Titans V Warriors Preview
NRL
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Titans v Warriors
Skilled Park
Sunday 2.00pm
ONCE upon a time the prospect of a team from the Gold Coast leading the NRL competition after six rounds would have seemed ridiculous, but the 2008 Titans are the real deal. They are five wins to start the season and undefeated at their new fortress Skilled Park an ominous scenario for the Warriors who travel there this Sunday desperate for an away win.
Solid and unbeaten themselves at home this season, the Warriors in contrast have been appalling away from Auckland; this trend needs to change if they are to be genuine contenders for the top eight.
Hammered 52-6 by Manly at Brookvale in round 3 and blown away by the Cowboys in Townsville last weekend, on form, Sunday afternoon at Skilled Stadium will be a long one for the Warriors.
The Titans have been clinical in accounting for the Cowboys, Sharks, Raiders and Broncos on their home patch, and you would think something drastic would need to happen for them not to finish too strong for the Kiwi visitors.
Scott Prince is on fire and players like Nathan Friend, Mark Minichiello and Anthony Laffranchi are in career-best form around him.
This, despite no Luke Bailey or Mat Rogers!
There is no doubt the Warriors have points in them, but defensive lapses and untimely errors continue to dog them.
Watch out Titans
It goes without saying that the Warriors pack of forwards are not to be taken lightly and the Gold Coasts big men will have to play well to get over the top of their sizeable opposition. Especially with Bailey still out of action, the likes of Brad Meyers, Michael Hodgson, Aaron Cannings and James Stosic will have to stand up.
Ruben Wiki and Sam Rapira are playing well up front for the Warriors and when they get a good go-forward, Nathan Fien out of dummy-half can be as threatening as any hooker in the competition. Evarn Tuimavave and Epalahame Lauaki can create devastation when they come on off the interchange bench and will have to be closely marked.
Watch out Warriors
When Scott Prince is in the kind of form he is in at the moment (10 try assists and 6 line-break assists are each top in the NRL), he is almost impossible to defend against.
The general has got plenty of players in motion running off him and he has more options in attack than any other playmaker in the competition. If his forwards can continue to lay a platform for him, Princes kicking game will make things very difficult for the Warriors.
When defending their own line, the Warriors cant afford to ball-watch Prince, because before they know it he will be through them like a hot curry. They must move up on him and shut down his options before they eventuate. Nathan Friend must also be watched, scheming around the ruck.
Where it will be won
You will have a fair indication of how this game is going to go by halftime. The Warriors have not won a game this year when they have trailed at the break yet have won the three times that they have taken a lead to the sheds.
The Titans on the other hand have generally begun every match very well and a good start by them will break the Warriors confidence and could see quite a score-line racked up in the second half. Against the Dragons in round two the Gold Coast showed that they are capable of an off night, and if they are slightly off, a good start to the match by the Warriors will have them believing they can go on with the job.
The key to any Warriors victory is dominance in the forwards, and there is no doubt that if they can get on top in the middle of the field, the likes of Brent Tate, Lance Hohaia and Manu Vatuvei know how to find the try line.
The Gold Coast need to hold their own in the forwards and simply do what they do best, which is keep the ball alive. Their swift passing across the field and constant offloads will tire out and bamboozle the Warriors defenders.
History: A look at the history books gives the Warrriors a real hope of victory in this match and dont be surprised if coach Ivan Cleary puts on a tape of their past two matches against the Titans for inspiration as they fly across the ditch.
The Warriors are two from two over the Gold Coast, last year cleaning up the NRL newcomers 22-5 at Gold Coast Stadium and 30-6 at Mt Smart Stadium.
Conclusion: After working so hard to get ahead of teams like Brisbane and Melbourne to be leading the competition, the Titans will be determined to put even more of a gap between them and their chasers. Given their good form, its safe to assume that plenty of Titans will be up for representative selection so John Cartwright will want his boys to strike while the iron is hot in case they suffer a representative hangover midway through the season.
The Warriors need to do away with their inconsistent reputation and start winning away from home. They have the talent to do plenty of damage this year but there are fundamental things in their game that they just arent getting right. What better way to put things on track than to beat the competition leaders at Skilled Stadium? But thats unlikely.
Match Officials: Referee Steve Lyons; Sideline Officials Daniel Eastwood & Paul Holland; Video Ref Russell Smith.
Televised: FoxSports 2 Live 2.00pm.
