Roar Guru
The St George Illawarra Dragons have kept their top eight hopes alive with a 42-16 thumping of the Gold Coast Titans at home at UOW Jubilee Oval.
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Final score
St George Illawarra Dragons 42
Gold Coast Titans 16
It’s a must-win game for the St George Illawarra Dragons when they host the Gold Coast Titans in Round 23. Join The Roar for live score updates from the match and a live blog of the game at UOW Jubilee Oval on Saturday afternoon from 3pm (AEST).
The Dragons are two points out of the top eight after two losses on the trot. Souths scored two tries in the last five minutes last week to upset them 26-24. That could prove costly for the Dragons’ chances of making the finals.
A win today is crucial and they must hope the teams above them stumble over the next four weeks. They have the Broncos, Penrith and Canterbury in the last three rounds.
They have made two changes on the bench from the 17 that faced Souths last week. Hame Sele and Blake Lawrie are in, while Jacob Host and Jake Marketo are out.
The Titans are coming off the back of a 54-point thrashing from the Broncos last week and should be out to restore some lost pride. Defence has been a problem for the Gold Coast all season. They have the second-worst record in the NRL this year, conceding an average of 26 points a game.
Backrower Kevin Proctor is returning from a hamstring injury for the Titans this week in place of Morgan Boyle who drops back to the bench. That pushes Agnatius Paasi out of the squad.
Prediction
St George by 8. They have more to play for.
Join The Roar for live score updates from the match and a live blog of the game between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Gold Coast Titans at UOW Jubilee Oval on Saturday afternoon from 3pm (AEST).