Monster Mato effort leads Titans to fifth win
The Titans have strengthened their hold on a top-four spot with a 16-4 win over the Wests Tigers on Sunday, with representative prop Shannon Mato the standout performer.
Across 56 minutes on the field Mato, who was well backed up another big showing from Georgia Hale that included scoring the opening try, carried the ball for 286 metres and punished her opposing middle forwards on her way to player of the match honours.
After leading 6-4 at the break the Titans pulled clear early in the second half but didn't seal the result until Evania Pelite crossed for her fourth try of the season two minutes from time.
With two rounds of the regular season to play it leaves the Titans two points clear of the fifth-placed Raiders, while still mathematically in reach of the minor premiership.
After Hale's piercing run opened the scoring on 11 minutes and Lauren Brown converted, the Wests Tigers hit back four minutes later with a Rebecca Pollard try which clawed them back to 6-4 at the break.
After being unable to find a result out wide, where the visitors came up with a couple of brilliant try-saving plays, the Titans got their second via a more direct route when Dannii Perese barged over early in the second half.
While a poor miss from in front of the posts on the ensuing conversion from Brown meant it remained a one-score game, the Titans kept the Wests Tigers at bay and then killed the contest off with Pelite's try in the 68th minute.
Missing frontline stars Kezie Apps and Rikeya Horne, who sat the game out under concussion protocols, it marked a fifth-straight defeat for the competition newcomers who went undefeated through the opening fortnight of this season.
Match snapshot
- Shannon Mato had more post-contact metres (128) than any Wests Tigers forwards' total yardage tally on the day, bar Christian Pio.
- Jaime Chapman left the field for a HIA in the 25th minute which she failed.
- Georgia Hale and Sienna Lofipo were both placed on report for foul play after hair pulls on Wests Tigers players.
- The Wests Tigers missed 48 tackles compared to the Titans who missed just 12.
- Dannii Perese scored the first try of her NRLW career in the second half in what was her third game in the top-flight.
