TBT: Kata's 'don't argue'
What an ambush it turned out to be when the Vodafone Warriors gate-crashed Gold Coast’s ‘Hayne Plane’ party at Cbus Super Stadium in 2016.
In a classic contest it was centre Solomone Kata’s second try 15 minutes from fulltime that proved a telling blow – and no one felt it more than Titans winger Anthony Don.
The pocket battleship had scored his first try only seven minutes earlier after David Fusitu’a had intercepted a pass from none other than Jarryd Hayne near his own line on the right edge.
Kata’s second was another intercept but this time he did it all on his own, plucking out an Ash Taylor pass 10 metres from his line and jetting away for the goal-line 90 metres away.
Don hung in trying to check him but when the Gold Coast winger came in for the tackle, Kata shoved him to the ground with an exceptional fend to the face and surged on saluting and diving spectacularly for a try wide out (despite winger Manu Vatuvei urging him to the run the try around closer to the posts).
August 7, 2016
Cbus Super Stadium, Robina
Gold Coast Titans 14 (Ryan James, Konrad Hurrell, Anthony Don tries; Ash Taylor conversion).
Vodafone Warriors 24 (Solomone Kata 2, David Fusitu'a, Bodene Thompson, Simon Mannering tries; Tuimoala Lolohea 2 conversions).
Halftime: 10-10.
Referees: Jared Maxwell and Gavin Reynolds.
Crowd: 25,109.
Vodafone Warriors | Tuimoala Lolohea; Ken Maumalo, David Fusitu'a, Solomone Kata, Manu Vatuvei; Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson; Jacob Lillyman, Jazz Tevaga, Albert Vete; Bodene Thompson, Ryan Hoffman (c); Simon Mannering. Interchange: Nathaniel Roache, Sam Lisone, Ben Matulino, Blake Ayshford.
Gold Coast | David Mead; Anthony Don, Josh Hoffman, Konrad Hurrell, Nene Macdonald; Cameron Cullen, Ash Taylor; Luke Douglas, Nathan Peats, Ryan James; Zeb Taia, Chris McQueen; Greg Bird. Interchange: Leivaha Pulu, Agnatius Paasi, David Shillington, Jarryd Hayne.
