Titans captain Jamal Fogarty knows the club’s “most complete win as a team” against the Cowboys will mean very little if the Gold Coast can’t match it with genuine top four contenders Canberra on Saturday.
Successive wins over North Queensland and Brisbane have ignited the Gold Coast’s NRL season as they surge into the top four and begin to fulfil the prophecy that they’re a team to watch in 2021.
But Fogarty knows the Titans are yet to prove anything against the elite clubs of the NRL and Saturday’s clash with the Raiders at Cbus Super Stadium is their first opportunity to send a message to the competition about their credentials as a title contender.
“Canberra has been one of the most consistent teams for the last couple of years now and their roster has been together for a long time, they know how to play and get the job done,” Fogarty said.
Every try from round 3
“For us it’s a good reality check to see where we are. Hopefully we can put together another good performance, especially being a home game, to see where we are at as a club.
“I think that (win over the Cowboys) was probably our most complete win as a team. I think the 17 guys who ran out on the weekend knew our role and I think we executed it for a large chunk of the game.
“It’s a good building block for the team, two good performances, and it’s all about reloading this week up against a tough Canberra side.”
What makes a good defensive fullback
While the Titans' wins have come off the back of a strong team performance, it’s impossible to overlook the impact of new recruit David Fifita, who has scored three tries in two weeks for back-to-back man of the match efforts.
Fogarty hasn’t been surprised by the eye-catching outings of Fifita and knows the 21-year-old is perhaps the club’s most important weapon in reaching the finals.
“I think Davey is just playing his role within the team. That is all we ask of Dave is to make his tackles and have a couple of runs here and there,” Fogarty said.
“It’s all about sharing the load here within our squad. He hasn’t surprised me to be fair, he has been doing awesome things since he has been at the club in the preseason, you sit back and think this kid has so much footy in him for his age at 21 so to see him put two good performances back-to-back is awesome for us.
“We just need Dave to keep being Dave and having good carries, making his tackles and staying healthy and fit for us to have any shot at playing finals at the end of the year.”
NRL Magic Round Brisbane 1-Day Passes are now on sale with eight massive games across round 10 at Suncorp Stadium this May. With the league's best players all heading to Brisbane, you'd hate to miss it! Tickets at NRL.com/Tickets.
