Round 10: Titans v Eels preview
Titans, Eels Look to Build on Dominant Displays in Magic Round
Both the Titans and the Eels went into last week with serious question marks over them. The Eels had just been given a reality check by a superior Broncos side, while the Titans equalled the record for largest blown lead in the NRL era, somehow choking what was at one point a 26-0 advantage.
Going into this week, both sides will be feeling much more satisfied with their recent accounts of themselves, the Eels dominating from start to finish against a poor Knights side, while the Titans built on their strong record in Brookvale to score a convincing upset win over Manly.
The main positive to be taken out of the Titans' performance last week is that they were able to go on with the job after a strong first half. The Gold Coast are currently sitting at 4 wins and 4 losses on the season, a record which has them in 10th place, but their ceiling is much higher than that.
In their four defeats, the Titans have led at half time in 3 of them and conceded two tries in the final four minutes of the first half in the remaining one. Of the 199 points they've conceded this season, a whopping 125 of them have come in the second halves of matches. These stats point to a team that has talent and potential, but lacks a backbone and resilience when things start going against them.
Against Manly, the Titans took a big lead into the break once again, but conceded a try within the first 10 minutes of the second half. Instead of folding like they usually do, the Titans dug in, turned momentum back in their favour, and scored two late tries of their own to win convincingly. Whether this is an anomaly or the new norm for the Gold Coast remains to be seen.
After nine rounds, the Eels sit in twelfth place with a lacklustre 4-5 record. Fans will be quick to point to the rough draw they've had, which granted has made things difficult for the 2022 grand finalists, but eventually they simply have to start winning games. Last week against the Knights, their blistering was once again on full display, scoring 30 first half points to effectively end the game before the break.
Parramatta's issue this season has never been their attack though. They've scored the third most points of anyone in the competition, yet their defence, particularly in the outside backs, has been nothing short of pitiful and is a large reason they are where they are on the table. Despite the big win last week, Brad Arthur has dropped centre Sean Russell to be replaced by Bailey Simonsson. The Titans edge attack is among the most lethal in the competition, so the Eels outside men will need to be up for the task if they are to prevent a shootout.
Last meeting: Round 5 2022 - Titans 20 Eels 26
Who to watch: Despite what you may hear in the media, David Fifita is consistently one of the Titans top performers and has been for some time. Last week he produced another vintage performance and was the best on ground in his sides big win, finishing with numbers of 19 runs for 185 metres (62 post contact), a line break, line break assist and try assist, 5 tackle breaks, 29 tackles for only 1 miss as well as a try of his own early when the game was still in the balance. What stands out in those stats in particular is the try assist; Fifita is known for his ability to break tackles and score tries from anywhere, but this season he's developed a neat passing game close to the line, which has allowed him to take advantage of the extra defensive attention he receives in those goal line situations. Against an Eels side which has struggled against players a few tiers below Fifita, expect another top-class performance from the big fella.
For the Eels, halfback Mitchell Moses enjoyed one of his best performances of the season against the Knights, making 3 line breaks, assisting a line break and a try, making 10 tackle breaks while also scoring a try of his own and nailing 7 conversions from 7 attempts. Moses has one of the best long kicking games in the competition, often providing the Eels with good defensive field position and setting the record for most ever kick metres in a match earlier in the year, but when the Eels are on the front foot, his running game can be deadly. Against Newcastle, he made 12 runs for 170 metres and looked a threat every time he took the line on. Considering neither of these two teams are renowned for their defence, it won't be surprising if a high scoring affair ensues, and those are the kind of games where Moses shines.
Favourite: The Eels are 7.5 point favourites at the time of writing.
My tip: I think this will probably be the most entertaining game of the week. Lock it in for a high scoring affair and an upset to conclude a weekend of magic. Titans by 4.
