NRL Round 23 Preview and Prediction - St.George Illawarra Dragons v Gold Coast Titans @ Kogarah Oval
St. George Illawarra Dragons (9th) v Gold Coast Titans (14th) @ Jubilee Oval
Preview - The Dragons get the chance to revive their faltering finals’ hopes as they host the reeling Titans at Kogarah on Saturday afternoon. The Dragons have missed a golden opportunity to sure up their finals’ spot in the past couple of weeks, losing to sides sitting 16th and 14th on the ladder in the Knights and Rabbitohs in back-to-back weeks. Last week, the Dragons snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, unforgivably giving up 2 tries in the final 6 minutes, to lose a game 26-24, inexplicably, that they controlled from nearly start to finish. The Titans put in their 2nd straight embarrassing performance losing 54-0 to the Broncos in what was their biggest defeat since their inception to the League in 2007. The Titans have now coughed up 80 points in 2 weeks, whilst only scoring 4 points in 2 embarrassing home losses, as their season of disappointment fizzles out at an alarming rate.
History - These sides met just under a couple of months ago on the Gold Coast and it was the Titans pulling away with a surprise 20-10 upset result. The Titans have a good record at Kogarah having won their 32-12 last season as well as 3 of the past 4 overall at the venue.
St. George Illawarra Dragons’ Scouting Report - Josh Dugan has been named in the side, despite only managing about 20 minutes of the game against the Rabbitohs last week before going off with an ankle injury. In a blow to the Dragons up front, Russell Packer is not yet fit to return, however Tyson Frizzel is fit enough to return to the starting side. Both Hame Sele and Blake Lawrie have been named on the bench.
Gold Coast Titans’ Scouting Report - The Titans have been deplorable last week and will be boosted by the fact that senior forward Kevin Proctor has been named in the back row. Jarryd Hayne had a very unhappy game against the Broncos and doubts continue to remain over the dynamic between him and under pressure Head Coach Neil Henry. Ash Taylor was another key player who had a poor night against the Broncos, and the Titans will need him to be somewhere near his best if they are to be any chance of causing an upset here.
Verdict - Dragons 13+ in a high scoring game
The Titans are going horribly at the moment, so surely the Dragons get the job done after back-to-back costly defeats. The Titans look like they have just about flown the white flag for the season and, with rumblings of discontent in the ranks, I don’t see them lifting and putting in a big performance here on the road. The Dragons didn't play terrible football against the Rabbitohs last week; however they simply lost concentration at key moments and inexplicably let the game slip. One thing about the Dragons this season is they have been very strong at both their traditional homes in Kogarah and Wollongong and I see them being far too strong for the Titans here and winning by 13+.