Gold Coast halfback Tom Weaver was knocked out in the opening few minutes of a day that only got worse for the Titans, who went down 38-18 to Canterbury on Sunday.
In what was an ominous sign for what was to come in the NRL clash, the Bulldogs started with a bullet and the Titans lost Weaver in a whirlwind start to the game.
Attempting a tackle with his head low to the ground, the 22-year-old’s head collided with Viliame Kikau’s leg and was knocked out before he even hit the ground.
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He laid flat on his back with both arms stunned in the air in what was a terrifying sight before making a wobbly attempt to regain composure and get to his feet.
“The tackle has come with a casualty, Weaver is down for the count. He may have played his last minute in the game,” Andrew Voss said.
Weaver was eventually taken to the bench where he underwent and immediately failed a HIA, showing category one signs that ruled him out of the rest of the game.
His absence didn’t help the Titans, who couldn’t stop a rampant Canterbury winger Jacob Kiraz.
Kiraz enhanced his State of Origin chances for NSW with a hat-trick of tries in the win, while Titans coach Des Hasler explained dropping David Fifita.
Jacob Kiraz (c) scored three tries for Canterbury as they thumped Gold Coast. Credit: AAP Demoted to the Queensland Cup, representative second-rower Fifita was playing 35km to the west as his Titans teammates battled at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, but he was unable to inspire the Ipswich Jets who lost 32-0 to the previously winless Northern Pride.
“David … there were just some areas that we wanted him to look at to work on, and some thinking along those lines,” Hasler said of his controversial call.
Fifita ran for an underwhelming 58m from nine runs in Ipswich with 20 tackles and none missed.
“We had no ball and no chance in the match but David’s attitude was great and defensively he couldn’t be faulted,” Jets chairman Steve Johnson said.
Hasler said he would “review” this week whether Fifita earned a recall for the clash with Newcastle.
Hasler, now under pressure after the side’s fifth loss in a row, moved fullback Jaylan De Groot into a playmaking role as cover but it was not a success.
Kiraz was magnificent for the ladder-leading Bulldogs and is a strong chance to debut for NSW with incumbent Blues wingers Zac Lomax and Brian To’o on the injured list.
It was his aerial prowess, class finishing and willing kick-chase that stood out.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said Kiraz was right in Origin contention.
“If he keeps playing like that he is going to be banging the door down,” he said.
“We learned a lot of lessons out of (the loss to Brisbane) last week and I thought the first 20 minutes we played some our style of footy. Then we allowed the Titans back.
“It was very important we came out and controlled the second half and I thought we did that really well.”
Bulldogs fullback Connor Tracey had a stellar match with his running game a highlight.
Half Toby Sexton sent up a towering bomb for winger Kiraz to leap high and score.
Tracey scored next after a sensational late offload from second-rower Jacob Preston.
Against the run of play Titans back-rower Beau Fermor crashed over out wide before prop Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, on the fifth tackle, went into halfback mode with a chip and chase that led to a try to centre Phil Sami.
Titans centre Brian Kelly was sin-binned for a professional foul from a scrum.
Canterbury, leading 14-8 at halftime, were off their game for the last 25 minutes of the first half, but a stern chat from Ciraldo got them back on track.
Kiraz scooted over after half-time for his second. He then caught a Sexton bomb with panache to put Preston over.
Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton carved through threadbare defence to put Kiraz over for his third.
The Titans rallied with Fermor and winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira scoring.
The Bulldogs had Preston sin-binned late for a crusher tackle.
– With AAP