Wests Tigers suffered a 36-6 loss to Gold Coast Titans at Skilled Park today in round 21 of the Telstra Premiership.
In a late team shuffle, coach Mick Potter dropped half-back Curtis Sironen to the interchange bench to promote Braith Anasta to start the game. Prop Keith Galloway also came off the interchange bench to start for Jack Buchanan.
Wests Tigers forced a mistake from the kick-off with Gold Coast prop Nate Myles dropping the ball in the first hit up. It gave the visitors a scrum feed inside the Titans' quarter.
Five-eighth Benji Marshall threatened the line from the scrum win in an acrossfield run. A few tackles later, a short pass from Marshall bounced forward off the chest of centre Blake Ayshford to give the Titans a scrum feed.
The Titans opened the scoring in the 7th minute when centre Jamie Dowling outleapt winger David Nofoaluma to defuse a crossfield kick to score. Half-back Aidan Sezer converted for a 6-0 lead.
Three minutes later, Wests Tigers hit back when second-rower Liam Fulton outleapt Dowling to defuse a crossfield kick from half-back Braith Anasta to score. Marshall converted the try for a 6-all scoreline.
The Titans regained the lead in the 13th minute when full-back David Mead crossed over from a short pass. Sezer converted the try to give the Titans a 12-6 lead after 15 minutes.
Curtis Sironen entered the game at the 30th minute mark after Coach Mick Potter elected to go with Braith Anasta as the starting half-back in a late reshuffle before the game.
The Titans went to a 16-6 lead in the 32nd minute when centre Brad Takairangi was put in a short hole after Wests Tigers centre Chris Lawrence was caught out in defence. Sezer failed to convert the try.
Sezer converted a penalty goal from in front of the posts in the 36th minute for an 18-6 lead after Wests Tigers forward Ava Seumanufagai was penalised for holding down Takairangi down too long in a tackle.
Gold Coast extended their lead to 22-6 in the 37th minute when hooker Beau Falloon turned an inside ball from from dummy half to see forward David Taylor crash through Fulton to score. Sezer converted for a 24-6 lead after 39 minutes.
2nd Half
Farah had his left hand strapped at half-time after suffering a dislocated knuckle late in the first half. He returned to the bench.
Wests Tigers blew two possible tryscoring opportunities after the final passes from Lawrence missed winger Tim Simona within minutes of each other midway through the second half.
Farah headed for the dressing room in the 64th minute, taking no further part in the game with the dislocated knuckle injury.
The Titans were awarded a try to second-rower Mark Minichiello in the 65th minute when he pushed through three defenders to score from close range. Sezer converted the try for a 30-6 scoreline.
Gold Coast went to a 34-6 lead in the 76th minute when five-eighth Ashley Harrison put Luke O'Dwyer through a gap between Lawrence and Anasta to score out wide. Sezer coverted the try for a 36-6 scoreline.
In a late team shuffle, coach Mick Potter dropped half-back Curtis Sironen to the interchange bench to promote Braith Anasta to start the game. Prop Keith Galloway also came off the interchange bench to start for Jack Buchanan.
Wests Tigers forced a mistake from the kick-off with Gold Coast prop Nate Myles dropping the ball in the first hit up. It gave the visitors a scrum feed inside the Titans' quarter.
Five-eighth Benji Marshall threatened the line from the scrum win in an acrossfield run. A few tackles later, a short pass from Marshall bounced forward off the chest of centre Blake Ayshford to give the Titans a scrum feed.
The Titans opened the scoring in the 7th minute when centre Jamie Dowling outleapt winger David Nofoaluma to defuse a crossfield kick to score. Half-back Aidan Sezer converted for a 6-0 lead.
Three minutes later, Wests Tigers hit back when second-rower Liam Fulton outleapt Dowling to defuse a crossfield kick from half-back Braith Anasta to score. Marshall converted the try for a 6-all scoreline.
The Titans regained the lead in the 13th minute when full-back David Mead crossed over from a short pass. Sezer converted the try to give the Titans a 12-6 lead after 15 minutes.
Curtis Sironen entered the game at the 30th minute mark after Coach Mick Potter elected to go with Braith Anasta as the starting half-back in a late reshuffle before the game.
The Titans went to a 16-6 lead in the 32nd minute when centre Brad Takairangi was put in a short hole after Wests Tigers centre Chris Lawrence was caught out in defence. Sezer failed to convert the try.
Sezer converted a penalty goal from in front of the posts in the 36th minute for an 18-6 lead after Wests Tigers forward Ava Seumanufagai was penalised for holding down Takairangi down too long in a tackle.
Gold Coast extended their lead to 22-6 in the 37th minute when hooker Beau Falloon turned an inside ball from from dummy half to see forward David Taylor crash through Fulton to score. Sezer converted for a 24-6 lead after 39 minutes.
2nd Half
Farah had his left hand strapped at half-time after suffering a dislocated knuckle late in the first half. He returned to the bench.
Wests Tigers blew two possible tryscoring opportunities after the final passes from Lawrence missed winger Tim Simona within minutes of each other midway through the second half.
Farah headed for the dressing room in the 64th minute, taking no further part in the game with the dislocated knuckle injury.
The Titans were awarded a try to second-rower Mark Minichiello in the 65th minute when he pushed through three defenders to score from close range. Sezer converted the try for a 30-6 scoreline.
Gold Coast went to a 34-6 lead in the 76th minute when five-eighth Ashley Harrison put Luke O'Dwyer through a gap between Lawrence and Anasta to score out wide. Sezer coverted the try for a 36-6 scoreline.
