Three Rounds into the 2015 NRL season and the Sharks are desperate to notch a win to get their season started and to remain in contention for a finals berth come September.
On Saturday at Remondis Stadium we take on a Gold Coast Titans side also out of sorts after losses to the Tigers, Panthers and losing a close one to the Knights. The Gold Coast boys have conceded 14 tries in those opening three matches and find themselves in a similar position to the Sharks on the competition table, so there’s all to play for.
This will be our eighth home game against the Titans and our 12th match overall, since they entered the NRL in 2007. Our current home record against them reads a healthy 5 wins and 2 losses.
Former Sharks scoring ace Luke Covell amassed a remarkable record in six games against the Titans. Luke’s tally of 4 tries and 17 goals in total against them has him leading the try and goal scoring charts in both the home and away club records between the two. Skipper Paul Gallen also highlights prominently with 4 tries, though only once crossing the Titans line at home. This will be Gal’s10th game against the Gold Coast Titans.
Our last Titans game was a Round One home defeat on March 10, 2014. The Sharks and Titans scores and line-ups that Monday night in front of 9,321 fans were:
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12 (Tinirau Arona, Wade Graham tries; Michael Gordon 2 goals from 2 attempts)
Gold Coast Titans 18 (Greg Bird, Albert Kelly, William Zillman tries; Aidan Sezer 3 goals from 4 attempts)
Sharks: 1.Fullback Michael Gordon; 2.Wing Sosaia Feki, 3.Centre Blake Ayshford, 19.Centre Ricky Leutele, 4.Wing Jonathan Wright; 12.Five-Eighth Wade Graham, 7.Halfback Daniel Holdsworth; 13.Lock Paul Gallen (Captain), 18.Second Row Tinirau Arona, 11.Second Row Matt Prior, 10.Front Row Bryce Gibbs, 9.Hooker John Morris, 8.Front Row Andrew Fifita. Interchange: 14.Isaac De Gois, 15.Sam Tagataese, 16.Tupou Sopoaga, 17.Siosaia Vave.
Titans: 1.Fullback William Zillman; 2.Wing Kevin Gordon, 3.Centre Brad Tighe, 4.Centre Maurice Blair, 5.Wing David Mead; 6.Five-Eighth Aidan Sezer, 7.Halfback Albert Kelly; 13.Lock Ashley Harrison, 12.Second Row David Taylor, 11.Second Row Greg Bird (Captain), 10.Front Row Nate Myles (Captain), 9.Hooker Beau Falloon, 8.Front Row Luke Douglas. Interchange: 14.Matthew White, 15.Luke Bailey, 16.Mark Minichiello, 17.Paul Carter.
Halftime Score: Titans 10-6. Scrums: Sharks 7-4. Penalties: Titans 10-7. Referees: Jared Maxwell & Grant Atkins.
SHARKS FACT: Both Ricky Leutele (in 2011) and Tinirau Arona (in 2014) scored their first tries for the Sharks against the Gold Coast Titans. Tinirau scoring on his Cronulla debut.
Go Sharks!
SHARKS / Titans – By the Numbers
OUR RECORD @ HOME (2007-2015)
All-Time Record: Played 11 Won 6 Drawn 0 Lost 5 Points For 216 Points Against 170
Total Record at Remondis: Played 7 Won 5 Drawn 0 Lost 2 Points For 150 Points Against 102
Sharks Form in Last 5 Home Games vs Titans: Loss 12-18 (Rd 01 2014 at Remondis Stadium) Won 12-10 (Rd 01 2013 at Sharks Stadium) Won 22-12 (Rd 14 2012 at Toyota Stadium) Loss 16-20 (Rd 22 2011 at Toyota Stadium) Won 30-16 (Rd 25 2010 at Toyota Stadium)
Sharks Form in Last 5 Games vs Titans: Loss 12-18 (Rd 01 2014 at Remondis Stadium) Won 12-10 (Rd 01 2013 at Sharks Stadium) Won 22-12 (Rd 14 2012 at Toyota Stadium) Loss 16-20 (Rd 22 2011 at Toyota Stadium) Won 36-12 (Rd 16 2011 at Skilled Stadium)
Sharks First-Ever Game vs Titans: Rd 02 March 26, 2007 at Gold Coast Stadium (Loss 16-18) Sharks Scorers: Reece Williams 2, Fraser Anderson tries; Luke Covell 2 goals Att: 17,946
Sharks First-Ever Home Game vs Titans: Rd 24 August 25, 2007 at Toyota Stadium (Won 28-12) Sharks Scorers: Greg Bird, Luke Covell, Kevin Kingston, David Simmons, Paul Stephenson tries; Luke Covell 4 goals Att: 9,036
Sharks Last Game vs Titans at Remondis: Rd 01 March 10, 2014 (Loss 12-18) Sharks Scorers: Tinirau Arona, Wade Graham tries; Michael Gordon 2 goals Att: 9,321
Sharks Last Win vs Titans at Remondis: Rd 01 March 10, 2013 (Won 12-10) Sharks Scorers: Andrew Fifita, Matthew Wright tries; Michael Gordon 2 goals Att: 17,541
Sharks Biggest Win vs Titans at Remondis: 30-14 Rd 12 June 01, 2008 (16pts margin) Sharks Scorers: Luke Covell 2, Ben Pomeroy 2, Greg Bird tries; Luke Covell 5 goals Att: 8,214 & 28-12 Rd 24 August 25, 2007 (16pts margin) Sharks Scorers: Greg Bird, Luke Covell, Kevin Kingston, David Simmons, Paul Stephenson tries; Luke Covell 4 goals Att: 9,036
Sharks Heaviest Defeat vs Titans at Remondis: 12-18 Rd 01 March 10, 2014 (6pts margin)
Sharks Best Home Attendance vs Titans: 17,541 (Rd 01 March 10, 2013)
Best Ever Attendance vs Titans: 19,050 (Rd 03 March 29, 2008 at Skilled Stadium)
Sharks Home Attendance Average vs Titans: 9,882
Sharks Home Points Average Per Game vs Titans: 21.4pts
Most Points Scored by the Sharks vs Titans at Remondis: (30pts) 30-14 Rd 12 June 01, 2008 & (30pts) 30-16 Rd 25 August 28, 2010
Most Aggregate Points Scored in a Game vs Titans at Remondis: (46pts) 30-16 Rd 25 August 28, 2010
Most Sharks Points Conceded vs Titans at Remondis: (20pts) 16-20 Rd 22 August 06, 2011
Most Points Scored in all Games by a Sharks Player vs Titans at Remondis: (44pts) by Luke Covell, (4 tries14 goals)
Most Total Points Scored by a Sharks Player against the Titans: (50pts) by Luke Covell, (4 tries17goals)
Most Points Scored by a Sharks Player in a Game vs Titans at Remondis: (18pts) by Luke Covell, (2 tries 5 goals), Rd 12 June 01, 2008 (Won 30-14)
Most Tries Scored in a Game vs Titans at Remondis: (2 tries) by Luke Covell; (2 tries) by Ben Pomeroy, Rd 12 June 01, 2008
Most Goals Scored in a Game vs Titans at Remondis: (5 goals- twice) by Luke Covell, Rd 12 June 01, 2008 & Rd 25 August 28, 2010
Most Sharks Team Tries Scored in a Game vs Titans at Remondis: (5 tries- 3 times) Rd 24 August 25, 2007; Rd 12 June 01, 2008 & Rd 25 August 28, 2010
Total Try Scorers for the Sharks vs Titans at Remondis: (26 Tries, 20 Try Scorers) Luke Covell 4; Ben Pomeroy 3; Greg Bird 2; Kevin Kingston 1; David Simmons 1; Paul Stephenson 1; Luke Douglas 1; Paul Gallen 1; Nathan Gardner 1; Tim Smith 1; Ricky Leutele 1; John Morris 1; Colin Best 1; Isaac De Gois 1; Jeremy Smith 1; Chad Townsend 1; Andrew Fifita 1; Matthew Wright 1; Tinirau Arona 1; Wade Graham 1.
Total Goal Scorers for the Sharks vs Titans at Remondis: (23 Goals, 4 Goal Scorers) Luke Covell 14; Michael Gordon 4; Chad Townsend 3; Nathan Stapleton 2.
Total Field Goal Scorers for the Sharks vs Titans at Remondis: none
All-Time Total Try Scorers for the Sharks vs Titans: (38 Tries, 24 Try Scorers) Luke Covell 4; Paul Gallen 4; Ben Pomeroy 3; Nathan Gardner 3; Reece Williams 2; Greg Bird 2; David Simmons 2; Nathan Stapleton 2; Fraser Anderson 1; Kevin Kingston 1; Paul Stephenson 1; Blake Ferguson 1; Luke Douglas 1; Tim Smith 1; Ricky Leutele 1; John Morris 1; Colin Best 1; Isaac De Gois 1; Jeremy Smith 1; Chad Townsend 1; Andrew Fifita 1; Matthew Wright 1; Tinirau Arona 1; Wade Graham 1.
All-Time Goal Scorers for the Sharks vs Titans: (32 Goals, 4 Goal Scorers) Luke Covell 17; Chad Townsend 9; Michael Gordon 4; Nathan Stapleton 2.
All-Time Field Goal Scorers for the Sharks vs Titans: none
