Titans NRLW members and fans have plenty to look forward to after the Gold Coast dominated the North Queensland Cowboys 30-6 in a trial match at the weekend.
If coach Karyn Murphy was looking for clarity to lock in her starting 17 for Round 1, she may have left with even more questions after impressive performances from Titans rookies Destiny Mino-Sinapati, Sienna Lofipo, Chantay Kiria-Ratu and Lily Kolc who all played their first game for the club.
They were accompanied by strong showings from Origin players Jaime Chapman, Lauren Brown, Shannon Mato and Shaylee Bent who all fired throughout the game - especially for the two Sky Blues in their first outing in Titans colours.
There was a symphony of groans in the grandstands after Rugby 7s great and league convert Niall Williams-Guthrie announced herself to the NRLW world with two blockbuster shots that even Steve Matai would have been proud to claim as his own in two of her first involvements in the game.
Despite this, it looked like the Titans had met their match in the opening quarter of this fixture as the newest Queensland team dominated territory after several errors and poor discipline invited the opposition into the game. The onslaught was handled well though, with only one try conceded after an uncatchable torpedo kick from Cowboys playmaker Kirra Dib handed the ball over in good territory.
Former Coast back Jasmine Peters almost went in for the Cowboys' second after pouncing on a loose ball from her own 20-metre line, and she would have scored if it wasn’t for what’s becoming a trademark for Chapman who managed to cut-her down in a thrilling chase down.
The early-season rust vanished in the second quarter, and it was the Titans greatest try-scorer and try-celebrator Steph Hancock, who charged over beside the right-post to open the home side's scoring just before half-time after the Titans worked their way back into the fight.
Shortly after the game resumed, a line-break made down on the right by replacement winger Hailee-Jay Ormond-Maunsell was finished off with a decisive shift to the left where fullback Kiria-Ratu beat a defender with footwork and threw a pinpoint perfect cut out pass for winger Mino-Sinapati to score on her Titans debut in the corner.
In the very next set, the Titans jumped ahead by eight after halfback Lofipo opted to spin it to her fullback on the last play. Space was created for Williams-Guthrie who found Ormond-Maunsell, getting her try in the end after cutting back off her wing to beat two defenders for the third four-pointer.
The Titans continued to crack the Cowboys white stripe from there, with two-line breaks in quick succession from five-eighth Taliah Fuimaono who worked her way into the game well in the second half alongside Mato, who caused havoc in the middle with her second stint.
Development player Kolc scored in her first Titans appearance shortly after coming off the pine to play No. 9, with Chapman playing a big part of her four-pointer, before nabbing one of her own after beating her opposite centre on the outside to cut through for her first try in Titans colours.
From there, the Titans final try was scored off a big shift to their right-edge, where Lofipo disguised a short-ball to her lead runner - and back-rower - Kaitlyn Phillips who slipped through the line without a touch and took on the fullback to crash over and send the Titans home winners with a full-time score of 30-6.
Overall, the entire playing group can hold their head high with a well-rounded team performance which featured confident, repelling defence and fluent attack in their first showing of 2023.
They'll now enter the final weeks of pre-season training before meeting the Cowboys once again in the season proper, with Round 1 to kick-off at home on Saturday, July 22.
The NRLW season is closing in! With four games at Cbus Super Stadium this season, show your support for the Titans with a NRLW membership - on sale now ready for '23!
