The Vodafone Warriors earned a second consecutive 20-14 trial win in another encouraging hit-out as they took care of the Titans in tonight's NRL trial on the Sunshine Coast.
With both sides fielding their strongest available line-ups, the Vodafone Warriors scored four tries to three in backing up their victory over Melbourne last weekend.
First Half
Almost under way. Been a wet, wet week on the Sunshine Coast but no rain right now.
1.00 | Solid start. Good first set.
3.00 | Great second set, Shaun Johnson grubber forcing Titans to start from their own line and then turn possession over bringing it out. Attacking scrum.
4.10 | Titans concede penalty. Repeat set. And now another penalty. Three sets on end.
5.10 | Make that four sets on end with Gold Coast penalised again.
5.55 | Can't make it pay. Attack falters and ball put down.
7.00 | Pressure on Vodafone Warriors now, Leilani Latu making a bust up the middle enabling Gold Coast to finish the set with a kick into touch on the last tackle.
9.00 | Good carries up the middle led by a strong Ken Maumalo run. Last kick from Johnson allowed to bounce and runs into touch. Titans get a piggy back penalty out of their end.
10.30 | Under the pump. Repeat sets for Titans after six again call after failing to defuse bomb and then back-to-back penalties. Defending well on the line.
13.20 | Weight of possession tells. Ash Taylor grubber deflects off a boot and Taylor races through to ground for the first try of the match. Michael Gordon converts. Gold Coast 6, Vodafone Warriors 0.
18.00 | Johnson high kick wide to the left on the last tackle but knocked into touch in the contest.
19.40 | Titans spill possession. Vodafone Warriors with scrum feed on their own 30.
21.05 | Last tackle bomb from Blake Green, cleaned up by Titans near their line. Sam Cook on at hooker now.
22.30 | Last tackle kick goes dead. Titans restart on 20. Seven tackles.
24.00 | Sound defence from the Vodafone Warriors catching the Titans in possession on the last and winning a penalty on their way out.
25.00 | Another change. Leivaha Pulu is on.
25.55 | TRY! David Fusitu'a does it again. Squeezes in at the corner. Great shape to the right, Green links up with Johnson, nice ball to Cook and he throws a terrific pass wide to the right to give Fusitu'a the space he needs. Brilliant involvement from the spine. Vodafone Warriors 6, Gold Coast 6.
29.45 | Ideal set from restart with Green punching the ball into touch on the last. Issac Luke is back at hooker.
34.00 | Penalties coming thick and fast for the Titans.
35.00 | Superb tackle from Isaiah Papali'i holds Joe Greenwood up over the line when he seemed certain to score.
36.00 | Skills from RTS, collects ball, lays it back in the field of play to prevent 40/20.
40.00 | TRY! Juggling act and Solomone Kata gets it down. Moments earlier Ash Taylor stepped through with just RTS to beat. The fullback stopped him, Taylor's off load going straight into Issac Luke's hands. The Vodafone Warriors made great ground downfield. They went left from 30 out. The spine players were integral again. Green drifted across the field, fed Johnson who tipped it on brilliantly, linking with RTS, on to Kata and Maumalo on the left edge. He drew the defence and fed Kata inside who juggled on his way to putting the ball down. Fantastic try right on halftime. It was great reward for two try saves at the other end by Papali'i and Tuivasa-Sheck. Johnson's conversion missed. Vodafone Warriors 10, Titans 6.
HALFTIME | VODAFONE WARRIORS 10, TITANS 6.
Second half
42.00 | Nice grubber from Johnson to end Vodafone Warriors' first set of the half. Tapped dead for a goal-line drop out.
43.35 | Vodafone Warriors threatening on repeat set but Johnson puts ball down.
46.00 | TRY! Fusitu'a again. And what a finish once more (as has become the norm for the big winger). This was another quality try, marked by classy ball work. Again the spine contributed. Luke was involved, so was Green who put Johnson into half a gap. He ran at the line, teasing the defence and then shipped a wonderful ball wide to the right to find Fusitu'a. He didn't have a lot of room to work with but it didn't bother him. Johnson's conversion from the touch-line struck the right hand upright and missed. Vodafone Warriors 14, Titans 6.
53.00 | Bunty Afoa getting so many mentions in the commentry. It's Isaiah Papali'i as Vodafone Warriors supporters know.
57.50 | Good stop again to prevent Ryan James scoring but now a repeat set on defence with the Titans winning another penalty.
60.20 | Wonderful defensive work from the Vodafone Warriors over the last few minutes holding the Titans out.
67.00 | Gold Coast bites back with unconverted Tyronne Roberts-Davis try. Vodafone Warriors 14, Titans 10.
70.42 | TRY! Sam Cook over from dummy half. The rain is thundering down at Sunshine Coast Stadium. The Vodafone Warriors won a penalty as they threatened to go in again through their right edge. From the repeat set, the Vodafone Warriors aimed the posts, Cook spotting an opportunity to take his side eight points clear. He made it 10 by converting his own try. Vodafone Warriors 20, Titans 10.
73.00 | Titans counter with a second Roberts-Davis try. Looked rather dubious but awarded. Poor conversion attempt. Vodafone Warriors 20, Titans 14.
80.00 | That's it. Two from two in the trials. Another performance full of encouraging signs highlighted by three high-quality tries and some excellent defensive efforts.
FULLTIME | VODAFONE WARRIORS 20, TITANS 14
Match details | Sunshine Coast Stadium, Kawana Waters
Gold Coast Titans 14 (Tyronne Roberts-Davis 2, Ash Taylor tries; Michael Gordon conversion).
Vodafone Warriors 20 (David Fusitu'a 2, Solomone Kata, Sam Cook tries; Shaun Johnson conversion; Sam Cook conversion).
Halftime: 10-6 Vodafone Warriors.
Referees: Matt Cecchin and Peter Gough.
Teams:
Gold Coast Titans | Michael Gordon; Brendan Elliot, Dale Copley, Konrad Hurrell, Phillip Sami; Kane Elgey, Ash Taylor; Leilani Latu, Nathan Peats, Max King; Ryan James, Will Matthews; Bryce Cartwright. Interchange: Mitch Rein, Keegan Hipgrave, Jai Whitbread, Joe Greenwood, Moeaki Fotuaika, Alexander Brimson, Karl Lawton, Tyronne Roberts-Davis, Kiah Cooper, Tony Matautia.
Vodafone Warriors: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c); David Fusitu'a, Peta Hiku, Solomone Kata, Ken Maumalo; Blake Green, Shaun Johnson; Adam Blair, Issac Luke, James Gavet; Tohu Harris, Simon Mannering; Ligi Sao. Interchange: Sam Cook Leivaha Pulu, Chris Satae, Sam Lisone, Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad, Joseph Vuna, Anthony Gelling, Hayze Perham, Ata Hingano, Isaiah Papali'i.
