- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Keano Kini starred as the Gold Coast Titans kept their slim top-eight chances alive with an astonishing 46-18 win over Brisbane at a packed Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Kini and Kieran Foran’s combination was purring all day as the diminutive Titans No.1 ran in for two tries and set up two more as Gold Coast saved one of their best performances of 2024 for the derby with Jojo Fifita scoring a hat-trick.
Furthering the humiliation of losing to their local rivals in such fashion as their season utterly implodes, Broncos players could be seen clashing on-field with Reece Walsh blowing up at Corey Oates after a knock-on came from the fullback’s questionable pass.
Thirteen wins is generally the threshold for securing a finals place in the NRL and with Kevin Walters’ side desperately out of form, Brisbane’s hopes of avenging their heartbreaking 2023 Grand Final defeat to powerhouse Penrith are completely done and dusted.
The drubbing will turn up the heat on Walters and captain Adam Reynolds who have been torched by club legends Gorden Tallis and Chris Johns for Brisbane’s dramatic slide to an 8-12 record into 14th spot with just five rounds remaining.
“The eight’s the furthest thing from my mind at the moment,” Walters said.
“We’ve got more issues than making the eight – not issues – but that’s disappointing there today, particularly the second 40.
“We had bodies on the field that are playing in the NRL and they need to do their job.”
The Broncos lost Payne Haas early in the contest with the NSW Blues prop suffering a foot injury that reportedly could end his campaign. Walters’ headache was compounded when Ezra Mam was also forced from the field late in the first half with a syndesmosis problem.
Walsh got the Broncos on the board first with some trademark individual brilliance, exploiting a gaping hole in the defence then perfectly executing a kick and chase.
The Brisbane No.1 doubled his money, chasing his own high kick and reeling it in in front of Keano Kini, then slamming the ball down for a 12-0 Broncos start.
In the 22nd minute Kini made amends with Gold Coast’s first four-pointer of the afternoon, finishing off a line break from close range.
As the battle of the fullbacks continued Kieran Foran and Kini combined to set up Jojo Fifita to score on the right edge. Jayden Campbell added the two points as the Broncos’ lead whittled down to two points.
The Broncos hit back through Kobe Hetherington, the big man going in for a rare try from a quality Adam Reynolds grubber.
Reynolds added a penalty goal to stretch the visitors’ lead to eight points at half-time.
Kini produced an exceptional effort for his second try of the day, pouncing on a loose ball near the sideline and somehow picking it up and crashing over the line.
Gold Coast had their first lead soon after as Brian Kelly stepped past a couple of disconnected Broncos defenders to score.
With momentum at the home side’s backs at a packed Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast were in again as Jojo Fifita doubled his tally with Foran and Kini pulling the strings.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira dashed Brisbane’s hopes with the Titans’ sixth try.
Rubbing even more salt in the Broncos’ wounds was Jojo Fifita, going in again to complete his hat-trick.
Phillip Sami and Beau Fermor added the Gold Coast’s eighth and ninth tries respectively to complete an utter humiliation of their local rivlals.
Corey Oates is tackled. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
It’s going to be a big mountain to climb but with today’s win, and if they can replicate that form in their five remaining fixtures, Gold Coast are still in with a chance of a top-eight finish in 2024. Veteran Foran’s combination with rookie Kini and the backline was impressive and there are definitely points in this team.
“We’re in a position at this stage where we’re an outside chance (to make the finals) so we have to keep producing wins. They’re a handy football side but we stuck to the task right until the end. We were able to remain focused and get the job done,” Titans coach Des Hasler said.
“They’ve shown some real growth in being able to really focus and stay at the task and because they’ve done that we now find ourselves still in the fight,” Hasler said.
“We’re a long way to go yet. We’ve got some real good sides, quality sides, that we’re going to play in the next month but it’s good to know that those sides are going to get a game of footy.”
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.