Game previews for this weekend
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kimlo
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Do you know where i can get the game preview from though?
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Titans V Broncos Preview
Big League
Titans v Broncos
Skilled Park
Friday 7.30pm
ALREADY this is turning into one of the great rivalries to savour now and for many years to come – the fledgling Titans daring to match motors with the supercharged neighbours the Broncos from the start of their existence.
It can be argued that Darren Locker’s golden-point field goal in round 17 last year, which ricocheted of both uprights before falling over the crossbar, put the sword to the Titans’ finals’ hopes in 2008.
At the time they were in equal fifth place on the ladder but they won just two of their remaining eight games to plummet out of the 2007 premiership equation.
This year they have started just as brightly as in 2007, winning four from five with their only blemish an uncharacteristically poor showing against the Dragons in Wollongong.
They swamped the Sharks 18-4 at home, smashed the Raiders 32-12 the following week before winning only their third ever game away from home last week with a resounding 28-20 win over the Eels.
Meanwhile the Broncos’ only hiccup occurred in round 4 when they ventured to Melbourne – and had the misfortune of coming up against a Storm hell-bent on avoiding its first hat-trick of losses for several seasons.
Last week, minus Lockyer, they opened up a commanding early lead against the Knights in Newcastle and held on as their opponents mounted a stirring second-half comeback.
The Titans will be without Matt Rogers who was suspended for a dangerous throw last week; lock Ashley Harrison, who spent a lot of his early football years at no.6, moves to five-eighth.
Michael Hodgson replaces James Stosic at prop, while Daniel Conn is promoted to start at lock.
For the Broncos Lockyer remains sidelined, while there’s some doubt about Justin Hodges who, although named, is reportedly concerned about a stiff neck picked up last game.
Watch out Titans: The Broncos just keep coming at their oppositions all game – they’ve scored the most points of any side this season with 148 – and 78 of those have come in the first 40 minutes of their games.
Darius Boyd remains an unsung hero for Brisbane – he’s scored five tries and ranks second in the comp for line breaks (with 6). He needs to be contained.
Watch out Broncos: While the Titans will miss the penetration of Rogers, Scott Prince remains the player to monitor. His form is better than Test incumbent Johnathan Thurston’s and if he keeps applying the pressure in top-shelf games (such as this one) he will make it difficult for selectors to ignore him.
Prince ranks second for line-break assists with four (all from passes), and is second for try assists (8). Last week against the Eels he had 50 touches, taking on the line without a care and scoring a great try.
Where it will be won: Whoever handles the pressure-cooker atmosphere the better on the night – the Titans’ average home crowd is 21,000 but expect this to swell to more than 28,000 capacity by kick-off.
The Titans will sorely miss injured Luke Bailey’s go-forward for the next month, and Rogers’ work in close this year has been outstanding. Ashley Harrison needs to get cohesion with his outside men from the get-go, otherwise their trademark attacking flair out wide will stutter.
Michael Ennis for the Broncos will be out to continue his spectacular form – his 22 points last week (two tries and seven goals) was the most scored by a hooker in rugby league history.
The History: Played 2; Titans 1, Broncos 1. The Titans swamped the Broncos 28-16 at Suncorp Stadium in round 5 last year before (a home game) before a Darren Lockyer field goal proved the difference in their return clash (19-18) at the same venue in round 17. This is their first game at Skilled Park.
Conclusion: There’s no reason to question the Titans’ credentials in this one: they’re at home, where they’ve won 11 of their 15 games since round 1 last year.
They have an in-form side, despite Bailey and Rogers’ absences. And they’re coming up against a Broncos’ side that showed some worrying signs of fatigue late in their game last week. The bookies make them narrow favourites at $1.80 but the Titans are good value at $2.
Match officials: Referee – Tony Archer; Sideline Officials – Jeff Younis & Gerard Sutton; Video ref – Tim Mander.
Televised: Channel 9 – Live 7.30pm (Qld), delayed 9.30pm (NSW); FoxSports 2 – Delayed 1am.
Big League
Titans v Broncos
Skilled Park
Friday 7.30pm
ALREADY this is turning into one of the great rivalries to savour now and for many years to come – the fledgling Titans daring to match motors with the supercharged neighbours the Broncos from the start of their existence.
It can be argued that Darren Locker’s golden-point field goal in round 17 last year, which ricocheted of both uprights before falling over the crossbar, put the sword to the Titans’ finals’ hopes in 2008.
At the time they were in equal fifth place on the ladder but they won just two of their remaining eight games to plummet out of the 2007 premiership equation.
This year they have started just as brightly as in 2007, winning four from five with their only blemish an uncharacteristically poor showing against the Dragons in Wollongong.
They swamped the Sharks 18-4 at home, smashed the Raiders 32-12 the following week before winning only their third ever game away from home last week with a resounding 28-20 win over the Eels.
Meanwhile the Broncos’ only hiccup occurred in round 4 when they ventured to Melbourne – and had the misfortune of coming up against a Storm hell-bent on avoiding its first hat-trick of losses for several seasons.
Last week, minus Lockyer, they opened up a commanding early lead against the Knights in Newcastle and held on as their opponents mounted a stirring second-half comeback.
The Titans will be without Matt Rogers who was suspended for a dangerous throw last week; lock Ashley Harrison, who spent a lot of his early football years at no.6, moves to five-eighth.
Michael Hodgson replaces James Stosic at prop, while Daniel Conn is promoted to start at lock.
For the Broncos Lockyer remains sidelined, while there’s some doubt about Justin Hodges who, although named, is reportedly concerned about a stiff neck picked up last game.
Watch out Titans: The Broncos just keep coming at their oppositions all game – they’ve scored the most points of any side this season with 148 – and 78 of those have come in the first 40 minutes of their games.
Darius Boyd remains an unsung hero for Brisbane – he’s scored five tries and ranks second in the comp for line breaks (with 6). He needs to be contained.
Watch out Broncos: While the Titans will miss the penetration of Rogers, Scott Prince remains the player to monitor. His form is better than Test incumbent Johnathan Thurston’s and if he keeps applying the pressure in top-shelf games (such as this one) he will make it difficult for selectors to ignore him.
Prince ranks second for line-break assists with four (all from passes), and is second for try assists (8). Last week against the Eels he had 50 touches, taking on the line without a care and scoring a great try.
Where it will be won: Whoever handles the pressure-cooker atmosphere the better on the night – the Titans’ average home crowd is 21,000 but expect this to swell to more than 28,000 capacity by kick-off.
The Titans will sorely miss injured Luke Bailey’s go-forward for the next month, and Rogers’ work in close this year has been outstanding. Ashley Harrison needs to get cohesion with his outside men from the get-go, otherwise their trademark attacking flair out wide will stutter.
Michael Ennis for the Broncos will be out to continue his spectacular form – his 22 points last week (two tries and seven goals) was the most scored by a hooker in rugby league history.
The History: Played 2; Titans 1, Broncos 1. The Titans swamped the Broncos 28-16 at Suncorp Stadium in round 5 last year before (a home game) before a Darren Lockyer field goal proved the difference in their return clash (19-18) at the same venue in round 17. This is their first game at Skilled Park.
Conclusion: There’s no reason to question the Titans’ credentials in this one: they’re at home, where they’ve won 11 of their 15 games since round 1 last year.
They have an in-form side, despite Bailey and Rogers’ absences. And they’re coming up against a Broncos’ side that showed some worrying signs of fatigue late in their game last week. The bookies make them narrow favourites at $1.80 but the Titans are good value at $2.
Match officials: Referee – Tony Archer; Sideline Officials – Jeff Younis & Gerard Sutton; Video ref – Tim Mander.
Televised: Channel 9 – Live 7.30pm (Qld), delayed 9.30pm (NSW); FoxSports 2 – Delayed 1am.
I've heard of an Afghani prince that you can ask.. though he lives in a far far away desert.
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