Roar Guru
The Shire will see a battle of the winless on Saturday Afternoon, as their hometown Cronulla Sharks take on the Gold Coast Titans at Remondis Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the game from 5:30pm (AEDT).
The Sharks have started their season poorly, taking losses to the Raiders, Broncos and Storm in their first three games. The Sharks are already facing a situation where a loss would quell any hope of finals, so a win over the Titans is a must for Cronulla.
The Titans have been fighting off controversy all season, and they welcomed back their suspended players last weekend against the Knights. While it wasn’t enough to see them get the victory, they did look a lot better than in previous games. With losses to the Tigers and the Panthers to go along with the loss to the Knights, the Titans will be looking to get their season started with a win on Saturday evening.
The Sharks have made numerous changes this week. Ben Barba is out suspended for two matches, so Wade Graham will wear the Number 6 Jersey on Saturday, meaning Anthony Tupou moves into the starting 13. Sam Tagataese is out for this clash, with Chris Heighington set to start his 250th NRL game. Matt Prior and Jack Bird have both been named on an extended bench, with Bird a real chance to play his first game of NRL football.
The Titans have made one change, with exciting young half Kane Elgey set to replace Daniel Mortimer, who is out with a wrist injury. Agnatius Paasi has been named on an extended Titans bench.
The Sharks have a slight edge in this matchup, winning 6 of the 11 games between the two clubs. The Titans did win their last clash however, taking home a victory by the score of 18-12.
Prediction
The Sharks are starting as warm favourites for this clash, but I think we’ll get a very close game on Saturday. The Titans looked a lot better last weekend, but I think the Sharks will come out firing in front of a home crowd.
Sharks by 6