By Greg Robertson
Hello and welcome to the Gold Coast and Skilled Park where the Titans are hosting the Warriors in Round 18 NRL action.
The Warriors are coming off a fairly convincing home win against the Cowboys while the Titans will be fresh after their bye week. The visitors go in as warm favourites for this encounter but stranger things have happened especially with the enigmatic Titans.
We’ll bring you video live updates throughout the match, including video highlights of all the big plays and tries.
Make sure you refresh your page occasionally. We’ll add VIDEO COMING SOON when we’re cutting the highlights and VIDEO UP when it’s ready to be viewed.
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LIVE COMMENTARY… FINAL Titans 14 – 32 Warriors
Warriors are back in the top eight!!! ALL VIDEO UP.
79 min: Locke bursts through the line TRY... he stepped the last line of defence and has rounded off the evening perfectly. Kick to come. VIDEO UP. Kick's good and that's fulltime.
76 min: It's raining field goals as this time it's Johnson that misses to the left. They're after that one point to make things totally beyond doubt.
73 min: Basic mistakes letting the Warriors cruise towards the win - at this stage. Hurrell has left the field - it's his right ankle - but he's smiling so it doesn't look that bad. Warriors on 3 in opposition half... get the the final 25 metres out... Maloney with a field goal that sails wide right.
ALL VIDEO UP SO FAR.
69 min: Has Slaimankhel scored the first try of his career? Going upstairs as the bomb from Maloney into the corner is not handled... they all go up, Mateo keeps it alive, onto Johnson, attacks down the short, passes off to Omar who dives and stretches with one hand... oh.... just out. NO TRY. Ball on the left-hand touchline.
66 min: Gold Coast nearly back in it as they put a kick in on the last and Zillman climbs high but Locke puts enough pressure on his to cause him to spill it.
63 min: Two massive hits by the Warriors. One was Idris getting smashed - Warriors fans will love that. VIDEO UP .
62 min: Maloney away as he stepped through a number of Titans players after a bizarre incident where it looked like both teams stepped out. result is Warriors with great field possession... Matulino TRY???? Ben twisted and turned after he bumped O'Dwyer off... he grounds it... is it on the line? I thinks this will be given... TRY!!!! VIDEO UP . Warriors lead 24-14 with the kick to come.It's converted and the lead is 12.
60 min: We've had a few turn overs each way in the last couple of minutes... Warriors working it down the field... get to the fifth and Mead rises high to claim the Johnson bomb.
57 min: Here come the warriors again as Minichiello has a brain explosion and tries to offload in his own 20 and on the first tackle. Warriors on the first too though lose possession as Bill Tupou gets bustled into touch out wide by three Titans including Idris. Hurrell seeing the trainer and is limping... he's trying to run a knock off.
54 min: Lewis Brown breaks the line and Zillman saves the day with a try saving tackle. Grubber into the in goal and Gordon boots it dead for another set to the Warriors after the drop out. Comes to nothing... and the Titans get some easy yards and play is at the other end of the field with the ball in hand.
51 min: Titans run it on the last and David Mead is caught in possession. VIDEO up of the last try to the Warriors. Kick smothered on the fifth and the bounce goes the Warriors way and they'll get six more.
47 min: Warriors bash it up on the first four... just short of the line... TRY! HURRELL, hat-trick! That's 12 tries in his last seven games. Great pass from Maloney who floated it high wide and handsome to allow Hurrell get on the outside and he dashed to the line! VIDEO UP. Kick misses and Warriors lead 20-14.
45 min: Hurrell held on by his coat tail searching for a hat-trick... Sione Lousi works it to the posts... Friend with the grubber on the last and the Warriors wrap up winger Kevin Gordon and will get a repeat set. This must be hurting the Titan lungs.
43 min: Warriors hot on attack... Johnson with a grubber and Brenton Lawrence knocks it on. Great chance Warriors with a set of six 10 metres from the line.
41 min:Warriors have the ball stripped and then the Titans hand it right back on play number one.
Second half underway.
HALFTIME - Warriors lead 16-14
40 min: Warriors with a good kick and the Titans bringing it back wondering how they've lost the lead so quickly. Wow - great defence as Maloney comes up with a big tackle after their line was broken. Scramble, scramble and the ball is chucked around everywhere but thanks to the No. 6 play breaks down. Warriors knock it on... hooter goes and it's halftime.
36 min: OH dear... Omar Slaimankhel smashed head first into the turf in a tip-tackle. Video up. Another penalty and the Warriors SCORE ANOTHER TRY. Repeat sets and Hurrell with the big step close to the line then bustles over in a two-man tackle. VIDEO UP. All tied up with the kick to come 14-14. Great kick from the sideline from Maloney splits the uprights - Warriors lead 16-14.
33 min: Maloney with a good kick from inside his 40 and it hits the in goal... Titans running it back fromd eep. Warriors muscle up defensively.
31 min: TRY Warriors.... the show, the go and the step from Johnson and he crashes over right under the bar. VIDEO UP. Kick's good and it's back to 14-10.
29 min: Finally a penalty for the Warriors - 27 minutes in. They'll play from 40 metres out. Johnson ducking, dancing and weaving. Lillyman with a bash and just pulled up short. Maloney gets it in his hands and grubbers in goal and Kevin Gordon takes no chances and bats it dead. Drop out from under the sticks with a repeat set for the visitors.
26 min: Ohhh very luck as Prince puts a kick in that bounces awkwardly and Locke can't get to it but the Titans knock it on. Warriors are shell-shocked and need to switch on. Hurrell with a good burst for the Warriors from the restart until he loses it in contact to make the Warriors completion rate 4 from 8. That was unlucky as the ball was played at in the tackle but the refs - both of them - missed it. Mead then gets another chance and if he'd held it he was away... hit his knees.
23 min: Idris making a huge nuisance of himself and with three men in the tackle the Warriors try to strip it and will pay with a penalty. Another piggy back forward for the Gold Coast Titans. ANOTHER penalty right out in front as the Warriors are inside the 10... they tap and go to keep the pressure on. Warriors are stretched and WOW that looks like a TRY. The speed of David Mead down the right... he just took off in no room and stretched... and he plants while the legs are in the air and that will get the good to go green light of a TRY! VIDEO UP SOON, 14-4 kick to come. Prince just misses.
16 min: TRY Titans! How did that happen? warriors had ball, Maloney fed Locke and he just coughed it up to Idris, who ran about 10 metres and off to Kevin Gordon who sprinted away to score. Locke had a look up at the big man Idris then. VIDEO UP. Kick's good and Titans lead 10-4.
12min: Idris carries it up for the Titans and the Warriors were too keen - penalised for inside the 10 so the Titans piggy back things beyond the half. They push through three tackles straight up, then fourth they spread and it's a lovely ball out wide TRY... Aidan Sezer found Beau Champion and he runs in and scores in the tackle. VIDEO UP. Kick shaves the upright and it's 4-all.
8 min: Very close to a try for the Titans with some ad lib play and a lovely ball to William Zillman, Beau Champion and Mark Minichiello combining and Nathan Friend comes across the make a great covering tackle.
6 min: Warriors get through their second set with ease and they are easy metres. The kick from Maloney rolls dead and it's back to the 20m for the restart.
2 min: TRY WARRIORS! The Warriors run through a huge gap and it's Maloney that makes the simple break on the fifth from a second man play and off to Konrad Hurrell to score! VIDEO UP. Maloney hooks the kick terribly and it's 4-0 to the visiting side.
1 min: Maloney kicks off and it's the Titans bringing it away from their line... they get to the fifth and Prince kicks under pressure and it's shallow with Kevin Locke returning it.
Titans now out on the park to join the Warriors and we are getting set for the big game of the night...
If the Warriors are to make their late season run, this is a must win game. Week 18. Warriors as per programme.
Minutes away from kick off rugby league fans. Will the Warriors back things up with another win?
While you wait for kickoff, watch highlights of the Warriors match against the Cowboys.
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Teams
Warriors: Kevin Locke, Bill Tupou, Ben Henry, Konrad Hurrell, Omar Slaimankhel, James Maloney, Shaun Johnson, Russell Packer, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (c), Elijah Taylor. Interchange: Lewis Brown, Sione Lousi, Jacob Lillyman, Steve Rapira, Pita Godinet.
Titans: William Zillman, Kevin Gordon, Jamal Idris, Beau Champion, David Mead, Aidan Sezer, Scott Prince, Luke Bailey, Matt Srama, Luke Douglas, Greg Bird, Mark Minichiello, Nate Myles. Interchange: Matt White, Brenton Lawrence, Ben Ridge, Luke O'Dwyer
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Pregame banter
A win tonight and it’s fair to say the Warriors finals push is well underway.
Tonight they travel to the Gold Coast to take on the lowly placed Titans who have been struggling in 2012.
Part of the new breed of Warrior is young outside back Omar Slaimankhel.
Slaimankhel is making the most of the greater time he is getting this week to prepare for an NRL match.
Both his previous appearances were as a late injury replacement and, with both Manu Vatuvei and Glen Fisiiahi remaining on the casualty list, he keeps his place for a third match in a row.
Not that he suffered from butterflies when he got the call to make his debut, even if he ended up having a tough introduction to first grade in the 20-19 defeat to Cronulla.
"He's a real confident kid, is Omar," coach Brian McClennan said.
"He doesn't suffer from any nerves or anything. He believes in himself and it's fantastic."
McClennan said the extra time with Slaimankhel ahead of the away match to Gold Coast on Saturday night had allowed the coaching staff to work on areas of improvement.
Slaimankhel's background is an exotic one by NRL standards.
He was born in Pakistan to Afghani refugees and moved to New Zealand when he was two.
He grew up with rugby union and played in the Auckland Grammar First XV before switching codes and becoming a prolific try-scorer for the Junior Warriors.
Against the Titans, he will have on his side of the field three teammates from the Toyota Cup-winning side of 2010 - Ben Henry, Elijah Taylor and Shaun Johnson.
"I've already played with them so I feel real comfortable with them," he said.
While both his NRL matches have been as a winger, his preferred position is fullback.
However, he is behind Kevin Locke and Fisiiahi in the queue for the Warriors No.1 jersey.
With his contract running out at the end of the year, there are reports that he is being pursued by Australian clubs.
Slaimankhel said his future hadn't been sorted out and he also kept open the prospect of a return to rugby.
"The last three weeks, I've played NRL, so that's awesome," he said.
"I'm happy with where I am at the moment, but we'll see what happens."
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