A 50-metre James Roberts intercept try with four minutes remaining has given the Gold Coast Titans their first victory of the season, 24-22 over Cronulla at Remondis Stadium.
Trailing 22-18 after a Michael Gordon penalty goal, Robert latched onto a Wade Graham pass on the Titans right side and sprinted away untouched to give Aidan Sezer an easy goal attempt to win the match.
The Sharks led 14-6 at half-time through two first half tries, and three goals. They led 2-0 after just three minutes after Ryan James was put on report for a late shot on Wade Graham.
A strange try to Dave Taylor put the Titans ahead 21 minutes in. The Titans were on the attack after Anthony Don scooped up a pass and ran 50 metres. Three plays later David Mead flopped the ball back and Sharks forward Matt Prior picked it up but lost the ball in James Roberts’ tackle.
Taylor picked up the loose ball and ran eight metres to score. Aidan Sezer’s conversion made it 6-2 to the Titans.
Only six minutes later Valentine Holmes scored for the Sharks after a Gerard Beale grubber on the last bounced off Josh Hoffman’s leg straight into the arms of Sharks winger Holmes. Gordon missed the kick for the scores to be locked at 6-all.
A second Gordon penalty (Sezer tackle on Graham) made it 8-6 and seven minutes before the break the Sharks went to 14-6 ahead. Fullback Michael Gordon broke through in the middle of the ruck of an inside ball from Graham and Ennis backed up to do unchallenged to the line. Gordon converted.
The Titans started the second half well with James Roberts catching the Sharks defence napping when he followed a Kane Elgey grubber into the in-goal and touched down centimetres inside the dead-ball line when the Sharks thought it would go dead.
Sezer’s goal made it 14-12 Cronulla but the momentum was short lived. Five minutes later Holmes scored his second try after Jeff Robson kicked for the right corner and Holmes got on the outside of Don and fielded the kick on the full. Gordon missed for the score to 18-12.
Agnatius Paasi scored his first NRL try in the 59th minute when he ran onto a Nate Myles ball at the line and crashed over. Sezer levelled the scores at 18-all.
The Sharks had two successive penalties to carry them upfield and the second time Greg Bird was penalised for a strip and Gordon kicked from in front to give the home side a 20-18 lead.
The Titans finished the game with Beau Falloon (lifting) and Ryan James (high) on report for tackles.
Titans 24 (J. Roberts 2, D. Taylor, A. Paasi tries; A. Sezer 4 goals) def. Sharks 22 (V. Holmes 2, M. Ennis tries; M. Gordon 5 goals) at Remondis Stadum. Crowd: 9566.
