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 the Gold Coast is in a battle to get a win on the field too, trailing 20-6 at halftime against Cronulla in a game that has big ramifications on the finals race.
The Titans will also now have to get back into the game without veteran playmaker Kieran Foran, who has been ruled out with a rib injury.
That injury saw Keano Kini injected into the game from the bench, seeing Jayden Campbell shift to five-eighth with the 19-year-old filling in at fullback.
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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 Ronaldo 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.
“He’s gone,” Dan Ginnane said in commentary.
Mulitalo though continued to play on, although Matt Moylan is an option on the bench should he succumb to the injury.
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.
Manly concede after failed shock-play | 00:41
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 in his 250th game.
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