Round 8: Dolphins v Titans preview
Dolphins and Titans meet with both sides looking to bounce back from losses
The Gold Coast Titans will travel up the road to meet The Dolphins in Brisbane on Sunday afternoon ANZAC Round football. The two teams both have eight competition points to their name, and with just two spots separating them on the ladder, this is sure to be an enthralling Queensland derby.
The Dolphins head into this game off the back of a mixed performance at their home ground against the South Sydney Rabbitohs. With the weight of possession and territory falling firmly in their favour in the opening stanza, they struggled to stay in the game in the second forty minutes. A sin bin didn't help their cause, and the Rabbitohs ran away 36-14 victors.
Kenny Bromwich will miss this week after taking an early guilty plea when faced with the dangerous contact charge that got him sin binned last round. He has lined up in every game so far for his new club, so how The Dolphins fare without him remains to be seen. Luckily for The Dolphins, his suspension lines up perfectly with the return of Felise Kaufusi from his own suspension.
Jarrod Wallace will make his return after sitting out last week with a concussion, and that has pushed JJ Collins to 18th man.
The Gold Coast Titans are aiming to bounce back from a similar performance to that of their opposition's. Despite taking an early lead against their ‘Big Brother' Brisbane, and holding that lead into the half-time break, they were well and truly played off the park in the second half. Going down 43-26 in a high-scoring encounter in front of nearly 27,000 home fans, the Titans will have to put up a better showing defensively this Sunday.
The Titans will hold some confidence, whether misplaced or not, heading into this game. The Gold Coast toppled The Dolphins back in the inaugural Pre-Season Challenge, winning 40-16 at Redcliffe. In that game, it was a standout four try haul for the then-yet-to-debut winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira which proved a big difference. This Sunday will be Khan-Pereira's 7th straight appearance in the NRL this season after making his debut in Round One.
Aaron Schoupp drops out of the Titans' 17, with Philip Sami shifting off the wing into the centres to cover him. Young outside back Jojo Fifita has been named on the wing, while star fullback AJ Brimson has been named among the reserves with his return from injury beckoning. Thomas Mikaele has returned from the Super League and will make his Titans' debut off the bench, with Klese Haas named alongside him. Jo Vuna and Iszac Fa'asuamaleaui drop out.
The Titans have won just nine of 33 matches they've played at Lang Park.
Last meeting: first meeting between these sides.
Who to watch: Isaiya Katoa has been turning heads in his rookie NRL season. In fact, he'd been doing it quite a few years before he signed with The Dolphins. So familiar was his name to the rugby league community that when he took to the field for his NRL debut in round one, I could've sworn he'd already made plenty of first class appearances. We forget that Katoa is just a handful of games into what will hopefully be a long and successful career in Rugby League. And if he can taste success under challenging circumstances in a new club, then he can taste success anywhere.
Thomas Mikaele makes his return to the NRL following a brief stint with the Warrington Wolves in the Super League. The former Tigers forward will be looking to revive his NRL career and make a statement in his comeback game, with Gold Coast fans hoping that he will make an impact off the bench. If he can re-adapt quickly back to the pace of the NRL then he can change the outcome of this game.
The favourite: The Dolphins are the narrow favourites to bounce back and win the two points at home this Sunday.
My tip: The Dolphins continued to show great signs even in defeat against South Sydney last week, and I think they can get back into the winner's circle this round. Dolphins by 8.
