VENUE & TIME: Skilled Park – Sunday, August 23, 2pm (AEST).
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 18 – Sharks 15, Titans 3.
LAST TIME: Round 12, 2008 – Sharks 30-14.
WALKING WOUNDED: Gold Coast lost William 'Dracula' Zillman for four weeks after the NRL judiciary found him guilty of taking a chomp on Jamie Simpson's arm. Preston Campbell is in doubt but looms as the obvious replacement at full-back if fit, meaning the Titans will probably shift Mat Rogers to pivot and find a new centre. The Sharks' unavailable list is too long to go into here but boom winger Blake Ferguson is back.
FORM: The sceptics are still waiting for the wheels to fall off the Titans, wondering how the hell they are holding down third spot after 23 rounds. But they are there and may even go higher in the weeks to come. No matter what form the Warriors are in, going across to Auckland is never an easy assignment but Gold Coast dispatched the Kiwis with a minimum of fuss two rounds ago. Professional, clinical, even semi-final like. Despite all the travel – and a short turnaround – they came out and suffocated the life out of South Sydney five days later. Two weeks ago Ricky Stuart said he had just about squeezed the last out of the lemon at Cronulla. Well, after being thrashed 56-10 by the Tigers last start, the lemon is on the compost. September 7 (Cronulla's Mad Monday) can’t come quickly enough.
WHO'S HOT: When the Superglue is on his hands, Mark Minichiello can be one of the most damaging back-rowers in the game. After years of being known as the 'other Mini', Mark has carved out a reputation of his own on the Gold Coast, working up a great partnership with Anthony Laffranchi. Grant Millington has been one of the rare bright spots for Cronulla this year. The young second-rower's game stats make for impressive reading each week, showing he is putting in regardless of the mounting scoreline against his team.
WE THINK: This could get ugly, real ugly. If the Titans are on song and the Sharks turn it up like last week, the scoreboard attendant will be off work Monday with RSI. Stuart was bitterly disappointed with his side's attitude in the loss to the Tigers and that will ensure there is a lift in intensity early. But that will only carry them so far. Scott Prince and Preston Campbell will be licking their lips at the prospect of taking on a defence which has leaked 116 points in three games. Gold Coast by 26
TEAMS:
Titans: TBA, Kevin Gordon, Mat Rogers, Jordan Atkins, David Mead, Preston Campbell, Scott Prince [c], Luke Bailey [c], Nathan Friend, Michael Henderson, Anthony Laffranchi, Mark Minichiello, Josh Graham.
Interchange: Matthew White, Will Matthews, Brad Meyers, Sam Tagataese, Luke O'Dwyer (one to be omitted).
Sharks: Nathan Stapleton, Blake Ferguson, Ben Pomeroy, Mitch Brown, Luke Covell [c], Matt Wright, Scott Porter, Kade Snowden, Corey Hughes, Luke Douglas, Grant Millington, Anthony Tupou, Paul Gallen.
Interchange: Ian Donnelly, Tim Weyman, Jak Afamasaga, Lancen Joudo.