Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was carried off on a horror afternoon for the Gold Coast Titans, who went down 32-0 to a resurgent Canterbury Bulldogs at Belmore Sports activities Floor.
The talismanic Titans captain stayed down beneath a sort out in apparent discomfort halfway by the second half and performed no additional half within the sport, turning what was already a chastening expertise into an outright catastrophe.
Scans have since confirmed a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), ruling him out for the season – a bitter blow to compound a horror begin to the season for the Titans.
“The primary half I assumed it was admirable what we did from a defensive standpoint,” Hasler mentioned after the match.
“We held them to 12-0 with one off a cost down, so we went into half time with a little bit of confidence.
(Picture by Brendon Thorne/Getty Pictures)
“Our assault and finish of set particularly put a lot strain on our defence. We got here out of the corners the entire day.”
The rating was 32-0 at that time after an early second half blitz had seen the Bulldogs surge right into a commanding lead. They didn’t add to it, however didn’t have to. Belmore was already rocking and, when Hasler appeared on the massive display, he was booed triumphantly.
Viliame Kikau had been the star, scoring one and organising one other whereas proving a continuing menace in defence. When Tanah Boyd goes to sleep tonight, he’ll see Kikau looming in his desires, so terrorised was he in kick strain.
Cameron Ciraldo’s males clearly got here to play, dominating early on by subject place and possession earlier than cashing in late in factors.
After a wobble early on – Kieran Foran and AJ Brimson conspired to bomb the best attempt of the 12 months – Canterbury took over, with Reed Mahoney and Matt Burton doing a kick and management job that allowed the forwards to take over.
It was textbook stuff, and much too good for the Titans.
“We preserve believing what we’re doing and trusting our course of,” mentioned the coach.
“It’s straightforward after a few losses to vary issues round and cease believing, however I really feel like everybody within the constructing caught to it.
“In the present day we acquired the outcome however I’ve been feeling that at coaching that we’ve had a number of profitable behaviours, so it was only a matter of time till it got here out.”
Kikau fires the Canines ahead
With away journeys to Parramatta and Cronulla first up, it maybe isn’t shocking that the Canines started with two losses, however there had been indicators of defensive enchancment that augured effectively for Ciraldo, particularly as that was their worst space in 2023.
The Canines could be a bit bit off a accomplished crew nonetheless, however the indicators of enchancment that have been there to see of their first two defeats have been once more evident, and with weaker opposition, Canterbury have been capable of play to a few of their strengths as effectively.
One would possibly consider it as elevating the ground on this crew. Rugby league is a weak hyperlink sport, and in earlier Canines sides, it wasn’t that arduous to search out these ache factors and assault them.
This 12 months, they’re nonetheless on the lookout for cohesion with loads of new gamers, however once you don’t leak tries, you deliver within the alternative to jag ones of your individual and choose up wins, particularly towards different cellar dwellers.
The tries for Canterbury weren’t majestic, with a cost down and a dummy half pushover excessive on the record, however the effort areas that created them shall be of nice encouragement to Ciraldo.
No one exemplified it higher than Kikau. He stripped his sport again to laborious working and energy areas, largely leaving the flashier stuff till the sport was gained, and was closely rewarded.
His chargedown attempt was an ideal instance, however Reed Mahoney’s shut vary effort got here from a Tanah Boyd mistake, which was in flip attributable to inside strain from the Fijian backrower. It wasn’t even the primary time he’d executed it to Boyd, both.
With guys like Kikau, Stephen Crichton and Matt Burton, you’ll get factors from magic moments, so it’s a case of conserving the rating tight sufficient for that to win you a sport. In the present day, that labored a deal with.
Des has an enormous job on his fingers
The Titans have been defensively suspect for years, and altering that’s prime of Des Hasler’s priorities.
Brian Kelly has been constantly on the backside of the NRL for defensive metrics amongst centres: he didn’t make the highest 40 for sort out effectivity and averaged a attempt trigger per sport in 2023.
In the present day, he added one other two to that record. The primary was a category unhealthy learn, watching Kieran Foran go up on his inside however failing to comply with him, the second a straight up one-on-one miss that allowed Jacob Kiraz to go proper previous him. At this degree, it’s not ok.
He wasn’t the one one to battle.
Keano Kini, the fullback, is thrilling in possession however was a legal responsibility beneath the excessive ball and regularly out of place for lengthy kicks, with Mahoney capable of finding the ground from dummy half on a number of events.
Jayden Campbell is again in Q Cup this weekend and also you’d must count on shall be rushed again into the primary grade squad as quickly as potential.
Boyd, as talked about, was terrorised in his defensive kicking, permitting the Canines to begin virtually each set on the entrance foot.
One may make the argument that one of the best Titans halves choice of current years was on present at Belmore at this time – as a result of Toby Sexton performed reserve grade for the Canines earlier than the NRL.
The Titans have struggled to attain factors this 12 months, with simply 4 thus far, however that is still the secondary concern, as a result of first the Dragons and now the Bulldogs have made them look very odd certainly in defence.
If that’s what occurs with sides who most suppose will end in the direction of the underside, what occurs after they face the massive boys?
