The first NRL game today is between Gold Coast Titans and Canberra Raiders. The match is to be played at Skilled Park with the kick off time set for 1pm local time. We take a look at the preview of the match including odds and teams.
Round: Rounds 2, Sunday, 1pm (Qld) Stadium: Skilled Park
Watch Out Raiders: The Panthers dominated field position – and metres gained – last weekend against David Furner’s men. The Raiders ran for just 1042 metres, compared to the Panthers’ 1462… and the Titans pose a tougher task with an even-more-powerful forward pack featuring the likes of Nate Myles (105 metres against Cronulla), Greg Bird (150 metres), Ryan James (107 metres) and Daye Taylor (106 metres). For Canberra to prove a chance in this one, it’s up to their forward pack – think the likes of David Shillington, Dane Tilse, Josh Papalii and Joel Thompson – to stop their opponents and lead their teammates’ charge downfield.
Plays To Watch: Josh McCrone scheming and sliding right across-field, looking for runners; Dave Taylor smashing up the fringes and threatening to run, pass or kick; Josh Papalii, now confirmed as a Raider for 2014 and beyond, asserting himself in physical fashion with and without the ball in centre-field and on the edges; Albert Kelly zigging and zagging up, down and across the field, assessing his opponents and searching for gaps to exploit.
Key Match-Up: The great unknowns against the most under-rated playmaking pair of 2012 – welcome to the battle of the Titans and Raiders halves. It’s bound to be entertaining, with both combinations likely to back themselves and throw caution to the wind in this one.
John Cartwright told NRL.com last week his new halves pairing is much more “off the cuff” this year following the inclusion of livewire No.7 Kelly, and that’ll no doubt prove a giant question mark for opposition teams. How do you solve a problem when you don’t know the question? That’s Albert Kelly in a nutshell – and the dilemma his opponents will face in 2013. Alongside Aidan Sezer – one of the most exciting young playmakers to make his mark on the NRL last season – could the Titans have a duo capable of taking the team to the finals?
One playmaking pair that did just that for their lowly rated team in 2012, following yet another injury to Terry Campese, was Raiders halves combination Sam Williams and Josh McCrone. ‘Campo’ is due back in the coming weeks though, so these two are no doubt extra keen to build their bond and enjoy the experience. (That experience, for one of them at least, could be about to end soon, though.)
Whichever halves pairing gets the one-up in this clash could, quite literally, be signing themselves a winning bonus for this game – and the stability of a job in their jersey of choice for the remainder of 2013.
Where It Will Be Won: ‘Leading from the front’ comes no more literal than the jobs co-captains Bird (Titans) and Shillington (Raiders) need to do for their teams.
With exciting – albeit inexperienced – backlines, this game will be won or lost by the captains. Whoever gets his forward pack more motivated and more determined to get the job done will prove the winner. Lead the way, skip.
The History: Played 12; Titans 7, Raiders 5. The Gold Coast have a significant advantage at Skilled Park, winning four of their five matches.
Match Officials: Referees – Adam Devcich & Henry Perenara; Touch Judges – Michael Wise & Jason Walsh; Video Referees: Chris Ward & Neil Wharton.
Televised: Live – Fox Sports 1, 2pm (1pm Qld).
Teams:
TITANS:
William Zillman, Kevin Gordon, Brad Takairangi, Jamal Idris, David Mead, Aidan Sezer, Albert Kelly, Luke Douglas, Matt Srama, Nate Myles, Greg Bird, Ben Ridge, Ashley Harrison Interchange: Dave Taylor, Luke Bailey, Ryan James, Beau Falloon, Luke O’Dwyer (one to be omitted)
RAIDERS:
Reece Robinson, Sandor Earl, Jarrod Croker, Jack Wighton, Edrick Lee, Josh McCrone, Sam Williams, David Shillington, Shaun Berrigan, Dane Tilse, Josh Papalii, Joel Thompson, Shaun Fensom
Interchange: Matt McIlwrick, Joel Edwards, Brett White, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Mark Nichols (one to be omitted)
Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?
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