Rogers stars as Titans too slick for bumbling Warriors

The Gold Coast Titans have used the wet and windy conditions much better in New Zealand to record a memorable 28-20 victory over the Warriors at Mount Smart.

New Zealand would be the first to work the score attendant when James Maloney put a grubber through for his captain Simon Mannering and kicked the conversion making it six. A solo effort from Lance Hohaia doubled their advantage after only sixteen minutes. Scott Prince would claw the Titans make though with a kick behind for new recruit Steve Michaels, who would get his second try from a pin-point Prince kick to give a 12 all scoreline at halftime.

The Warriors would start the second half much like the first, with a try this time to their talasman Manu Vatuvei, who leaped above the pack to score. Maloney would miss the kick in a forgettable day for the young five-eighth, making a few crucial errors.

The Gold Coast would go back to back to ice the when the hero from last week Mat Rogers who burst onto a Scott Prince pass to give the Titans the lead for the first time in the game. William Zillman would put the dagger through the Warriors heart when an errant kick from Seymour landed in Brown's hand and he tried a kick of his own which landed for Zillman to race away.

Mat Rogers was on cloud 9 and it showed when he tried an enormous penalty goal from halfway which got waved away. Brett Seymour would give his side a slight sniff when he sliced through the Titans defence make the advantage eight and thats how it would stay because Maloney missed the kick and that would give us the final score of 28-20 to the Gold Coast Titans.

Match Details
New Zealand Warriors 20 were defeated by Gold Coast Titans 28
National Rugby League - NRL - Round 21 - Sunday August 1, 2010 12:00pm
Venue: Mt Smart Stadium
Referee: Tony Archer and Alan Shortall
Video Referee: Steve Clark
Touch Judges: Steve Carrall and Adam Gee
Crowd: 12,017
Halftime: New Zealand Warriors 12 Gold Coast Titans 12

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Mat Rogers (2 Tries)
2 Points - Steve Michaels (2 Tries)
1 Point - Matthew White

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS (20)
Tries: Brett Seymour, Lance Hohaia, Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei
Conversions: James Maloney (2/4)

GOLD COAST TITANS (28)
Tries: Steve Michaels (2), Mat Rogers (2), William Zillman
Conversions: Scott Prince (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Mat Rogers (0/1)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Welcome to a cold Mount Smart Stadium, with a crucial clash between the New Zealand Warriors and the Gold Coast Titans. Both sides would be looking for a victory to keep touch with the top 8 and the finals.
Only cosmetic changes for both sides; Warriors starting with Lillyman over Ukuma Ta'ai and Gold Coast starting Matthew White instead of Michael Henderson.
New Zealand continued thier winning ways in the under 20s competition, roming home with a 30 points to 14 victory.
1 min: The Gold Coast have made their way onto the park, ready to kick off, and now are joined by the home side ready to recieve the kick-off.
1 min: The referee blows time on and here we go.
1 min: Only two tackles into the game and we have a mistake, Russell Packer doesn't play the ball properly. Gold Coast have a great opportunity but spill it themselves.
5 min: Tony Archer uses his whistle early and gives the Titans their first penalty, Warriors offside.
6 min: Sloppy play from the Titans, Campbell tries to spread it wide but slips and throws it forward.
7 min: Smart work by Lance Hohaia dabbling it near the in-goal allowing his chasers to trap Preston in goal.
11 min: TRY
Some good work from Maloney with a grubber through the line and it bounces favourably for Mannering to touch down for first points. Maloney opens his account with a successful conversion.
New Zealand Warriors 6-0
12 min: Jacob Lillyman could be in some serious trouble, screaming in with a high shot on Kevin Gordon. Penalty sufficent, not on report.
13 min: Anthony Laffranchi is pinged for hands in the ruck, one of Archers pet hates according to the commentators.
Lance Hohaia could have the Warriors second, just checking with the video referee for the put down.
16 min: TRY
It's given! Lance Hohaia jinks his way through some flimsy defence and slams the ball down. Maloney makes it two from two with this conversion.
New Zealand Warriors 12-0
17 min: A short and powerfully hit kick-off is spilled by Brent Tate, offering the Titans a chance to make amends.
Steve Michaels could have his first try as a Gold Coast Titan, checking the grounding.
19 min: TRY
The kick behind the defence does it again. This time Prince gets it behind the defence and has Michaels waiting for the ball, scoring his first as a titan. Prince kicks the easy conversion from besides the sticks.
New Zealand Warriors 12-6
20 min: Dear oh dear, James Maloney who's had a bright start, gets too much on the kick and it goes out on the full.
22 min: Warriors were building nicely there with a series of passes but Lewis Brown drops a simple catch.
24 min: Manu Vatuvei brings the excitement. Brett Seymour launches one high for Vatuvei who swallows it and offloads to Brown who tries to grubber for himself but Campbell saves the day like usual.
25 min: Warriors try to spread it wide but Michaels rushes up and forces Maloney to juggle and drops the pill.
27 min: Nathan Friend shoots down the blind and pinches several metres but undoes all that work with an error. Maloney though has some handling issues dropping a second.
29 min: Prince puts a pin point kick into the corner for Hohaia who struggles to get out but it's deemed the Titans defenders had a second go at the tackle thus a penalty.
30 min: Back to back penalties with Minichiello caught out for being "heads up". Warriors deep on the attack.
31 min: Ukuma Ta'ai strayed a tad forward and took a pass, it's ruled and the Titans get a reprieve.
Steve Michaels could have his second, checking if it's knocked on and if any Warriors player is taken out.
35 min: TRY
They have shown the green light! Rogers is deemed to have touched the ball from a precise Prince kick and it bounces for Michaels who strolls over. Prince has no troubles from in front.
12 all
40 min: Some exciting play to end the first half. Warriors force an error and a penalty but while they tried to spread it wide, it's intercepted and the Titans run down the clock, giving us a 12 all scoreline at oranges.
41 min: The Titans await already on the field and here comes the Warriors who will kick it off for the second stanza.
41 min: The second half starts much like the first with an error in the first set.
44 min: TRY
A great kick from Seymour allows Manu to jump and beat both Titan players to the ball and score. Maloney misses his first for the day.
New Zealand Warriors 16-12
47 min: Gold Coast have lost their way early in the second half, a few fumbles and a forward pass have given the Warriors prime real estate to pitch a tent.
49 min: The Titans have made a meal of this bomb from Maloney have gifted the Warriors another set.
51 min: Some great defence from the Titans to repell a few attacking raids from the Warriors and ending the raid by taking Bill Tupou over the touchline.
52 min: Not a place where you want to drop the ball, Manu Vatuvei gifts the Titans a chance at the line, with a sloppy play the ball.
53 min: Gold Coast attack the line with a series of passes but it's curtailed when Friend knocks the ball on.
56 min: Scott Prince controlling the play at the moment, dabbling a kick into the in-goal, with Maloney being swarmed on and trapped.
59 min: TRY
The Warriors were guilty of some ball watching there as they let Prince crab across field until he found a runner in golden point hero Mat Rogers who has an easy passage to the tryline. Prince puts his side ahead with a simple conversion.
Gold Coast Titans 18-16
65 min: TRY
Some fortune for the Titans here, with Manu batting back a kick to Brown who tried a grubber for himself but it only ended up rebounding off Zillman's shins and he picked it up to score a runaway. Prince puts the conversion wide, giving the Warriors a sniff.
Gold Coast Titans 22-16
68 min: Mat Rogers pushes home the Titans advantage with a large 40/20 kick.
Mat Rogers could have his second of the afternoon but first we're checking the grounding.
69 min: NO TRY! Lance Hohaia forced the ball first, so it'll be a goal line dropout.
70 min: Gold Coast will get a bonus set of six after an accidental offside from the Warriors.
We're going upstairs again, Rogers again could have his second but checking the obstruction and grounding.
73 min: TRY
Rogers has repeated the dose on the Warriors this time off a worked play from Scott Prince. He beat two defenders to finally get the ball down and it was green lighted by the video referee. Prince slots it easily and gives the Titans a twelve point buffer, a long way back for the Warriors with not much time left.
Gold Coast Titans 28-16
74 min: PENALTY GOAL ATTEMPT
They've gone to pieces here the Warriors trying to get it back from a shallow restart but it fails. The Titans key man have a discussion and decide on the penalty goal. He misses the kick though.
Gold Coast Titans 28-16
74 min: Seymour chances his arm on the last with a chip kick for Brent Tate who flings it backwards with a Titans player knocking the ball on.
75 min: Warriors go for the trusted kick for Vatuvei but along the ground and it's recovered by Toopi who takes it dead.
Brett Seymour could have a try to get the Warriors back into this.
77 min: TRY
The pressure has finally told on the Titans with Seymour slicing through the defence and slamming it down. Maloney was never getting the kick and it went wide.
Gold Coast Titans 28-20
79 min: James Maloney finishes an unhappy match with a knock on from the scrumbase, Titans might put on something special to finish on.
80 min: Nothing special to finish here, Campbell takes the final tackle as the hooter sounds for a memorable Titans victory.