Round 18 Head to Head: Lousi v White

Sione Lousi and Matthew White have been regular contributors from the bench in 2012 and here’s how they match up when the Titans host the Vodafone Warriors on Saturday.

Check out the Vodafone Warriors v Gold Coast Titans Game Preview here

Big Big Boppers

Sione Lousi - Scouting Report

Got a taste of the top grade in 2011 and has made a much bigger impression this year in a regular role.

Has started five games so far and played off the bench for the Vodafone Warriors’ 10 other games this season.

Huge unit with a handy offload that he will use more as he becomes comfortable in the NRL and he has pulled off some great hits during the year - Watch Lousi send Steve Matai reeling WITH the ball.

On top of his first try in the top grade in Round 3 against the Bulldogs - Watch Lousi follow Feleti Mateo and hit the gap to score, Lousi played 39 minutes with a line break, 4 tackle breaks, 14 runs for 108 metres and 23 tackles. That performance earned him a starting role for the next three weeks when he played 52, 31 and 46 minutes.

For the season, Lousi is averaging 35.8 minutes, 7.9 runs for 62.5 metres and 17.7 tackles with 12 tackle breaks, 7 offloads and a try.

Dream Team Scoop:
Loomed as a potential mid-range cash cow earlier in the season - reaching $153,400 in Round 5 before falling away with a more limited workload mid-year. Now he only costs you $113,400 and has back to back scores of 31 and 34 in an increased role with Sam Rapira hurt. Has dual positions (FRF/2RF) and if you need to free up some cash he might be a handy target considering Rapira is likely to be out for a while yet.

Matthew White - Scouting Report

Reliable front rower who has appeared in 10 of the Gold Coast’s 15 games this season.

Willing to roll up his sleeves and take the contact to earn his side metres, White is a good backup for Luke Bailey, Luke Douglas and at times Nate Myles in the front row.

He can also pull off a big hit as Newcastle found out in Round 12 - Watch White smash a Knight.

For the season, White is averaging 36.9 minutes, 8.2 runs for 70.4 metres and 18.8 tackles per game with 11 tackle breaks and 11 offloads.

Dream Team Scoop:
Not a huge consideration for DT due to his position in the Gold Coast depth chart up front. But having said that his 29.3 DT ppg is actually a decent return if you picked White at the start of the season. His season high is 61 and that came with Nate Myles and Greg Bird on Origin duty. His last four scores (32, 37, 61 and 36) are solid if you want to outlay the $197,100 needed for his services.

Who will make the bigger contribution on Saturday? Let us know what you think of Lousi v White in the comments below.