With both sides chasing a win in round 2 of the NRLW season, it would be the Gold Coast Titans that put the Canterbury Bulldogs to the sword with a commanding win.
Both sides were forced into numerous positional changes due to injuries but it would be the Titans who struck first through star center Jaime Chapman.
A tremendous solo effort saw her take a bomb, bust through two defenders and run 90m to score the opening try of the game.
The Bulldogs tried to gain some momentum but to no avail as veteran centre Evania Isa’ako scored her first try as a back-rower when she twisted her body and arm to somehow score despite attention from defenders.
Not long after, Chapman had a second try as a deft chip over the top from Lauren Brown saw the centre pounce, beat a defender and score.
With 61% possession, the Titans would go into the half with a 16-0 lead.
The Bulldogs came out with intent in the second half and would open the scoring when Tayla Preston grubbered through and Hope Millard reacting fastest to pounce on the ball.
They almost went back-to-back only for Tamika Jones to drop the ball over the line.
It would prove costly as Chapman’s hat-trick came about as she and Brown again combined off the halfback’s boot.
Working their way back into the game, the Bulldogs would get a second try as Monica Tagoai showed strength and power to beat three defenders and score her first try this season.
But the Titans class shone through as star rugby recruit Teagan Levi scored her second try in as many games with a deft dummy and then a stroll to the line.
Chapman would turn provider this time as she bumped and squeezed through defenders before putting Georgia Grey over in the corner.
Her fourth try and the icing on a tremendous performance would come late on as she scored off a scrum play and got an early mark for her stellar game.
Bulldogs coach Brayden Wiliame lamented his side’s poor start to the game and they could not recover from there.
“We just had a horrible start,” Wiliame said bluntly.
“There were far too many missed tackles in that first half and I thought they tried really hard in the second half but by that time they’ve made almost fifty tackles more than the Titans.”
Gold Coast Titans 36 (Chapman 4, Isa’ako, Levi, Grey; Goals: Brown 4) def. Canterbury Bulldogs 10 (Millard, Tagoai; Goals: Preston).
Ricky’s Player of the Game
3. Jaime Chapman (GLD)
2. Teagan Levi (GLD)
1. Lauren Brown (GLD)
