The St George Illawarra Dragons will face the Gold Coast Titans at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah on Friday, August 28 (6pm). This is your Round 16 game day guide.
- Lomax rising through point scoring ranks
- Feagai twins extended, promoted to NRL squad
- Ford, Brittain named for Red V
Best of Queensland
Rounds 15 to 17 has and will see the Dragons presented with three consecutive matches against Queensland- based team. If you’re going purely off ladder position then the Titans pose the biggest challenge.
Sitting in 13th, the Titans outrank both the Brisbane Broncos (15th) and North Queensland Cowboys (14th), having claimed an extra win this season.
They will be boosted by the returns of Ashley Taylor (quad) and former Dragon Mitch Rein (knee) this weekend. This has come at the cost of Moeaki Fotuaika (suspension) and Nathan Peats (calf) however.
Tyrone Peachey will start for the Titans at lock with Beau Fermor taking interchange-bound Keegan Hipgrave's place in the back row.
Jackson Ford (suspension) and Billy Brittain have been named for the Dragons otherwise, at the expense of Paul Vaughan (suspension) and Korbin Sims (calf).
'We want to finish strong': Finals not out of the question
History favours the Red V
It’s been three years since the Titans have trumped the Dragons with the Red V boasting a five-game winning streak over the embattled Titans.
There is no shortage of excitement when the two sides come to grips, history dictating that a free-flowing and high scoring affair beckons.
Over their last five encounters, the Dragons have recorded 180 points while the Titans have managed 76 in reply. Interim coach Dean Young's Dragons will be hoping to pile on another big score in front of a home crowd on Friday.
Clash of the excitement machines
If you’re looking for a reason to get excited about our Round 16 clash, this match-up alone should be enough to have you bouncing out of bed screaming "DUFT MAN" on Friday morning.
With 11 tries (seventh competition-wide), nine try assists (15th) and 11 line break assists (sixth), Dufty has locked down the Dragons No. 1 jersey and entrenched himself as one of the most dangerous players in the competition.
The Penshurst RSL junior's rainbow cut-out passes along with his budding combination with half Adam Clune has provided the Red V genuine strike power all season long.
Dufty will come up against a determined AJ Brimson however, a player who has made an immediate difference to the Titans since returning from a fractured back in Round 12. In four games this year, Brimson has picked up three tries, one try assist and averaged 148 running metres.
Right side accolades
Zac Lomax and Mikaele Ravalawa are both in the running to claim some impressive individual achievements, as they continue their rise as one of the more improved wing-centre combinations in the NRL this year.
Lomax finished last week's win over Brisbane as the leading point-scorer in the NRL; his 10 tries and 47 goals amount to 134 points through 15 matches. Lomax's efforts have him now placed two points off being the league's top scorer.
Ravalawa meanwhile sits in fifth place on the NRL's tryscorer tally (12) – just two off the lead – in what is an incredible feat given he has played one game fewer than those above him.
A big performance against the Titans could see the lethal Dragons right edge sit atop both lists come Round 16's conclusion.
