Eels 20 Titans 28
THE Titans don't like leaving the Gold Coast, and who can blame them? Homebodies to rival Howard Hughes, they had not won away from their own turf since June last year.
But after Josh Graham bounced over the line with four minutes left, the unfortunate record has been bounced off their backs as well. A Gold Coast win away from home. Titanic.
But the Eels may be the sinking ship. Graham's try, which caused wild and willing complaints from the Parramatta faithful, was controversial, but it should take nothing away from the Titans' formidable form - not to mention the Eels' inadequacies at this early stage of the season.
They should have been the formidable side after round five, and many knowledgeable commentators felt they would be. One contentious double-movement ruling isn't the problem here.
Remember the Titans? The Eels clearly hadn't. Around this time last year, they were cruising along in similar fashion when they came up against the new boys of the competition. The result was a 38-12 thrashing.
But the Eels were lacking again last night, as Titans halfback Scott Prince ran amok.
Prince was everywhere, and not even referee Jared Maxwell knew what he was doing. "I've got no idea what he was saying," Maxwell told his video referee after Prince approached him.
The Eels hadn't a clue what he was doing. He tricked, he teased, he kicked, and he pleased at the end of a week in which he almost found himself, like the Titanic, sunk without a trace.
The Eels have been wildly inconsistent this season, and their game last night carried as many fluctuations. However, something happened about the hour mark. They clicked.
First Joel Reddy, and then Brett Finch, dragged them back into the contest. Two points between the sides with 13 minutes left after the Titans had led 22-8.
Finch, who is looking more like a NSW prospect each week, even as his team is looking less and less a premiership threat, remains the go-to man - and if the Eels are to get their season back on track, he will be the playmaker to right them.
It had been a chaotic build-up for both sides, full of injury and insult. The Titans lost co-captain Luke Bailey to a broken wrist, after he had spent much of the week sledging Canberra over Michael Weyman's punching-on efforts last Saturday night.
Speaking of punching on, it was the first game of the season for Junior Paulo, who found his way into the side in place of the injured Daniel Wagon.
It meant the three Kings of the Cross - Paulo, Jarryd Hayne and Weller Hauraki, were reunited in first grade after their near miss.
Still, it was a Prince who had first say in this encounter. Titans half Scott booted a wonderful 40-20, finding the line from the tightest of angles. Then he sent the ball for Matt Petersen to celebrate his own return with the opening try.
Petersen was one of five former Eels in the Titans line-up, and it was another who scored their second. Aaron Cannings charged over and then slammed the ball down with such force he appeared to pop his shoulder. No matter - as he was heading to the sideline with the offending limb dangling from its joint, it suddenly popped back into place.
If only Petersen had popped himself in the right place from the kick-off. The winger lived up to his Sideshow Bob nickname with an awful error from Luke Burt's re-start. Taking it on the back foot, he stumbled and staggered and finally fell on the dead ball, allowing Nathan Hindmarsh to charge over from close range from a Tim Smith pass. Keeping up the "returning to haunt" type of theme of the night, Smith is a former Gold Coast boy.
But it was merely a blip in a first half of Gold Coast domination. Nathan Friend scored, and the Titans led 16-6. A Friend indeed.
After a chaotic build-up, the first half ended in chaotic circumstances. As the teams were heading into the sheds, referee Jared Maxwell was forced to call them all back, with a late penalty after Brett Delaney's interference on Hayne giving the Eels hope. It was all they could, well, hope for, after a disappointing first 40.
The result wasn't without some disappointment for the Titans, with five-eighth Mat Rogers placed on report for a dangerous throw on Eels fullback Luke Burt. On the other side, it has thrown the Eels' season off course.
GOLD COAST 28 (A Cannings N Friend J Graham M Petersen S Prince tries S Prince 4 goals) bt PARRAMATTA 20 (B Finch N Hindmarsh J Reddy tries L Burt 4 goals) at Parramatta Stadium.1 Referee: J Maxwell. Crowd: 13,321.
