
Canberra Raiders were far too strong today for the Gold Coast Titans, winning 32-18 at GIO Stadium after being 20-0 ahead at half-time and scoring six tries to three.
The Titans suffered injury blows when Jai Arrow left the field on 17 minutes with rib damage, while they also lost Keegan Hipgrave (concussion) and Ryan Simpkins (neck), playing the final eight minutes of game with just 13 fit players.
The game began with a mistake from Titans halfback Ash Taylor, who kicked out on the full and gave the Raiders the field position for Sia Soliola to score in the first minute of the game.
Joe Tapine and Jarrod Croker both scored again to take the score to 16-0 after 16 minutes.
The Titans were being overpowered by the big Raiders pack, and the home side scored their fourth try on 23 minutes with a brilliant backline move that saw Nick Cotric scoring in the corner.
But the Titans looked as though they might get back into the game with two converted tries in the first ten minutes of the second half with tries from Ryan James and Kevin Proctor
However, Raiders’ giant prop Shannon Boyd barged his way over the line on 53 minutes, and he then made a superb break to set up a try for Jordan Rapana, to re-establish a 20-point lead for Canberra.
Max King scored a late try for the Titans and Tapine was placed on report for a lifting tackle on Ryan James.
Raiders: 1 Jack Wighton, 2 Nick Cotric, 3 Jarrod Croker (c), 4 Joseph Leilua, 5 Jordan Rapana, 6 Blake Austin, 7 Aidan Sezer, 8 Iosia Soliola, 9 Siliva Havili, 10 Junior Paulo, 11 Joseph Tapine, 12 Elliott Whitehead, 13 Josh Papalii; Interchange: 14 Ata Hingano, 15 Shannon Boyd, 16 Luke Bateman, 17 Dunamis Lui
Tries: Soliola, Tapine, Croker, Cotric, Boyd, Rapana; Goals: Croker 4
Titans: 1 Michael Gordon, 2 Anthony Don, 3 Brendan Elliot, 4 Konrad Hurrell, 5 Phillip Sami, 6 Bryce Cartwright, 7 Ashley Taylor, 8 Jarrod Wallace, 9 Mitch Rein, 12 Max King, 11 Kevin Proctor, 10 Ryan James (c), 13 Jai Arrow; Interchange: 15 Jack Stockwell, 16 Keegan Hipgrave, 17 Ryan Simpkins 19 Moeaki Fotuaika
Tries: James, Proctor, King; Goals: Gordon 3
Full match reports of all this weekend’s NRL games will feature in Monday’s League Express.