Orford revs ref after Titans beat Manly

(AAP) Another refereeing controversy has marred Gold Coast's 18-17 NRL win over Manly at Skilled Park on Sunday.

Manly skipper Matt Orford appeared to have won the match with a 75th minute field
goal, much to the delight of the Sea Eagles supporters who dominated the
16,126-strong crowd.
But referee Matt Cecchin left Manly gobsmacked when he pinged Orford for taking out
Titans fullback Preston Campbell right in front of the sticks in the dying minutes.
"You'll be in reserve grade next week," Orford could be heard saying to Cecchin on
the referee's microphone.
Titans co-captain Scott Prince potted over the simple penalty kick to snatch victory
- the Gold Coast's first ever over Manly.
It ended a two-game losing run for the Titans (7-4), putting them back on track to
make their NRL finals debut.
For the Sea Eagles, it ended an encouraging two-match winning streak that appeared
to have put their premiership defence back on track.
It was a nightmare end to a controversial week for the Sea Eagles.
The Sea Eagles had their own share of distractions with uncertainty surrounding
Manly chief executive Grant Mayer after a boardroom brawl reignited at the premiers.
To boot, Kiwi centre Steve Matai is expected to be out for "a couple of weeks" after
sustaining an ankle injury.
The Sea Eagles were already reeling from news that Brett Stewart may not be back
before the finals, with his knee injury now expected to take another four months to
heal.
Stewart - who was injured five weeks ago - is due back in court on Tuesday after
pleading not guilty to two sexual assault charges.
Manly held the Titans to a 10-10 halftime scoreline after the Gold Coast were left
to rue missed chances, bombing three tries.