A second half shutout by the Cowboys has seen them notch their fourth straight win of the season, putting their foot down to defeat the Titans 50-18 in Townsville. Despite piling on three tries in a blistering seven-minute stretch, Gold Coast were ultimately undone by a composed Cowboys outfit in the second half, with Jeremiah Nanai delivering when it mattered most. Here are the key talking points from Round 8: Negative play attributes to second half shutout Despite leading 18-12 at half-time, the side were unable to regain control of the game with the Cowboys putting their foot down with seven tries in the final 40 minutes to secure victory.
Discipline again was at the forefront with two sin-bins leading to having to defend with 12 men for 20 minutes of the match. Duo to await MRC findings after double sin bin The Titans felt the full force of the high tackle mandate, reduced to 12 men twice during the 80 minutes. Jaimin Jolliffe was the first to be sat down in the 39th minute; the visitors only conceding the one four-pointer with a man down, but history repeated itself with Brock Gray’s departure in the 60th minute which saw the home side ice the game in that period.
The duo will await the match review committee’s decision to see if they’ll be free to play in next week’s Magic Round clash against the Bulldogs. The clash in Townsville was Gray’s first game back from suspension due to a high tackle, whilst Jolliffe was fined in Round 5, also for a careless high tackle. Beau Ferming for Origin phone call With less than a month until Billy Slater unveils his Game I Queensland side, Beau Fermor has strengthened his case with an impressive display against an ignited Cowboys line-up.
Showcasing a dominant performance, Fermor put on 11 strong carries and reached 101 running metres, crossing the line for his own four-pointer in the 17th minute. Rising to the late pressure put on by the Cowboys in the first half, the Titans forward left everything out on the field – putting himself in real contention for Corporal Cameron Baird VC, MG memorial trophy – demonstrating the effort and values most similar to Corporal Baird's own legacy.
