Dogs won’t dwell on Titans loss: Hasler

Canterbury coach Des Hasler has urged his team to forget their second-half collapse in Sunday’s golden point loss to Gold Coast.

A week out from the NRL finals, the Bulldogs blew an 18-0 halftime lead to fall 19-18 to an undermanned and lowly Titans outfit.

Compounding the defeat, wrecking ball back-rower Tony Williams was placed on report for a shoulder charge on Titans five-eighth Aidan Sezer in the game’s dying stages.

Hasler said there were no excuses for the visitors’ capitulation.

“We had the game within our grasp,” Hasler said.

“It was certainly nothing like the footy we played last week against Souths but it’s just something that we’re just going to have to let go, not dwell on and move on pretty quickly.”

Hasler said he was unconcerned about Williams’ report, believing the NSW representative had done enough to attempt a tackle on Sezer and the on-field penalty should be sufficient punishment.

Gold Coast coach Neil Henry, in his first game since being appointed on a permanent basis, said the win would be a boost after a tough year for the club.

The victory, sealed by a William Zillman field goal, was the Titans’ first in seven matches and just their third at home this year.

Henry said a bizarre moment just after the halftime siren when Josh Reynolds was penalised for a deliberate forward pass after throwing the ball to Titans’ winger Anthony Don on his way across the touchline shouldn’t gloss over the home team’s efforts.

With departing foundation player Mark Minichiello scoring an inspirational second-half try, the Titans crossed four times in the second half to provide the perfect send off for Minichiello and retired club stalwarts Luke Bailey and Ashley Harrison.

“They stood up,” Henry said.

“It’s just satisfying for the fans and players in particular to get a result.”

Titans pair Tom Kingston and Dave Taylor were both placed on report for first-half dangerous tackles, with Taylor’s head-slam of Bulldog David Klemmer leaving the visitor dazed and facing concussion tests next week to prove his fitness.

The Titans also had injury concerns with Kingston and Paul Carter both suffering knee injuries while hooker Beau Falloon damaged a kneecap.

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