Gallen injured as Titans sneak home

In an opening round punctuated by injuries to star players, Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen joined a growing casualty ward when he limped off in the 38th minute of his side's 18-12 loss to the Gold Coast Titans.

Gallen was helped up the tunnel by two trainers after suffering what is believed to be an ankle syndesmosis injury which could see him sidelined for some time. He told Fox Sports commentator Andy Raymond that he instantly knew something was wrong when his right leg buckled.

"I felt something crack or give. I'll have scans tomorrow and see what happens," he said.

Despite defending their line as tackles inside their own 20-metre zone mounted to 29, the Sharks opened the scoring in the 15th minute through Roosters recruit Tinirau Arona. Gallen took the ball to the Titans defence before offloading out the back. With a staggered defensive line approaching, Arona stepped off his left foot and sliced through, winning the race to the corner.

Gallen's New South Wales teammate, and good mate Greg Bird hit back for the Titans minutes later when he dived over from close range, beating the desperate attempted tackles from Daniel Holdsworth and Matt Prior to score out wide.

The Titans took a four-point lead to the break when halfback Albert Kelly swooped on an Isaac De Gois pass out of dummy half as his side defended their tryline. Kelly raced 95 metres to score up the other end as Michael Gordon chased in vain.

An ugly second half was punctuated by errors from both sides but Sharks five-eighth Wade Graham put his side back in front in the 51st minute after timing his run perfectly to latch onto a Daniel Holdsworth grubber kick.

Unfortunately for the Sharks and their fans they couldn't hold on and William Zillman's try in the 71st minute proved decisive as the Titans held on for a valuable six-point victory.

Titans halfback Albert Kelly was adjudged man of the match and told Fox Sports after the game it was an important win. "It was an ugly game, but credit to the boys for getting the job done," he said

Match Details
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12 Gold Coast Titans 18
Venue: Remondis Stadium
Crowd: 9321
Halftime Score: Titans 8 Sharks 6

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - Albert Kelly
2 points - Greg Bird
1 point - Wade Graham

CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (12)
Tries: Tinirau Arona, Wade Graham
Conversions: Michael Gordon (2/2)

GOLD COAST TITANS (18)
Tries: Greg Bird, Albert Kelly, William Zillman
Field Goals: Aidan Sezer (0/1)
Conversions: Aidan Sezer (2/3)
Penalty Goals: Aidan Sezer (1/1)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

1: Both sides out on the park, and it will be the Titans to get us underway tonight.

2: Holdsworth puts boot to ball and it's a mistake free set from the Sharks to start the match.

4: PENALTY Titans. The visitors will get their first chance inside Sharks territory.

5: UNFORCED ERROR GOLD COAST TITANS
Albert Kelly makes an unforced error.
The Titans move the ball to the left from Falloon to Kelly at first receiver and the halfback puts the ball down.

5: Matt Prior puts the ball down in a solid tackle. Titans back on the attack after the scrum.

6: Sezer goes to the air but Graham comes up with the catch.

8: Kelly kicks toward Gordon but Wright takes the ball above his head to defuse the situation.

10: Holdsworth puts too much on the kick and it rolls over the deadball line. Titans 20m restart.

10: Kelly grubbers into the in-goal where Graham picks up possession before being forced in-goal. Sharks dropout.

11: PENALTY Titans. Fifita all over the tackled player.

11: PENALTY Titans. John Morris not square at marker.

12: Trysaver from Graham prevents a certain try.

12: Feki picks up Zillman's kick into the in-goal before beating several chasers. Unfortunately for the Sharks the winger is then bundled into touch. Titans scrum.

14: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Titans try. Falloon dummies out of dummy half before forcing his way into the in-goal. Checking grounding.

14: A trysaving effort by Paul Gallen dislodges the ball from Falloon's grasp and the Sharks repel the Titans again.

15: PENALTY Sharks. Sezer not square at marker as the ball comes free.

16: TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Scored by Tinirau Arona. Kick to come.
Arona opens the scoring for the Sharks after skipper Gallen forces a ball out the back. The former Rooster showed fancy footwork to score out wide.

17: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Conversion attempt by Michael Gordon successful.
Gordon adds the extras from 20m in from touch to extend the lead out to a converted try.

19: Gordon takes Holdsworth's bomb well 20m from his own line.

19: Bird puts the ball down in a tackle from Bryce Gibbs and John Morris. Sharks scrum.

21: PENALTY Sharks. Myles all over the tackled player.

21: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Sharks try.

21: No try. Wright puts his foot on the touch in-goal line just before scoring in the corner.

22: Kelly slices through the Sharks defence before Gordon comes up with a trysaver. His pass to Bird is then knocked on.

22: Bryce Gibbs is off to the blood bin with a significant cut on the top of his head.

23: Holdsworth's towering bomb is again taken brilliantly by Gordon.

23: PENALTY Titans. Sharks offside on their own line.

24: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Titans try to Greg Bird.

24: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by Greg Bird. Kick to come.
Bird scores out wide, burrowing over underneath Prior and Holdsworth.

25: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Aiden Sezer adds the extras from beside the posts.

26: Kelly grubbers into the corner where Gordon picks up the ball for the Sharks.

27: The officials miss the forward pass from Falloon. Play continues.

28: PENALTY Titans. Markers not square as Sopoaga dives on the loose ball as the Titans didn't have a dummy half.

29: Kelly chases through after Sezers kick but knocks on. Sharks restart.

29: PENALTY Sharks. Titans offside following the quick restart.

30: PENALTY Sharks. Greg Bird penalised for taking out Gallen after he passed.

30: Gallen grimaces after being buckled over in a tackle and is limping in back play.

31: Gallen leaves the field as the Sharks get a penalty following Gordon spilling the cross-field bomb.

32: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by Albert Kelly. Kick to come.
Albert Kelly swoops on a pass from De Gois out of dummy half and races 95 metres to score in the corner, outpacing Michael Gordon.

33: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer unsuccessful.
Sezer can't convert from the sideline.

35: Bird picks up the loose ball on the last tackle and kicks it out on the full. Scrappy end to the set for the Titans.

35: Tagatese puts down the short pass from Arona. Titans scrum.

36: Bird loses the ball in the tackle but it is ruled to have gone backwards as Falloon picks it up.

37: Sezer throws a pass which is ruled forward. Tough call on the Titans.

38: Holdsworth's bomb is knocked on by the Sharks in the Titans in-goal. Titans restart.

40: Halftime here at Remondis and the Titans will take a four-point lead to the sheds. News coming out of the Sharks camp is that Paul Gallen has suffered a right ankle injury and will not return.

40: Ankle syndesmosis is the diagnosis coming out of the Sharks camp at halftime courtesy of Andy Raymond at Fox Sports.

41: Back underway for the second half.

41: The Titans throw the ball around on the last and Kelly tries to weave his magic but his speculative pass is forward.

41: An error from the Sharks hands possession straight back.

42: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Titans try to Albert Kelly.

42: No try. Kelly is ruled to have not regained control of the ball after attempting to stretch out and plant the ball on the line.

42: No try. Kelly is ruled to have not regained control of the ball after attempting to stretch out and plant the ball on the line.

42: No try. Kelly is ruled to have not regained control of the ball after attempting to stretch out and plant the ball on the line.

47: Tagatese is ruled to have taken Sezer out after passing and then the Titans second-man play sees the ball shifted to Mead who can't handle the ball.

48: The Sharks move the ball downfield through Leutele.

49: Holdsworth puts boot to ball and it almost ends up in Botany Bay. Titans 20m restart.

49: Titans knock on through Paul Carter. Sharks scrum.

49: PENALTY Sharks. Home side to go on the attack.

51: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Sharks try to Wade Graham.

51: TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Scored by Wade Graham. Kick to come.
Wade Graham locks us up at Remondis after charging onto a perfectly weighted grubber from Holdsworth.

52: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Conversion attempt by Michael Gordon successful.
Gordon puts the Sharks back in front by adding the extras from beside the posts.

53: PENALTY Titans. Vave takes out Zillman as he camped underneath Holdsworth's bomb.

54: Minichiello is hit in a solid tackle by Graham but the penalty is given for a player being tackled without the ball.

55: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL GOLD COAST TITANS
Penalty goal attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Sezer locks us up again with a 40-metre penalty goal.

57: The Titans knock the ball on as they chase through after a towering bomb. Sharks ball.

59: Kelly's kick trickles touch in goal. Sharks 20m restart.

59: Zillman is taken out by the Sharks defenders but the referees somehow rule play on. Six more for the Sharks.

61: Pin-ball effect after the Holdsworth kick sees a knock-on from Zillman. Sharks 10m scrum.

62: Holdsworth throws a forward pass on the last tackle and the Titans survive.

62: PENALTY Titans. Fifita makes no effort to roll out of the ruck.

66: Fitita looks to offload and knocks on. Titans scrum.

68: The Titans show nothing in attack in that set and give the ball back to the Sharks. 20m restart.

70: PENALTY Titans. Fifita is ruled to have come in with a shoulder charge on Mead.

71: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Titans try.

71: TRY GOLD COAST TITANS
Scored by William Zillman. Kick to come.
Zillman puts the Titans back in front after Kelly's kick rebounds off Wade Graham and into the Titans fullback's arms.

72: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION GOLD COAST TITANS
Conversion attempt by Aidan Sezer successful.
Sezer squeezes the conversion attempt from out wide inside the right upright.

73: UNSUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL GOLD COAST TITANS
Field goal attempt by Aidan Sezer unsuccessful.
Sezer has an attempt at field goal from 40m which misses to the left.

78: Inside the final two minutes and the Sharks need a miracle as Fifita knocks on.

79: The Sharks need to go the length of the field in three tackles.

80: Fulltime at Remondis Stadium and it's the Titans 18 who have defeated the Sharks 12.