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Titans start season in style with 34-20 victory over Knights
A wonderful 80m run by William Zillman sealed the Gold Coast Titans 34-20 NRL season opening win over Newcastle Knights at Skilled Park.
He has been dubbed "TP" - or total package - by his new Gold Coast teammates since moving from Canberra in the off-season.
And he certainly looked it as he ran around some tired Knights defence to score the match-winner and bring the 16,203-strong crowd to their feet.
With the Knights on the attack, Titans winger Esi Tonga cleverly regathered a kick and set Zillman loose on a fantastic run that ended under the posts in the 72nd minute.
After coming back from 14-0 down to lead 16-14 at half-time, the Titans went further ahead in the 44th minute when Scott Prince's dummy baffled Ben Rogers and the Gold Coast skipper waltzed over for a try.
But the Knights hit back in a passage of play that seemed to sum up the scrappy game.
Newcastle regained possession quickly after the re-start when Titans backrower Mark Minichiello lost the ball.
Veteran Knight Adam MacDougall then appeared to be held by four defenders only to deliver a ball to reserve Matt Hilder who dived over in the right corner in the 47th minute.
Kurt Gidley's sideline conversion cut the deficit to just 22-20.
Enter Brad Meyers.
With his bushy red beard, the former international looks more like a mountain man than a glitter strip resident.
But the Titans forward certainly looked at home at Skilled Park as he bulldozed over Isaac De Gois and then Gidley in a thundering 25m run to score in the 54th minute.
Zillman then put the result beyond doubt.
The Knights appeared to be laughing when they led 14-0 by the 29th minute.
Newcastle drew first blood through Fiji's World Cup star winger Akuila Uate's strong run in the seventh minute.
Knights half-back Jarrod Mullen did it all himself in the 22nd, bumping off Prince before taking over another three defenders.
Newcastle captain Gidley's 29th minute penalty gave the visitors the 14-0 buffer.
Then the Titans were sparked by a man who believes he is unwanted at the club - hooker Nathan Friend.
He is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season after falling out with the club over their high profile - but ultimately failed - talks with superstar rakes Cameron Smith and Robbie Farah.
However, Friend hardly looked distracted with his first half performance that sparked three tries in six minutes.
First Friend darted out of dummy half to set up pivot Mat Rogers in the 31st minute.
Luke O'Dwyer juggled a Prince pass before regathering and burrowing over in the 34th before Tonga's quick thinking gave the Titans the lead.
After a Prince break, Rogers grubbered into the in-goal only for Knights winger James McManus to fumble the ball.
Tonga then pounced, flicking the ball back as he fell out of bounds to give Friend the easiest of tries.
He has been dubbed "TP" - or total package - by his new Gold Coast teammates since moving from Canberra in the off-season.
And he certainly looked it as he ran around some tired Knights defence to score the match-winner and bring the 16,203-strong crowd to their feet.
With the Knights on the attack, Titans winger Esi Tonga cleverly regathered a kick and set Zillman loose on a fantastic run that ended under the posts in the 72nd minute.
After coming back from 14-0 down to lead 16-14 at half-time, the Titans went further ahead in the 44th minute when Scott Prince's dummy baffled Ben Rogers and the Gold Coast skipper waltzed over for a try.
But the Knights hit back in a passage of play that seemed to sum up the scrappy game.
Newcastle regained possession quickly after the re-start when Titans backrower Mark Minichiello lost the ball.
Veteran Knight Adam MacDougall then appeared to be held by four defenders only to deliver a ball to reserve Matt Hilder who dived over in the right corner in the 47th minute.
Kurt Gidley's sideline conversion cut the deficit to just 22-20.
Enter Brad Meyers.
With his bushy red beard, the former international looks more like a mountain man than a glitter strip resident.
But the Titans forward certainly looked at home at Skilled Park as he bulldozed over Isaac De Gois and then Gidley in a thundering 25m run to score in the 54th minute.
Zillman then put the result beyond doubt.
The Knights appeared to be laughing when they led 14-0 by the 29th minute.
Newcastle drew first blood through Fiji's World Cup star winger Akuila Uate's strong run in the seventh minute.
Knights half-back Jarrod Mullen did it all himself in the 22nd, bumping off Prince before taking over another three defenders.
Newcastle captain Gidley's 29th minute penalty gave the visitors the 14-0 buffer.
Then the Titans were sparked by a man who believes he is unwanted at the club - hooker Nathan Friend.
He is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season after falling out with the club over their high profile - but ultimately failed - talks with superstar rakes Cameron Smith and Robbie Farah.
However, Friend hardly looked distracted with his first half performance that sparked three tries in six minutes.
First Friend darted out of dummy half to set up pivot Mat Rogers in the 31st minute.
Luke O'Dwyer juggled a Prince pass before regathering and burrowing over in the 34th before Tonga's quick thinking gave the Titans the lead.
After a Prince break, Rogers grubbered into the in-goal only for Knights winger James McManus to fumble the ball.
Tonga then pounced, flicking the ball back as he fell out of bounds to give Friend the easiest of tries.