Match Report: NRL Round 20 vs Titans

The Sea Eagles got off to a flying start before finding themselves trailing 28-14 at half time.

An injury to Tom Trbojevic 20 minutes into the match didn’t help matters, nor did a 68% completion rate.

Despite a second half riddled with errors Manly did outscore their opponents three tries to two after the break, but ran out of time

It took just two minutes for Manly to open the scoring following a break down the left edge from Ethan Bullemor.

A cross-field kick was then tapped back by a leaping Jason Saab into the waiting arms of Tom Trbojevic.

Jamal Fogarty added the extras to give Manly a 6-0 lead after just three minutes.

Manly scored their scored try a few minutes later. This time it was Turbo who turned provider, delivering a ball to Saab who raced down the western touchline to score. Unable to convert, Manly led 10-0 after six minutes.

The Titans were quick to hit back and scored after their first set in Manly’s end. Winger Dean Ieremia found himself on the end of a quick shift to the right, scoring in the northeastern corner.

The Titans went back-to-back in the 17th minute to level the scores after a break through Manly’s middle. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui did the initial damage with hooker Oliver Pascoe there in support.

Tom Trbojevic cut a forlorn figure as he walked from the field in the 20th minute after picking up a hamstring injury.  He played no further part in the match and will have scans on Monday.

Minutes later Manly were in again with Saab crossing for his second of the afternoon, after another long range break down the western touchline.  

It was almost a cut and paste from his previous try, but this time it was Garrick not Turbo who delivered the final pass before Saab hit top gear to streak away.

Manly could have added another try moments later but were unlucky to be called back for a forward pass from Lehi Hopoate.

The Titans, trailing 14-10, then scored three unanswered tries to seize control of the contest.

Fifteen minutes from the break Pascoe crossed for his second, burrowing over from close range to put the Titans ahead for the first time at 16-14.

Manly almost regained the lead in the 33rd minute when Josh Feledy was on the end of a quick shift to the left only for the ball to be dislodged in-goal.

From the very next set the Titans went the length of the field after finding space down Manly’s left edge.

The sequence finished with a converted try under the posts to centre Jojo Fifita, stretching the Titans lead out to 22-14.

On the stroke of half time the home side crossed for their fifth try when left centre AJ Brimson was deemed to have grounded a kick in goal inches before the dead-ball line.  With the added extras, the Titans led 28-14 at the break.

Both teams were guilty of making mistakes early in the second half, and unfortunately for Manly, many of their errors were compounded into points.

Joey Walsh made a nice break from the halfway line in the 48th minute but the pass was knocked on by his teammate in support.

Desperately needing to build pressure, Manly again conceded possession when Nathan Brown appeared to have the ball stripped in a tackle.

The half time score remained unchanged as the game entered the final half hour.

Haumole Olakau’atu scored Manly’s first points of the second half from close range in the 25th minute with Fogarty’s conversion reducing Manly’s deficit to eight points.

But in a matter of minutes the home side scored again when edge forward Beau Fermor poured through a yawning gap on Manly’s right edge to put his team ahead 34-20.

The try came immediately after Manly conceded a penalty for an escort, which handed the Titans their opportunity to strike.

Manly lost replacement forward Jackson Shereb to a failed HIA on the hour mark and not long after that they found their fifth try of the match.

When Titans fullback Keano Kini made a mess of a Fogarty bomb, Garrick was there to pounce, restoring the deficit to eight spoints.

With 15 minutes remaining the Titans led 34-26.

The Titans were reduced to 12 players with 12 minutes remaining when Ieremia was sent to the sin bin for a hip drop tackle on Tolu Koula.

A couple of minutes it was 12 on 12 when Feledy was marched for a professional foul after desperate tackle which stopped a long-range break by Brimson.

The Titans then extended their lead to 38-26 when Kini went in untouched in the southwestern corner.

The home side looked to have all but sealed victory a couple of minutes from full time when prop Moe Fotuaika crashed over only for the last pass to be ruled forward.

Koula crossed for Manly after a blistering 60-metre dash on the stroke of full time. Fogarty converted Koula's try to make the final score 38-32 in favour of the Gold Coast Titans.

Manly are back at 4 Pines Park on Sunday to face the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks on Golden Eagles Day.

More than one hundred former players will be in attendance as the club searches for its 1000th win, and 500th victory at Brookvale.