Round 18, 2021: Parramatta 26 Gold Coast Titans 8

NRL.com

Titans v Eels: Mo, Tino, AJ named; Mahoney back, Paulo resting

After snapping a four-game losing streak in round 16 Gold Coast will be looking to build on that big win over Canberra when they emerge from the bye to take on top-four team Parramatta.

The Titans, who shrugged off the sin-binning of star forward David Fifita to crush the Raiders 44-6, have joined the logjam of sides on the fringe of the eight after banking their two points for the bye.

It doesn't take a genius to work out what they have to do to lift themselves above the mid-table scrum. While the 442 points they have conceded ranks the Titans exactly where they sit on the ladder, in 12th, their points-for tally of 386 pegs them in seventh.

So if Justin Holbrook's men lift their defence to the standard of their attack they'll go a long way to putting themselves back in the finals picture.

That will be easier said than done against a rested Eels side which will be keen to get its season back on track after a one-point loss to competition front-runners Penrith snapped a three-game win streak.

All four of Parramatta's 2021 losses have come against top-eight teams.

The rundown
Team news
Titans: Coach Justin Holbrook has the luxury of naming the same 17 which performed so strongly in Canberra in round 16.

Origin trio Moeaki Fotuaika, Tino Fa'asumaleaui and AJ Brimson look set to back up.

David Fifita missed Origin due to his one-game suspension for dangerous contact but he'll be on deck and ready to rip into the Eels pack.

Sam Stone, Jayden Campbell and Mitch Rein were cut from the extended squad 24 hours before kick-off.

Fifita has scored nine tries in his past five games at Cbus Super Stadium.

Eels: The Eels are coming off the bye and welcome back hooker Reed Mahoney from the shoulder injury he suffered in round 13 but prop Junior Paulo will be rested after playing for the Blues in Origin III. Marata Niukore moves into the front row and Will Smith joins the bench.

Back-rower Isaiah Papali'i should be right to go after copping a head knock against the Panthers in round 16.

Keegan Hipgrave and Joey Lussick were omitted from the extended squad on Thursday.

The Eels have won their past four games against the Titans.

Key match-up
David Fifita v Ryan Matterson: Two of the competition's elite second-rowers, Fifita and Matterson both go into this clash looking to make statements. The Titans force of nature returns from a suspension that cost him his place in Origin III while the Eels workhorse has yet to really hit top form since returning from a long-term concussion layoff in round eight. Matterson has been thoroughly overshadowed by the form of 2021 recruit Isaiah Papali'i and will be eager to prove he is not a spent force.

Stat attack
The Titans will have to keep a very close eye on Eels skipper Clint Gutherson who can hurt teams from anywhere on the field. Not only does "King Gutho" rank No.1 for kick return metres (1136) but he also tops the NRL in support play, where his 169 involvements is well ahead of second-placed Nicho Hynes (141). In addition, Parramatta's fullback is third for runs (299) and run metres (2835), seventh in tries (12) and line-break assists (15), 10th for line breaks and try assists (both 13), and 14th in tackle breaks (56).

NRL.com

Reed's return propels Eels to strong win over Titans

The late withdrawal of NSW playmaker Mitchell Moses has not stopped Parramatta punishing a full-strength Gold Coast Titans 26-8 in the NRL double header opener on Friday night.

In his absence up stepped hooker Reed Mahoney returning from five weeks out with a shoulder injury, to score a try and annoy the home side all night.

The Eels remained on track for a top-four finish with their fourth win in five games sparked by a stunning first half points rush after Titans co-captain Kevin Proctor was sin-binned.

Proctor trudged off the field with the Gold Coast still in the fight trailing 6-0 but by the time the dreadlocked back-rower returned the scoreline was an ugly 20-0 after Parramatta rattled off three tries in five minutes.

Moses had been tipped to back up from his NSW Origin debut just 48 hours earlier at the same venue and get a crack at savouring success at Cbus Super Stadium.

But coach Brad Arthur opted to instead rest the playmaker along with Blues prop Junior Paulo and hand halfback duties to his son Jake.

In contrast the Titans welcomed back their full Origin contingent of AJ Brimson, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Moeaki Fotuaika with Maroons wrecking ball David Fifita also available after missing Origin III due to suspension.

However, the Eels (13-4 record) juggernaut continued to rumble along with hooker Reed Mahoney enjoying a triumphant return from a shoulder injury that had sidelined him for four weeks and no doubt cost him a Queensland debut.

Parramatta looked at home at their new Gold Coast base, providing first half fireworks in the kick-off to an NRL bonanza in Queensland after the competition relocated north following the Greater Sydney and Victorian COVID-19 outbreaks.

It would have almost brought a smile to stony-faced Eels mentor Arthur who stressed the importance of the match as they tried to nail down a top four finish in the eight-game run home in their Queensland bubble.

"This is like the start of a new competition. This could make or break teams," he told Fox League pre-match.

The loss brought Gold Coast back to earth after they had ended a four-game losing streak with a 44-6 thumping of Canberra before last round's bye.

The Titans (6-11 record) started the game just one win outside the eight but will now battle to emerge from a logjam of sides fighting for a finals sniff at the back end of the season.

The Eels led 20-0 at halftime and blew the deficit out further after Clint Gutherson and Haze Dunster combined to send dominant back-rower Ryan Matterson over in the 50th minute.

The Titans got on the board in the 62nd minute when Brian Kelly latched on to an Ash Taylor cut-out pass.

And they had another five minutes later when Fifita reeled in a Tyrone Peachey grubber to cut the deficit to 26-8 but it was too little, too late.

Summing up their night, Fifita was denied a second try on the stroke of full-time.

Adding injury to insult for the hosts, playmaker Jamal Fogarty went off with a hand injury midway in the second half, Ash Taylor left in the final 10 minutes for a suspected HIA while winger Phillip Sami went down with a twisted ankle in the 34th minute.

The pressure was on Eels five-eighth Dylan Brown to produce something special from the outset with Moses sidelined and his replacement Arthur lasting just four minutes before coming off for an HIA assessment which he later passed.

Brown didn't disappoint, cutting through the Titans defence and running around Brimson to score a stunning 50m solo try in the 10th minute.

But the highlights had only just begun for the Eels who showed no mercy after Proctor was binned in the 22nd minute for a lifting tackle on Isaiah Papali'i.

Matterson was held up just moments after Proctor left but the floodgates opened when Shaun Lane ran off Mahoney to score in the 23rd minute.

Two minutes later it was 16-0 when Mahoney helped himself to a try after a Matterson bust.

Then Gutherson kicked for winger Dunster to score in the 28th and suddenly it was 20-0.

For the Eels, Matterson was placed on report for a high shot on Brimson in the 61st minute and Mika Sivo joined him in 75th minute for a dangerous tackle.