Prince inspires Titans to win over Eels
Gold Coast halfback Scott Prince said he wasn't expecting any favours from representative selectors despite putting forward yet another compelling case for a call-up by destroying the Eels in his side's 28-20 win at Parramatta Stadium.
Prince maintained his brilliant start to the season with another five-star display, but he said he wasn't getting his hopes up too high on securing either a maroon or green-and-gold jumper any time soon.
"Johnathan Thurston's showed that he's up there with the best halfbacks in the game and they talk about him being the best player in the world," Prince said.
"The way I look at it I've just got to keep chipping away and opportunities come through injury.
"I learned a long time ago, in 04' I got a crack, I missed out in 05, I had to deal with it back then.
"Now it's just one of those things ... I just go out and do my thing for the club and I get more enjoyment playing for the Titans at the moment."
While Prince was preparing himself for a representative snub, his coach was in no doubt who deserved the accolades after watching the No.7 carry his side to just their third win away from home.
His influence was never more telling than just after the break when with the Titans clinging to a 16-8 lead and the Eels enjoying repeat sets on the visitors line, Prince cleaned up a dangerous Tim Smith grubber with a slips-like grab.
Prince then dummied twice and stepped through to extend the lead to beyond two converted tries before the Eels fought back to close to within two points.
But Prince again came to the fore as he played a leading role in Josh Graham's match-sealer just before fulltime, though there was more than a touch of doubt over a double movement with Graham lifting his arm as he bounced over.
"He's probably the best halfback in the game at the moment," Cartwright said.
"We got no quality ball in the second half and we needed to score again to win and on the back of all the defence they had to do ... to just come up with two tries out of nothing speaks for itself."
Prince was instrumental in getting the Titans ahead at the halftime break, a miraculous 40-20 which hugged the sideline swinging the momentum which had favoured the home side in the early exchanges.
Finally in good field position, Prince threw a cut-out ball for Matt Petersen to score against his former club before another ex-Eel in Aaron Cannings crashed over next to the posts for a 10-0 after 24 minutes.
The crowd took great delight as Petersen undid much of his earlier good work as he fumbled the kick-off over the dead ball line, the Eels getting back into the contest as a result with Tim Smith putting Nathan Hindmarsh over.
It wasn't all good news for the visitors with five-eighth Mat Rogers put on report for a lifting tackle on Luke Burt after in the 32nd minute.
After Prince put his side up 22-8 it seemed game over, but the Eels stormed back into the game with Joel Reddy and Brett Finch scoring in quick succession to cut the lead to two points with plenty of time on the clock, Eels coach Michael Hagan not convinced about Graham's last try.
"It was maybe one if those calls that went against us," Hagan said.
"I thought there were enough elements to it to suggest it may have been (a double movement), but I'm not blaming that for the loss or that performance."
Post a comment about this article
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.