GOLD COAST TITANS 18 CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 38
TOM SMITH, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Sunday
JACOB KIRAZ’S hat-trick helped Canterbury bounce back from their first defeat of the season against the Gold Coast.
Referee Todd Smith sin-binned Brian Kelly in the first half then Chris Randall in the second to hamstring the Titans’ chances.
Missing suspended trio Matt Burton, Josh Curran and Sitili Tupouniua after their horror loss to the Broncos, the Bulldogs had no issues overcoming a Titans line-up missing star forward David Fifita, dropped by coach Des Hasler.
Hasler’s side also lost halfback Tom Weaver to a head-injury assessment inside five minutes, seconds before Kiraz claimed the opening try off a Toby Sexton kick.
Ray Preston’s superb offload sent Connor Tracey in, but Beau Fermor and Phillip Sami got Gold Coast back in the hunt.
Kelly’s sin bin for repeated offsides and Crichton’s subsequent penalty-goal left the Dogs in control at the break.
And they strengthened their grasp when Kiraz completed his hat-trick and Preston scored too in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
Fermor snagged a second and Alofiana Khan-Pereira raced 85 metres with a loose ball, but Randall’s binning for a cynical professional foul on the chasing Bronson Xerri put the result beyond the Titans’ reach.
Preston became the third player binned late for a crusher tackle on Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, before Reed Mahoney put the finishing touches on the scoreboard.
TITANS: 1 Jaylan De Groot, 2 Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 3 Brian Kelly, 4 Phillip Sami, 18 Tony Francis, 6 AJ Brimson, 7 Tom Weaver, 8 Moeaki Fotuaika, 9 Sam Verrills, 10 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 12 Beau Fermor, 14 Klese Haas, 13 Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. Subs (all used): 11 Chris Randall, 15 Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui, 16 Arama Hau, 17 Josiah Pahulu
Tries: Fermor (20, 60), Sami (31), Khan-Pereira (66); Goals: Kelly 1/4; Sin bin: Kelly (34) – repeated infringements, Randall (70) – professional foul
BULLDOGS: 1 Connor Tracey, 2 Jacob Kiraz, 3 Bronson Xerri, 4 Stephen Crichton, 5 Marcelo Montoya, 6 Bailey Hayward, 7 Toby Sexton, 8 Max King, 9 Reed Mahoney, 10 Daniel Suluka-Fifita, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Jacob Preston, 13 Jaeman Salmon. Subs (all used): 14 Kurt Mann, 15 Harry Hayes, 16 Kurtis Morrin, 17 Blake Taaffe
Tries: Kiraz (5, 45, 55), Tracey (12), Preston (49), Mahoney (79); Goals: Crichton 7/7; Sin bin: Preston (76) – crusher tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 4-12, 8-12, 8-14; 8-20, 8-26, 8-32, 12-32, 18-32, 18-38
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Titans: Tino Fa’asuamaleaui; Bulldogs: Jacob Kiraz
Penalty count: 4-5; Half-time: 8-14; Referee: Todd Smith; Attendance: 50,309
