The Titans scored a major win before Friday night’s game against the Sharks, announcing the extensions of David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui in a major coup.
But on the field it was an underwhelming result for the Gold Coast as Cronulla ran out 36-6 winners at PointsBet Stadium to bolster its top-eight hopes.
Compounding the Gold Coast’s woes was an injury to playmaker Kieran Foran, who suffered a rib injury that saw him fail to take any part in the second half.
Titans interim coach Jim Lenihan later told reporters Foran had been carrying a sternum issue into the game.
Fifita (shoulder charge) and Erin Clark (striking) were also placed on report while Fa’asuamaleaui was penalised for a high shot in his return from suspension.
Briton Nikora, meanwhile, was also placed on report in the final seconds of the game for a shoulder charge.
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It took just three minutes for Cronulla to get on the board, with winger Ronaldo Mulitalo scoring in his first game back from a jaw injury.
There was some beautiful work in the lead-up from hooker Jayden Brailey before a shift left and a strong decoy run from Wade Graham opened up numbers and space for Cronulla to strike.
It was a simple case of just having to draw and pass as Mulitalo dived over, although the Sharks winger came out of the try hobbling.
Mulitalo had only just returned from injury in a much-needed boost given the Sharks are already without fullback Will Kennedy (hamstring).
Mulitalo was spotted talking to the trainer as he walked back into the Cronulla half but struggled again on a kick return.
The speedy winger appeared to have no problem though as he skipped across the field and created space on the right edge to set up Cronulla’s second try of the night.
On this occasion he linked with fullback Connor Tracey, who was later backing up in support after Briton Nikora held up the ball perfectly to then send Jesse Ramien down the sideline.
Nicho Hynes slotted the conversion after missing his first attempt of the night, leaving the score at 10-0 after 20 minutes.
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The Titans were in desperate need of someone to stand up and it was no surprise to see returning skipper Fa’asuamaleaui produce after inking a lucrative 10-year extension.
Fa’asuamaleaui even hit the Sharks defenders with the ‘too small’ taunt after scoring as the Gold Coast cut the deficit back to 10-6 after 21 minutes.
Fifita, meanwhile, also gave Titans fans a glimpse of what is to come in the next three years as he swatted defenders to the ground in a strong carry to put the Gold Coast in scoring position.
The Titans looked to have capitalised on that charge as they went to the right edge, with quick hands from Jayden Campbell seeing Aaron Schoupp put Phillip Sami over.
The final pass was ruled forward though and it proved a particularly costly mistake as Cronulla scored soon after, brilliantly using Nicho Hynes as a decoy in the lead-up.
Hynes was lurking in the background as Braydon Trindall instead cut the ball out to Siosifa Talakai, with Mulitalo then surging over in the corner for his second try of the night.
That left the buffer at 14-6 in Cronulla’s favour after 35 minutes before Cameron McInnes barged over just before halftime to leave the difference at 14 points by the break.
Brailey was the one who delivered the pass to McInnes, capping off a brilliant half from the hooker who had one try assist, linebreak assist and a 21-metre run in 40 minutes to go with 17 tackles.
The Sharks almost had one more try just before the halftime siren sounded as a series of offloads created space for Mulitalo, but the winger couldn’t reel in the final pass.
The Titans needed to be first to score in the second half and Kini — filling in for the injured Foran — almost did just that as he took on the line and reached out, grounding the ball short before it slipped away in the 43rd minute.
It proved yet another critical turning point as the Sharks scored off the next set with ease as Trindall sent Wade Graham over for a try after a big week for the veteran forward, who announced his retirement.
The string of close calls kept coming for the Titans as Fifita appeared to have scored, only for replays to show he bobbled the ball forwards into Tracey.
The Sharks had the final say as Toby Rudolf and Ramien scored, with the final try of the night coming shortly after Clark was binned for an elbow to the head of Hynes.
Clark is sure to come under the scrutiny of the NRL’s match review committee as will Fifita, who was put on report for a shoulder charge.
Read on for three big talking points to come from Friday’s game!
$15M DUO ‘IGNITE’ TITANS… BUT STILL PLENTY FOR DES TO WORK OUT
Something special is building on the Gold Coast, even if the final scoreline on Friday night didn’t exactly show it.
But in extending David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui on long-term deals, the Titans have two key pieces of their roster in place ahead of Des Hasler’s arrival as new head coach next season.
The duo join another 10 Titans players contracted to the club until the end of 2026, giving Hasler a strong core group to work with. Fifita and Fa’asuamaleaui, of course, are the headline attractions.
And even in defeat on Friday, the duo proved they should be worth the combined $15 million the Titans have reportedly stumped up to keep them on the Gold Coast.
First, Fa’asuamaleaui flashed his game-breaking athleticism to burst through and score the Gold Coast’s opening try of the night.
“This is why Tino is worth the money they have just paid for him,” Greg Alexander said on Fox League’s coverage of the game.
“Not only is he a man mountain and he is aggressive, but he runs with the agility of a centre. He can move like a back. That is what makes him such a valuable player and he’s got the mindset and leadership to go with it. He’s the complete package when you’re talking about a middle forward.”
“You could just see there as well the skill [in] changing hands jumping through the air, the athleticism,” added Michael Ennis.
“Him and David Fifita ignited a comeback through that mid-part of the first half. Tino was brilliant in that first half in what has been a bit ordinary from the Titans.”
A hulking 47-metre run from Fifita, where the second rower busted three tackles, also proved just how much of a threat he can be if given clean, early ball from the Gold Coast halves.
Fa’asuamaleaui had a team-high 176 run metres to go with five tackle busts and a linebreak in the loss while Fifita broke 10 tackles while running for 134 metres off just 13 carries.
In saying all of that, Friday’s result also proved that as explosive as Fifita and Fa’asuamaleaui are, they alone cannot always be relied on to carry the Gold Coast to victory every week.
The Titans will still need the rest of their big men to lift, although the suspended Moeaki Fotuaika certainly helps in that capacity.
The Gold Coast also needs to make a call on its long-term spine, with Jayden Campbell, AJ Brimson and Sam Verrills contracted until the end of 2026 while Tanah Boyd and Kieran Foran are off-contract once the 2024 season wraps up.
UNSUNG HEROES SHINE FOR SHARKS
A fortnight ago Cronulla looked finished but a 26-16 upset win over South Sydney could breathe new life into a season that was otherwise seemingly destined for a disappointing end.
The challenge for Craig Fitzgibbon’s side was to back up last week’s statement against a lesser opponent in the Gold Coast.
The Sharks ended up doing even more than that, running away 36-6 winners over the Titans as some of their unsung heroes put in starring performances.
While Nicho Hynes had some classy touches, it was fellow spine members Connor Tracey, Braydon Trindall and Blayke Brailey who really made an impression on Friday night.
Tracey did what every good fullback does, pressing up in support on linebreaks and returning the ball with intent as he scored a try to go with 205 run metres and three tackle busts.
“Tracey was terrific last week and backed it up tonight,” Alexander said.
Trindall, meanwhile, had his best game alongside Hynes with some silky passing close to the line as the five-eighth set up three tries alongside three linebreak assists.
Brailey though was the standout of the night. The Cronulla hooker has struggled at times this season, perhaps drained by the defensive workload that comes with defending in the middle for big minutes.
On Friday, however, Brailey was highly involved in attack as he cleverly picked his moments to run the ball while providing crisp service from dummy-half.
Crucially, Brailey also capitalised on the platform laid by his forward pack to set up a pair of tries as four of Cronulla’s big men ran for over 100 metres.
“The quick play-the-balls are really killing the Titans’ defensive line,” Alexander said.
“Brailey I think has been excellent out of dummy-half combining with Hynes and Trindall,” added Ennis.
“Every time there is momentum he is out scheming and really rolling that ruck and that has caused a lot of havoc.”
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‘SLIDING DOORS MOMENT’ AS TITANS RUE CLOSE CALLS
Elsewhere, while the scoreline ended up being an accurate indicator of Cronulla’s dominance, this could have been a very different game if it was not for one close call in the first half.
The Titans looked to have potentially hit the lead when Aaron Schoupp put Phillip Sami over, only for the pass to be called forward.
Described as a “sliding doors moment” in commentary, it proved to be just that as the Titans failed to score again while Cronulla went on with the job in clinical fashion.
“When the Titans got back to 10-6 that moment where Phil Sami scored and it got called back for a Schoupp forward pass, hard to see a definitive angle. The tough judge was right there, have to back his decision but it proved a pivotal moment,” said Ennis.
“That was at the stage where Fifita and Tino were just opening the Sharks’ defence up,” added Alexander.
It wasn’t the only tight call that favoured Cronulla, with the Bunker also correctly disallowing tries to Keano Kini and David Fifita in the second half.
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