah put the press on Gold Coast Titans Leva Li during Saturday nights pre-season match at Anzac Oval in Alice Springs.

THE Titans will be praying their forward pack stays fit this season, after the big men up front handed the Gold Coast a 20-all draw with Parramatta.

A try from Eddy Pettybourne in the dying seconds of the game was the saving grace for the Titans, after they headed into half-time staring down the barrel of a potential scoreline blowout in Alice Springs.

Despite racing out to a 6-0 lead early on, the Titans finished the first half down 20-6, with Parramatta nabbing three tries in eight minutes.

The difference for the Gold Coast club was their forwards, with the starting pack of Agnatius Paasi, David Shillington, Chris McQueen, Zeb Taia and Lachlan Burr stopping the Eels from extending their lead in the third quarter.

Things then continued to go the Titans’ way in the final 20, as young centre Nathan Davis and prop Leivaha Pulu narrowed the gap in the last 10 minutes before Pettybourne’s game saver on the buzzer.

Coach Neil Henry described the game as an “arm wrestle” but said it was heartening to see the Titans fight back.

“It was a real arm wrestle but we did to them what they did to us,” Henry said of the Titans’ comeback in the final 10 minutes.

“It was a mirror image really. I’m pleased we controlled some possession. It’s always good to come back.

“We’ll take that. It’s been a good hit out.”

Isaac De Gois fires off a pass for the Eels against the Titans in Alice Springs.

Henry said he thought Pettybourne and Pulu combined well in the second half, but was most impressed by Paasi, who backed up from a strong Auckland Nines performance.

“Agnatius Paasi, he’s been a standout,” Henry said.

“He was very good in the Nines and very solid again tonight. His early season form has been fantastic.”

The Titans grabbed their early lead in 37-degree heat through the club’s favourite son Nathan Friend before Ryan Morgan slipped through for Parramatta in the 18th minute.

The starting forward pack was then rested for the remainder of the first half, with the Titans falling apart in front of the 2405-strong crowd.

Junior Paulo, Bureta Faraimo and Alex Twal all took advantage of the swing in momentum handing them the 20-6 half-time lead.

More than 2000 fans turned out to watch the Eels play the Titans at Anzac Oval in Alice Springs.

The second-string Titans did not fare as well, going down 40-18 to the Warriors in Whangarei.

The young team, made up of under-20s and Intrust Super Cup players, showed promise in attack with playmakers Jamal Fogarty and Sam Irwin executing well-constructed plays, but failed to shut down the powerful New Zealand side, suffering from scrappy defence.

Issac Luke, Manu Vatuvei and Charlie Gubb helped the Warriors take control of the match, but it was some of their young forwards who won them the game.

Lock Raymond Faitala-Mariner scored a hat-trick while prop Bunty Afoa and utility Semisi Tyrell earned a double each.

Blake Anderson, Matt Robinson, Tyrone Roberts-Davis and Morgan Boyle were the tryscorers for the Titans.

With a number of places still up for grabs at the Titans, the second-stringers will have to improve vastly over the next three weeks to grab the attention of Henry.

Meanwhile, a Cowboys under-20s side was unable to hold on to a half-time lead over the Mackay Cutters in Prosperine, losing their trial 26-14.

PARRAMATTA EELS 20 (Ryan Morgan, Junior Paulo, Bureta Faraimo, Alex Twal tries; Luke Kelly 2 goals)

GOLD COAST TITANS 20 (Nathan Friend, Nathan Davis, Leivaha Pulu, Eddy Pettybourne tries; Ashley Taylor 1 goal, Nathan Davis 1 goal)

Originally published as NRL trials: Gold Coast Titans forwards step up to secure 20-all draw with Parramatta Eels