Round 14: Titans v Rabbitohs preview
Strugglers strive to make mid-season moves
A trio of matches across the state of Queensland awaits on Saturday with the Gold Coast Titans kicking off proceedings against the South Sydney Rabbitohs in a daytime contest between two sides striving to climb off the bottom of the premiership ladder.
Sitting four points adrift of the top eight following three wins and two byes at the midpoint of the season, the Gold Coast Titans will be hoping the momentum gained from their last performance paves the way for a stronger second half to the year.
Returning home with the aspiration of recording back-to-back wins for the first time in close to 12 months, coach Des Hasler has named Kieran Foran, Phillip Sami and Jojo Fifita to return from injury, while Jayden Campbell could be a late addition after being included on the extended bench.
Managing a paltry three wins leading into the representative season, the Titans will be hoping Hasler can have a similar effect to his first season as a coach; the Sea Eagles doubled their tally over the back half of the 2004 campaign, totalling nine wins, to pave the way for greater success in years to come.
The Titans hold a dismal record against the Rabbitohs with their last win in 2016 being followed by eight consecutive losses.
At the bottom of the ladder with two wins and two byes sits the South Sydney Rabbitohs - a side with a chance, albeit mathematical, of still featuring in September.
Coming into the round with renewed attacking confidence off the back of a win in their last appearance, interim coach Ben Hornby will welcome back Cody Walker at halfback, while Michael Chee Kam shifts to the forwards to accommodate Richie Kennar in the centres.
Boasting an imposing record of nine wins from ten appearances at CBUS Super Stadium against their weekend opponents, the Rabbitohs have enjoyed immense success opposing the Titans with 16 wins from 22 matches at all venues.
Former Gold Coast player Jai Arrow will celebrate a personal milestone for South Sydney on Saturday afternoon as he brings up his 150th appearance in first grade.
Last meeting: Round 14 2023 - Titans 28 Rabbitohs 46
Who to watch: While the rugby league world focuses on the efforts of a Queensland-based forward representing New South Wales on Wednesday night, a 22-year-old sibling in similar circumstances has been quietly building a reputation of his own for the Titans. Developing into a solid contributor with close to 30 games to his name in the top grade, Klese Haas has stepped up when called upon to do a job as both an edge and middle forward. Out of contract at season's end, Haas can expect to generate plenty of interest on the open market if his current form is indicative of greater things to come.
The Rabbitohs have faced the Titans on the Gold Coast immediately following the opening Origin fixture in each of the past two seasons. In both of those games, Alex Johnston has crossed for a hat-trick. Enjoying modest returns to start 2024 with three tries in six games, the 29-year-old has shown glimpses of his ability with back-to-back four-pointers since returning from injury. Sitting on 190 career tries, one four-pointer on Saturday will see Johnston surpass Billy Slater to stand as the second greatest try-scorer in premiership history.
Favourite: Having shown plenty of resilience to knock off last year's grand finalists in a point-scoring shootout a fortnight ago, the Titans are favoured to post their second win at home this season.
My tip: The Rabbitohs have averaged 33 points per game during their run of eight straight wins against the Titans. If neither side has the fortitude to stand up in defence (and that is a likely proposition given recent performances), the return of Cody Walker should ensure the visitors keep the points flowing at a rapid pace. Rabbitohs by 10.
