New Zealand Warriors earned a much-needed 34-12 victory today against Gold Coast Titans at CBUS Super Stadium, but they suffered a serious blow with the loss of Kiwi stand-off Kieran Foran to a leg injury 16 minutes from time.
In late changes for both teams, Morgan Boyle moved into the Titans’ starting pack with Leivaha Pulu shifting back to the bench, while Nathaniel Peteru and Max King joined the interchange and Tyrone Roberts dropped out of the side.
Mafoa’aeata Hingano replaced Nathaniel Roache on the Warriors’ bench.
In wet conditions the Warriors’ had too much firepower in their pack for the home side, with Ryan Hoffman leading the way in the 300th game of his career.
The Titans’ injury woes continues with Kane Elgey suffering a suspected dislocated shoulder and Konrad Hurrell sustaining an ankle, both players forced from the field in the final ten minutes.
The Titans scored first through some through some smart play involving Jarryd Hayne and former St Helens star Joe Greenwood. Greenwood offloaded to Elgey, who kwas able to score out wide.
The Warriors soon hit back, however, as Shaun Johnson put Hoffman across for the 70th try of his career.
They scored three times in the space of six minutes late in the first half to take a 24-4 lead at half-time, and from that there was no way back for the Titans.
Titans: 1 Jarryd Hayne, 2 Anthony Don, 3 Dale Copley, 4 Konrad Hurrell, 5 Will Zillman, 6 Kane Elgey, 7 Ashley Taylor, 8 Jarrod Wallace, 9 Nathan Peats, 10 Ryan James (c), 15 Morgan Boyle, 12 Joe Greenwood, 11 Chris McQueen; Interchange: 13 Leivaha Pulu, 14 Karl Lawton, 19 Nathaniel Peteru, 20 Max King
Tries: Elgey, Hayne, Copley
Warriors: 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c), 2 David Fusitu’a, 3 Blake Ayshford, 4 Solomone Kata, 5 Ken Maumalo, 6 Kieran Foran, 7 Shaun Johnson, 8 Jacob Lillyman, 9 Issac Luke, 10 Ben Matulino, 11 Bodene Thompson, 12 Ryan Hoffman, 13 Simon Mannering; Interchange: 15 Sam Lisone, 16 Albert Vete, 17 Bunty Afoa, 22 Ata Hingano,.
Tries: Hoffman, Ayshford (2), Maumalo, Tuivasa-Sheck, Hingano
Goals: Luke (4), Hoffman
Full coverage of all the weekend’s NRL matches can be found in Monday’s issue of League Express
