A hat-trick to crafty halfback AJ Brimson has guided the Gold Training Gold Coast Titans under 20s to a 36-12 victory over the Manly Sea Eagles at Cbus Super Stadium this afternoon.
It was a well-executed performance by the young Titans with Ben Woolf’s side producing seven tries to register their seventh win of the season and grab fourth position on the competition ladder.
The Titans started the match in flying colours with a Tyronne Roberts-Davis short-ball putting Daniel Brownbill in a hole before the centre raced down-field to score untouched in the opening set. With Ethan Roberts converting, the Titans lead 6-0 after three minutes.
The match turned into an end-to-end contest but it was the Titans who managed to take advantage of the free-flowing game in the 15th minute with Brimson slicing through the Manly defensive line to score under the posts and give Roberts an easy conversion for a 12-0 lead.
The Titans finished the half strongly with Phillip Sami putting Brimson into space in coming out of trouble before the halfback showed his speed and evasiveness to beat the Manly fullback and race 75 metres to score in the corner to give his side a 16-0 lead going into the half-time break.
The Titans started the second-half in the same fashion to the first with Brimson, full of confidence, slicing his way through the retreating Manly defence to score his third-try before Roberts added the extras to extend the lead out to 22-0 after 44minutes.
Back-to-back penalties gifted Manly prime attacking position and they capitalised to post their first points through prop-forward Jaiden Tarrant who barged his way across the line before Jade Anderson converted to reduce the Titans lead back to 22-6 with 30minutes remaining.
With the momentum in their favour, Manly went on the attack and bagged their second-try after Cade Cust put in a deft grubber for Blake Andrews to ground the ball. With Anderson adding the extras from the sideline, the Titans lead narrowed to 22-12 with 22 minutes remaining.
The Titans put an end to the Manly comeback efforts in the 64th minute with Reihana March producing a brilliant round-the-corner pass to Sami to score out-wide before Roberts added the extras for a 28-12 lead.
The Titans extended their lead in the 68th minute with winger Jordan Birch finishing off a slick back-line play to score in the corner and give his side a 32-12 lead going into the final 10 minutes of play.
The Titans finished the match in style with Roberts-Davis supporting well on the inside to reel in a neat Sami offload to score in the corner and give his side the 36-12 win.
The young Titans will have the bye next week before heading north to take on the North Queensland Cowboys in their round 13 clash.
Gold Coast Titans 36 (A Brimson 3, D Brownbill, P Sami, J Birch, T Roberts-Davis tries; E Roberts 4 goals) defeated Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 12 (J Tarrant, B Andrews tries; J Anderson 2 goals)
