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A horrific week off the field for the Gold Coast Titans and Jarryd Hayne has ended with a loss as the Canterbury Bulldogs dominated the first half before clinging onto a 12-point win at CBus Super Stadium.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Gold Coast Titans 14
Canterbury Bulldogs 26
Jarryd Hayne and the Gold Coast Titans will be looking to put a torrid week off the field behind them when they host the struggling Canterbury Bulldogs in a game without finals implications. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 3pm (AEST).
The Titans’ season has gone from bad to worse over the last few weeks, with a falling out between Hayne and coach Neil Henry played out in the media.
On Monday, Henry was sacked from the club. In the eyes of many, it was a bad move, but it was clear Hayne and Henry couldn’t co-exist.
The Gold Coast club will retain Hayne for 2018, who is on $1.2 million per season and struggling, while assistant coaches Craig Hodges and Terry Matterson take over for the final two games of the season.
So often, we see teams with a fresh face at the helm win the following week, but the Titans are a basket case right now. Many players have lost interest, with their defence leaking a ridiculous 126 points in the last three games.
While Hayne was out last week, and will be joined in his return by Queensland front rower Jarrod Wallace this week, it’s hard to see how that turns the Titans around, even against a struggling Bulldogs attack.
Reference has to be made to the Canterbury attack because it’s the worst in the competition by a considerable margin. In 22 games, they have scored 308 points at an average of 14 per game – even Newcastle, who sit last, have scored 382 this season.
Their structure is woeful, and they look like a club playing without direction under Des Hasler, who must be under pressure to retain his job.
Canterbury may well have had their best performance of the season last weekend though, running up 30 points against the Sea Eagles to score a win which somehow keeps them out of the bottom four.
Will Hopoate has been a spark for the blue and white this season, with three try assists in the win over Manly.
But you only have to look back to the previous fortnight, when they lost to South Sydney and Parramatta, to see where the Dogs’ level has been at during the second half of the season.
Canterbury have made no changes to the 17 for this match, however, Sam Kasiano, Greg Eastwood and Josh Reynolds are all named on the reserves list.
Prediction
The Bulldogs showed something last week and that’s more than can be said for the Titans. It’ll be error-ridden and low-scoring, but Canterbury should win.
Bulldogs by 8.
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