Richards Breaks Titans Hearts

A Pat Richards field goal in the 79th minute has sealed the game for the Wests Tigers, as they scraped a win from the embattled Gold Coast Titans, 19-18.

In what turned out to be a messy affair, James Roberts opened the scoring for the match in the 5th minute, after capitalising on a brilliant kick from Daniel Mortimer.

The score remained at 4-0 until the 30th minute, when Pat Richards muscled his way over in the corner to even things up. He added the extras, and the Tigers took the lead.

The Titans stuck their noses back in front just before halftime, as Ryan James barged his way over the line after one of many Tigers unforced errors, to go to half time leading 12-6.

The Tigers started strongly in the second half, with another try to Pat Richards in the 49th minute, before he converted his own try to again level the scores. A try to James Tedesco in the 57th minute pushed his team in front.

With 12 minutes to go in the game, and with the Tigers leading 18-12, a flying Mitchell Moses hammered Williams Zillman in a coat-hanger "tackle". Zillman was able to get to his feet, however Moses was placed on report, and narrowly avoided a send-off. Titans Coach Neil Henry bit his tongue when asked if he thought it was send off offence, but his opinion was an easy one to read.

In response, the Titans scored through James Roberts with 10 minutes remaining in the match. Aidan Sezer nailed the conversion from the sideline to tie the score up at 18 all, and the game looked to be destined for extra time.

Instead, Tigers winger Pat Richards decided to take matters into his own hands, nailing a field goal from 40 metres out to seal the game for his team, and further shatter the hearts of the Titans faithful.

The Titans will regroup to take on the Penrith Panthers next Saturday night, while the Tigers will head back home for their clash with the St George Illawarra Dragons in Monday night football.

GOLD COAST TITANS (18)
Tries: James Roberts (2), Ryan James
Field Goals:
Conversions: Aidan Sezer (2/3)
Penalty Goals: Aidan Sezer (1/1)

WESTS TIGERS (19)
Tries: Pat Richards (2), James Tedesco
Field Goals: Pat Richards (1/1)
Conversions: Pat Richards (2/2)
Penalty Goals: Pat Richards (1/1)

Hello and Welcome to CBUS stadium for this Round 1 clash. It's 29 and still hot and humid on ‘the Coast'.
Tonight's match sees an understrength Titans up against a Tigers outfit that many tipsters have already decided are unlikely to make the 8. Although the forward clash usually decides these early season matches, the Tiger's halves are the x-factor for tonight's match. They have skill and speed to burn coupled with the confidence of youth. On the other side, the Titans sacked their first choice Number 7 and his replacement Daniel Mortimer, while experienced, is surely only a stopgap half. As both sets of forwards tire, tries should come thick and fast. Late change in Tigers backline with Karl Lovett in 18 coming off the extended bench and moving into centres, to replace Chris Lawrence. Dean Halatau is replaced by Martin Taupau in Tigers scrum. Ex - warrior Agnatius Passi joins the Titans bench. ENJOY.

1: Running a little late at Cbus, with advertised starting time of 7pm. Players are running out, the crowd is up with hashtag Fill the Ground , going around Twitter.

1: Titans to Kick Off

3: Both Teams safely navigate their first sets!!

4: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Robbie Farah makes an unforced error.
Forward Pass from Dummy half.

5: Penalty to Titans, Offside in defence.

5: Repeat Offence. Titans start another 6.

7: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by James Roberts. Kick to come.
Try to Roberts racing onto the kick from Mortimer.

10: Penalty to Titans, player taken out after putting up a bomb. Titans take the tap.

10: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer unsuccessful.
Hits the upright

11: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
William Zillman makes an unforced error.
Knock on in attack, concedes possession to Tigers.

12: Penalty to Tigers, Titans Offside.

12: Penalty Tigers , they go on the attack.

14: Tigers keep pressure on - Farrer kick, sees Titans, dropping out from under posts.

16: Forward pass, ends Tigers attack. Titans breath a sigh of relief.

16: Now Kevin Gordon knocks on, on an early tackle, Tigers into attack.

17: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Curtis Sironen makes an unforced error.
Curtis Sironen, knocks on, trying to score - Very close

19: Titans knock on again, all the forwards enjoy a rest , in the hot conditions.

20: Penalty Tigers, leg pull in the tackle. Attacking Set starts 30 mtrs out from Titans line.

21: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Brenden Santi makes an unforced error.
Loses ball in tackle. Titans very lucky. Sometimes that goes against the defenders.

22: Titans forwards ruck it out, crossing into Tigers territory. Ball in the air. Tigers claim ball.

24: Tigers on attack, but Brooks gets pinged for forward pass. Titans rucking out from their 40.

26: Ryan James , sent to sin-bin for professional foul on his line. Saved possible 6 points BUT now one man short for 10 minutes. Tigers go on attack.

28: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Pat Richards. Kick to come.
Pat Richards scores a try in left corner, too big too strong, too experienced.

29: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards successful.
Richards adds the extras to his own try.

31: James Tedesco, amazingly gets the ball back into play from in-goal , tigers run out the ball and then kick moving the play all the way to Titans 30.

33: UNFORCED ERROR WESTS TIGERS
Matthew Lodge makes an unforced error.
Dropped ball by Matthew Lodge, but the pass was not good one. Titans to go on attack.

35: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL GOLD COAST TITANS
Penalty goal attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Scores evened up at 6-6 with Penalty from in front.

37: Penalty to Titans, for strip in tackle - they go on the attack, from 10mtrs out.

39: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by Ryan James. Kick to come.
Ryan James barges over after yet another Tigers, dropped ball.

40: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Sezer nails the extras

40: Ryan James barges over after yet another Tigers, dropped ball and Aidan Sezer converts for half time score of Titans 12 - Tigers 6.

40: What a crazy half of Rugby League. The Titans have missed 18 tackles to the Tigers 5, yet the opposite is true in Errors with Tigers making 6 to Titans 3. Some commentators would call it a mistake-a-thon. The half time score is 12 - 6 to Titans, despite their being a man down for most of the last part of the half. Its certainly hard to get a handle on where this game will go. I said before the game that the Tigers halves would prove the difference on a hot tiring night and they along with Robbie Farah, need to do more in this next 40 minutes. If they do, they should take the crowd out of the match and finish over the top of the under-strength Titans.

40: Tigers kick off for the second 40.

40: Titans set takes them over half way and the kick is deep. Good start.

41: Tigers pay them back and Titans are now rucking out from their own line.

42: Time out as Ava Seumanufagai, stays down after a heavy tackle. He's being replaced under the concussion rule.

43: Titans ruck the ball out from their 30 and get a Penalty in the tackle, for an old fashioned flop. Attacking from Tigers 40.

45: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
Nate Myles makes an unforced error.
Knock on , but it was a bad pass to the Titans Captain.

46: Tigers on attack. Tackled in the in-goal, back to the 10.

49: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Pat Richards. Kick to come.
Pat Richards, scores his second try in the corner , just good passing and he scores untouched.

49: Pat Richards, scores his second try in the corner , just good passing and he scores untouched. Conversion fails. Score Titans 12 - Tigers 10.

56: Late tackle on kicker in mid air, sees Tigers awarded a Penalty. Tigers to shoot for Penalty Goal.

56: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL WESTS TIGERS
Penalty goal attempt by Pat Richards successful.
Easy kick for Richards, score 12-12.

57: 40/20 WESTS TIGERS
Robbie Farah kicks a 40/20.
Great Kick.

57: 40/20 to Robbie Farah, gives the tigers a great chance to attack.

57: Aaron Woods get desperately close but NO TRY. Score remains 12 - 12!! Tigers still on attack.

57: James Tedesco gets over in opposite corner and the Tigers have hit the front.

57: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by James Tedesco. Kick to come.
James Tedesco scores in the corner

57: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards successful.
Pat Richards converts from sideline. Score 18-12.

60: Less than 20 minutes to go and the Tigers will ruck out from their 20. Then a penalty and they find touch 32 mtrs out.from Titans line.

65: Titans on attack 15 mtrs out, but the ball is dropped by James Roberts. Tigers stay safe.

65: Score still 18-12 with Tigers on attack, but a dropped ball and change of possession sees William Zillman hit with a Coat Hanger, reflex tackle.

67: Mitchell Moses, on report, lucky to stay on field but Titans go attack with touch finder.

70: Brilliant conversion by Aidan Sezer and its all tied up here at Cbus. The 14,000 fans are making the noise of 30,000 as their try and get their team home.

68: James Roberts, dummies from dummy half, and skips over in corner. Its 18-16 with conversion attempt from sideline.

72: Former Rabbit, Eddy Pettybourne, coughs up the ball and gives the Tigers a chance they didn't deserve.

71: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by James Roberts. Kick to come.
James Roberts scores down the blindside

71: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Aidan Sezer converts from the sideline to equalise it

74: A scoring attempt by the Tigers is intercepted and with what seemed like a golden opportunity, the Titans knock on again. What a match this has developed into.

75: With 5 minutes of ordinary time to go, both teams are stuck in the middle of the ground , with sets moving between each others 30 mtr lines.

76: Titans get a penalty and go on the attack.

76: Setting up for a field goal, its charged down - 6 more tackles.

76: Under pressure Ryan James drops the ball and the Tigers are, off the hook.

77: Scrum on their own 10, Tigers have to go 90 mtrs.

77: 18-18 with 2 minutes to go!!

77: Golden point extra time looms in 1min.23 seconds.

79: Titans have knocked on and the Tigers will have the ball for the LAST set in Normal time.

79: 40 Seconds to go.

79: Setting up for a field goal.

80: Game, Set and Match , TIGERS!!!! Pat Richards kicks a field goal as the siren sounds.

80: Tigers win 19 - 18.

80: SUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL WESTS TIGERS
Field goal attempt by Pat Richards successful.
A brilliant night from Pat Richards is capped off with that magnificent field goal right on full time

80: The Tigers scrape a win here this evening, thanks to yet another performance with the boot from Pat Richards. Stay tuned for the match report.