CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 40 GOLD COAST TITANS 24
TOM SMITH, Belmore Sports Ground, Sunday
KNEE injuries to aces Matt Burton and Viliame Kikau overshadowed Canterbury’s high-scoring win over Gold Coast in front of a sold-out crowd at their spiritual home of Belmore.
After a round one bye, the Titans started their season opener slowly as the Bulldogs shot to a 22-0 lead inside 20 minutes.
The visitors inched back into it once Burton went off, and fought back again in the second half — but the Dogs held on despite the late loss of Kikau too.
Gold Coast enforcer Tino Fa’asuamaleaui scored on return to the NRL twelve months after rupturing his ACL at the same venue, while Brock Gray made his first-grade debut at the age of 28 and ex-Eel Reagan Campbell-Gillard notched his club bow.
Facing his former club, Titans coach Des Hasler would have fumed at his side’s start, bleeding four early tries.
Marcelo Montoya crossed inside two minutes, before Jaeman Salmon, Reed Mahoney and Josh Curran piled on the points.
But Alofiana Khan-Pereira snared a quick-fire brace before the break to narrow the margin to ten.
The Doggies pulled away again via Jacob Preston, off a mishandled bomb, and Kurt Mann under the sticks.
Fa’asuamaleaui’s barge-over and Jojo Fifita’s long-range effort had the home fans twitching a little.
But Connor Tracey settled the contest with a late four-pointer.
BULLDOGS: 1 Connor Tracey, 2 Blake Wilson, 3 Bronson Xerri, 4 Stephen Crichton, 5 Marcelo Montoya, 6 Matt Burton, 7 Toby Sexton, 8 Max King, 9 Reed Mahoney, 16 Josh Curran, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Jacob Preston, 17 Jaeman Salmon. Subs (all used): 13 Kurt Mann, 14 Bailey Hayward, 15 Sitili Tupouniua, 19 Harry Hayes
Tries: Montoya (2), Salmon (11), Mahoney (15), Curran (20), Preston (41), Mann (47), Tracey (78); Goals: Burton 3/4, Crichton 3/3
TITANS: 1 Keano Kini, 2 Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 3 Brian Kelly, 4 Phillip Sami, 5 Jojo Fifita, 6 AJ Brimson, 7 Jayden Campbell, 8 Moeaki Fotuaika, 9 Sam Verrills, 10 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 11 Klese Haas, 12 Beau Fermor, 13 Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. Subs (all used): 14 Chris Randall, 15 David Fifita, 16 Jaimin Jolliffe, 17 Brock Gray
Tries: Khan-Pereira (30, 38), Fa’asuamaleaui (53), J Fifita (63); Goals: Campbell 4/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 16-0, 22-0, 22-6, 22-12; 28-12, 34-12, 34-18, 34-24, 40-24
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Bulldogs: Reed Mahoney; Titans: Tino Fa’asuamaleaui
Penalty count: 5-5; Half-time: 22-12; Referee: Peter Gough; Attendance: 17,892