Titans draw sword late to put away Panthers

with additional reporting by Tim Costello

The Gold Coast Titans have recorded their third win of the season after a late try blitz crushed the Penrith Panthers 32-6 in front of 9,244 people on the glitter strip.

Matt Moylan started the game at his dazzling best. Early on he took a quick tap and raced 50 metres to establish a Panthers attacking raid before finishing the set with a deft grubber kick that earned his side a repeat set.

So it was no surprise that Moylan was the man to set up his sides first try in the seventh minute. Faking to throw a long ball to Josh Mansour, the classy fullback went short and hit Waqa Blake on the chest who went over untouched from five metres out.

It took awhile for the Titans to warm into the game and gain good field position. But when they did, the Panthers were punished. In the 17th minute rookie halfback Kane Elgey took the ball to the line and rolled in a pinpoint grubber for a flying William Zillman, who planted it down doubly.

The Titans struck again in the 28th minute when Kierran Mosley attacked the short side from dummy half and shifted the Steeden to Elgey, who threw a lovely inside ball to Josh Hoffman who bashed through a couple of defenders and dived over from close range.

Neither side were able to trouble the scoreboard attended again for the remainder of the first stanza as the Titans went into the sheds up 10-6. The opening 40 can be summed up as entertaining but loose. A combined 17 errors and 12 penalties dogged the flow of the game and both sides would have been given a rocket from their coaches at the break regarding discipline.

Neil Henry and Ivan Cleary must think their players' ears are painted on, because both teams came out still throwing the ball around willy-nilly.

With the game slumbered in an error riddled arm wrestle, It was the Titans who were able to finally hold onto the pill and make their possession count.

The game exploded into life in the 61st minute when Zillman found some space after collecting a dropped Panthers ball and raced half of the field. In the resulting tackle Isaah Yeo was sin binned for slowing down the play the ball. The Titans opted to take the shot at goal from the penalty to make it 12-6.

The Titans then made it an eight-point game just four minutes later as Sezer kicked another penalty goal after Reagan Campbell-Gillard was found guilty of lying in the ruck right in front of the posts.

‘Jimmy the Jet' James Roberts was finally able to impact the game when he crossed the line in the 69th minute. Ryan James caught a spiralling Elgey bomb and then offloaded to Luke Douglas who put Roberts over just next to the sticks.

The home side put the game beyond doubt in the 75th minute when Sezer rolled through a bending grubber kick that bemused the approaching Isaac John. This allowed Hoffman to steam through and ground the ball for his second try.

Zillman was also able to get a double when he went 80 metres in the 78th minute after swooping on an attempted John chip kick to put the icing on the cake. The 32-6 victory for the Titans makes their 40-0 loss to the Panthers in round two a distant memory.

Next week the Titans open a blockbuster ANZAC day against the Warriors in Auckland, whilst the Panthers host a renewed Sharks side in Sunday football.

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - Kane Elgey
2 points - William Zillman
1 point - Ryan James

GOLD COAST TITANS (32)
Tries: William Zillman (2), Josh Hoffman (2), James Roberts
Conversions: Aidan Sezer (3/4), Greg Bird (1/1)
Penalty Goals: Aidan Sezer (2/2)

PENRITH PANTHERS (6)
Tries: Waqa Blake
Conversions: Matt Moylan (1/1)

Welcome to our live coverage of Super Saturday gang! First up we are at the Gold Coast for the Titans v Panthers.

Nate Myles and Elijah Taylor have both been ruled out. Agnatius Paasi and Bryce Cartwright are the replacements

1: Underway on the glitter strip!

2: Sika Manu gives away an early penalty

4: Matt Moylan blitzes the Titans defence with a quick tap and races 50 metres

5: Panthers earn a repeat set on the Titans line after a Moylan grubber

6: TRY PENRITH PANTHERS
Scored by Waqa Blake. Kick to come.
Waqa Blake is put through a gaping hole and that's the opener for Penrith.

8: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION PENRITH PANTHERS
Conversion attempt by Matt Moylan successful.
Moylan nails the extras to give Penrith an early six point lead.

17: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by William Zillman. Kick to come.
Zillman! Beautiful grubber from Elgey sneaks through the Panthers line and Zillman is there to collect and score!

17: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer unsuccessful.
Sezer can't convert, Titans trail by two.

21: Titans pinged for a forward pass while attempting a wrap-around play 10m out. Penrith scrum.

24: Dave Taylor with a high tackle on Waqa Blake. Penalty Penrith, this will put them on the attack.

25: Penrith caught with it on the last. Titans handover... and now a penalty for the home side.

27: A high ball to test Josh Mansour... but he's up to the task. Penrith work it off their own line.

28: James Segeyaro attempts a 40/20 and it's miraculously saved by Anthony Don, who taps it back in field, collects it and returns.

29: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by Josh Hoffman. Kick to come.
Elgey again with a great move, this time dummies outside before turning it in for Hoffman to crash over!

30: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
No trouble this time for Sezer.

31: Penrith with a penalty and they start a set from just 20m out from the Titans line.

32: UNFORCED ERROR PENRITH PANTHERS
Robert Jennings makes an unforced error.
Jennings with a loose carry and he loses control of the ball in the tackle.

35: Penalties galore today. Penrith with one here near halfway.

36: And another one. Eleven so far, James and Maxwell whistle happy....

36: Oh dear. Make that twelve. Penrith right on the Titans line here with a full set.

39: A moment of comic relief as Josh Mansour loses his dacks in a tackle.

40: Penrith with the last possession of the half but nothing doing there either. Double knock-on to take us to the sheds.

Both sides make their way back out to Cbus Super Stadium. Anyone's game this.

41: We're back underway, Titans will be first with the ball.

43: Time off briefly after Josh Hoffman goes to ground after falling awkwardly in a tackle. He's up and ok, and at the end of that set, Elgey's long kick goes out on the full. Penrith ball inside Titans' territory.

44: UNFORCED ERROR PENRITH PANTHERS
Tyrone Peachey makes an unforced error.
Peachey tries an offload and can't get it away right. Titans scrum.

47: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
Kane Elgey makes an unforced error.
Koroisau tries a kick near halfway - James charges it down but then Elgey spills it. Penrith scrum.

48: VIDEO REFEREE - possible NO TRY for the Panthers. Checking onside and contest.

48: It remains NO TRY. The way Blake has dragged it down in the contest, despite facing backwards, is a knock-on. Titans scrum.

48: Ryan Simpkins has been crushed in a gang tackle and looks to have sustained a leg injury, and now carried off. Play on though, nothing illegal in the tackle.

53: First 40 minutes: 12 penalties.
12 minutes since halftime: 1 penalty.

55: Titans with a nice move to the left but Elgey's long pass to Anthony Don out wide is forward. Penrith scrum near halfway.

57: Penrith force a line drop-out off a cheeky kick from Peachey.

58: Penrith spill it on the last after claiming a last-tackle kick... handover Titans.

61: SIN BIN
Isaah Yeo is sent to the sin bin.
Titans' with a break from Zillman, Hoffman backs him up then when Falloon is tackled, Isaah Yeo holds him down too long. Ten in the bin!

62: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL GOLD COAST TITANS
Penalty goal attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Right in front that penalty and the Titans go six in front and have an extra man for the next ten minutes.

64: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
William Zillman makes an unforced error.
Titans away, Elgey finds Don who kicks it in-field for Zillman, who claims it... and drops it! Penrith scrum 10m out from their own line.

67: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL GOLD COAST TITANS
Penalty goal attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Another penalty for the Titans bang in front and Sezer extends the lead to 8.

69: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by James Roberts. Kick to come.
The Panthers hang back off a bomb, Ryan James enters the contest for it - they offload twice from there and Roberts is over!

70: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Wowee. The conversion from next to the posts and suddenly the Titans have gone from four in front to fourteen in front with just ten left...

73: Penrith can't handle it on the attack and you'd think that's the game. Titans dominating.

75: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by Josh Hoffman. Kick to come.
Sezer with a superb grubber through the line which fools the Panthers backs on the bounce, and Hoffman races through to get it down. Video referee gives him green lights.

76: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
No issues for Sezer, and now a twenty point victory staring the Titans in the face. What a turnaround!

78: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by William Zillman. Kick to come.
Zillman runs 60m untouched... wow!

80: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Greg Bird successful.
And there we go. A 26-point victory for the Titans. Bird converts and Round 2 seems like a distant memory.