Qld Teams Rd 3 - Winless Titans ring the changes

Gold Coast Titans Coach John Cartwright has made six changes for this weekend’s local showdown with the Broncos.

The Titans backed up their gutsy first round loss to the Dragons with a diabolical performance in Melbourne against the Storm last week.

After conceding a penalty from the kick-off, Gold Coast never got into the contest as the Storm skipped to a 40-nil lead.

The Titans salvaged two late tries but for the first time in their history, find themselves in last position on the competition ladder.

Heading into the Broncos game, of which Brisbane has won four of the last five including the last two at Skilled Park, the Titans will have forwards Anthony Laffranchi and Brad Meyers available for the first time in 2011.

Laffranchi has been named to start in the back-row following off-season shoulder and wrist surgery.

Meyers has been listed as 18th man with a decision on his availability to be made later in the week after the former Queensland forward had minor knee surgery during the pre-season.

Mark Minichiello, who had been hampered by a groin injury, played 32 minutes from the bench last week but has been named in his familiar second-row starting position.

Laffranchi and Minichiello replace last week’s starting back row pair of Greg Bird and Bodene Thompson.

Both have been given new roles in the side with Bird to play five-eighth and Thompson in the centres.

They replace Luke Capewell and Clinton Toopi, both of whom have been dropped to the Queensland Cup.

The final change sees winger Esi Tonga play his first match for the Titans since late 2009 after missing all of last season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Tonga replaces the exciting Kevin Gordon whose season is over following a serious knee injury against Melbourne.

Gordon will need a full knee reconstruction for a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

A big crowd is expected at Skilled Park for the traditional Broncos Blockbuster with the match broadcast live on Channel Nine throughout Queensland from 7:30pm Friday.

Broncos call in cavalry

It might be two weeks later than expected, but star Broncos Ben Hannant and Justin Hodges seem certain to play their first games of the season against Gold Coast on Friday.

Both were expected to form vital components of the 2011 Brisbane team but were forced to cool their heels after pre-season injuries.

Hannant, who left the Broncos in 2008 for two years at the Bulldogs, has recovered from a calf injury and comes straight into the starting side to replace Scott Anderson – ironically missing with a calf injury of his own.

Anderson’s is more serious with a tear suffered in the warm up to last week’s 20-4 win over Canberra sidelining him for at least a month.

The last minute injury resulted in minor chaos with Dale Copley, normally a winger or centre, pulled from the on-going Under 20’s match to sit on the NRL bench.

However Copley eventually played 30 minutes against Canberra after winger Dane Gagai (ankle) was injured.

Gagai is expected to miss only one or two weeks and his place in the NRL side has been taken by the returning Hodges.

After missing last season with a ruptured Achilles before tweaking a hamstring in the final trial of the pre-season, Hodges will play his first NRL game in 18 months on Friday.

Hodges returns to his preferred right centre position with impressive rookie Jack Reed shifting to the left side.

That pushes Gerard Beale to the left wing in place of Gagai.

In signs of the Broncos depth, regular first grade forwards Nick Kenny, Mitchell Dodds and Dane Carlaw will all play Queensland Cup for a second week.

Dodds was impressive in playing most of the match for Wynnum Seagulls last week while Carlaw had two solid stints in the game.

Both are expected to back up for a road trip to play one of the Cowboys feeder sides, Northern Pride, this weekend while Kenny will play for Central Comets against Canberra’s feeder side Souths Logan.

Two Cowboys debut

After a disappointing performance against the table-topping Knights at home last week, North Queensland Cowboys Coach Neil Henry has resisted mass changes for Monday night’s game against Melbourne.

After a lean few years the Townsville-based club had renewed hope for success after defeating the Broncos in Round One.

However the Cowboys fell back into bad habits last week with poor handling and at times dismal tackling punctuating a 22-34 loss – a scoreline flattering North Queensland after three late tries.
Former Dragons winger Kalifa Faifai Loa will play his first game for the Cowboys, replacing Michael Bani.

Faifai Loa played two games last year during the Origin period but will have a chance on Monday to claim a long term position.

James Segeyaro, a Papua New Guinea-born hooker, replaces Ben Jones on the interchange bench.

Segeyaro, 20, will make his NRL debut after a strong Queensland Cup performance for Northern Pride last week.

The Cowboys will hope to avenge a 58-12 thrashing at the hands of the Storm in their last meeting.

However to do that North Queensland will have to snap an eight game losing streak against Melbourne.

The Cowboys last win against the Storm came in 2006 and face a Melbourne side unbeaten after two weeks.

It will be a rare Monday Night Football home game for the Cowboys and broadcast live on Fox Sports with kick-off at 7pm.

Gold Coast Titans vs. Broncos, Friday 7:35pm QLD, (Channel Nine, live)
William Zillman, Esi Tonga, Steve Michaels, Bodene Thompson, David Mead, Greg Bird, Scott Prince (c), Luke Bailey, Riley Brown, Matthew White, Anthony Laffranchi, Mark Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: Michael Henderson, Sam Tagataese, Ryan James, Preston Campbell, Brad Meyers (one to be omitted).

Brisbane Broncos vs. Titans, Friday 7:35pm QLD, (Channel Nine, live)
Josh Hoffman, Jharal Yow Yeh, Jack Reed, Justin Hodges, Gerard Beale, Darren Lockyer (c), Peter Wallace, Sam Thaiday, Andrew McCullough, Ben Hannant, Alex Glenn, Matt Gillett, Corey Parker. Interchange: Ben Hunt, Ben Te’o, Josh McGuire, Shane Tronc.

North Queensland Cowboys vs. Storm, Monday 7pm QLD, (Fox Sports, live)
Matthew Bowen, Ashley Graham, Will Tupou, Willie Tonga, Kalifa Faifai Loa, Ray Thompson, Johnathan Thurston (c), Matt Scott (c), Aaron Payne, James Tamou, Gavin Cooper, Glenn Hall, Dallas Johnson. Interchange: James Segeyaro, Leeson Ah Mau, Tariq Sims, Ashton Sims.