Search

show me:

Titans focused on continuing NRL run

3 minute read

Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook says the Titans have learned a lesson from earlier in the year as they aim to keep their NRL finals push on track.

Coach JUSTIN HOLBROOK.
Coach JUSTIN HOLBROOK. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook is confident his team will not let the opportunity slip after forcing their way back into the NRL finals picture.

The Titans face South Sydney on Saturday on the back of a three-game winning run which has lifted Holbrook's team to seventh.

An upset victory over the in-form Rabbitohs would go a long way to ending the Titans' five-year finals drought, but Holbrook says his players are aware they've achieved nothing yet.

"We all understand what's in front of us," he said.

"We've done well to get ourselves in the mix but there's a lot of big games over the next four weeks for us to get there.

"I'm happy with that.

"Early in the year we had some good wins and I felt like we probably - I wouldn't say celebrated - let that affect us going into the next games, but the last four or five weeks we've really understood we've just got to get the wins, put them behind us and move on.

"We're looking forward to playing which is really important but they're pretty grounded, the playing group now, which is good."

The previous time these teams met the Titans held a 24-10 lead at halftime - with David Fifita scoring a hat-trick - but ended up losing 40-30 as Benji Marshall inspired a second-half comeback by the Rabbitohs.

Wayne Bennett's men are pushing for a top-two finish after nine straight wins, scoring 150 points in just their past three games.

Bennett has the Rabbitohs timing their run perfectly, with a full-strength 17 set to be available for next week's clash with Penrith.

"We know Souths, they are a terrific side and they're up in the top three for a reason, but we're okay with that," Holbrook said.

"If we want to play finals we've got to try and knock some of these big sides off and we get a good opportunity tomorrow. If we play well I think we can do that."

Souths, meanwhile, have suffered a minor blow with Dane Gagai ruled out of the match with a hamstring injury.

Braidon Burns will start in his place in the centres, with Gagai sustaining the minor problem in last week's win over Parramatta.

Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au