A classy performance from the Gold Coast Titans has seen them notch their maiden victory today, holding out a late comeback from the Roosters to win 26-16 in Wollongong.
It was a fast start from the Titans - Jasmine Peters fighting her way to the line after six minutes, the experienced Karina Brown following suit after 12 minutes. Zara Canfield converted the first - but not the second - for a 10-0 lead inside fifteen minutes.
Not to be counted out, the Roosters hit back after 22 minutes with Leianne Tufuga crossing after Jess Sergis helped create an overlap. Southwell kicked a superb touchline conversion to narrow the gap to four, but only two minutes later the Gold Coast pushed the margin back out to ten with Tazmin Gray pushing her way over.
Neither side troubled the scorers again until 15 minutes after halftime, when player of the match Brittany Breayley-Nati ducked through some poor Roosters defence to get out to a game-high 16-point lead with 20 minutes on the clock after her wife Kimiora converted the try.
From there, the Roosters slowly clawed their way back into the contest. Sarah Togatuki used her strength to get the Tricolours' second try not long after Breayley-Nati's effort, and then inside the final five minutes Olivia Kernick scoring after a good line run.
It would be Brittany Breayley-Nati who would snuff out any hopes for the two-time Grand Finalists however, scoring on fulltime to bring the final scoreline to 26-16.
The Titans are off to Commbank Stadium next Sunday afternoon as part of a triple header which sees them face the Eels in both NRLW and NRLM, with the Dragons-Broncos match being played before both. For the Roosters it's a home game, being played against Newcastle as an NRLW-NRLM double header.