A Dale Copley hat-trick helped Gold Coast Titans came from 12-0 down to defeat Manly Sea Eagles 36-18 at Lottoland.
Manly scored the first try on seven minutes when Cade Cust’s lofted pass was perfect for Jorge Taufua. Then when Jarrod Wallace lost the ball for the Titans, Dylan Walker picked it up, stepped past Brian Kelly and gave the ball to Reuben Garrick to finish.
Despite the Titans’ poor first-half, they managed to score twice in the last five minutes before the break when Kelly shrugged off Walker and passed to Copley then Tyrone Roberts kicked in behind for AJ Brimson.
The Titans then took the lead after half-time when Roberts dummied and ran in. Then they extended that lead as Copley completed his hat-trick. Kelly offloaded and Bryce Cartwright helped the ball onto Copley then it was Ash Taylor that laid on a try for his winger with a great looping pass.
Stunned and down by 14 points, the Sea Eagles hit back through Brad Parker’s try four minutes later but Cartwright and Roberts’ second try gave the Titans more room once again.
Sea Eagles: Elliot, Taufua, Walker, Parker, Garrick, Cust, Elgey, Fonua-Blake, Koroisau, Taupau, Thompson, Sironen, Trbojevic; Interchanges: Fainu, Gosiewski, Waddell, Boyle
Tries: Taufua, Garrick, Parker; Goals: Garrick 3
Titans: Brimson, Don, Arthars, Kelly, Copley, Roberts, Taylor, Wallace, Rein, Fotuaika, Proctor, Hipgrave, Whitbread; Interchanges: Cartwright, Peachey, Boyd, Stockwell
Tries: Copley 3, Brimson, Roberts 2, Cartwright; Goals: Taylor 4
Full match reports of all this weekend’s NRL games will feature in Monday’s League Express.
