The Gold Coast have upset North Queensland with a deserved 22-13 win to throw the race for the NRL top eight wide open.
The eighth-placed Cowboys, on 26 competition points, missed a golden chance to go to fifth position on Sunday and will be sweating on the NRL’s match review committee charge sheet after centre Valentine Holmes was put on report for a high tackle.
With five rounds remaining, two competition points separate sixth-placed South Sydney, on 26 points, and Parramatta in 11th on 24.
The Titans deserved their victory at Cbus Super Stadium in front of 16,516 fans on an afternoon when winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira notched his 18th try of 2023 to become the highest try-scorer in a season for the club.
“It is a really great achievement. I’m sure it is something he will look back on and be very proud of,” Titans coach Jim Lenihan said.
“I think the try-scoring part for him is the easy part. He has got better defensively and in all the little efforts off the ball.”
The win broke a four-game losing streak for the hosts and ended a six-match winning sequence for the Cowboys.
The Titans started the scoring with a sensational 70-metre try, when Khan-Pereira broke clear and kicked ahead for fullback AJ Brimson to score.
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater found winger Semi Valemei with a perfectly timed cutout pass to level it up.
Prop Coen Hess leapt like a gazelle to snaffle a Chad Townsend bomb and score to give the visitors a 12-6 lead but it started to unravel for the Cowboys from there.
Brimson left the field in the 17th minute with an abdominal tear and super sub Campbell came on for the Titans.
Holmes was sin-binned and put on report for a high shot on fullback Jayden Campbell in the 21st minute.
It was the second time in consecutive weeks he had been binned for such an offence.
“I disagreed with his send-off last week but it is hard to disagree with tonight’s call,” Cowboys coach Todd Payten said.
Titans outside backs Brian Kelly and Phil Sami, who signed contract extensions until the end of 2026 during the week, combined for a 23rd-minute try to Sami as the Titans made the most of having an extra man.
The Cowboys led 13-10 at halftime but Khan-Pereira broke clear immediately after the break to put Campbell over in another 70m raid.
Khan-Pereira scored minutes later to notch his 18th try for the year.
Titans second-rower David Fifita, who set him up for the try, held the club record previously with 17.
The Titans, on 22 points, still have a mathematical chance of making the finals.
Veteran No.6 Kieran Foran was magnificent for the hosts against a Cowboys outfit that failed to fire.
“We didn’t have enough field position. We didn’t make enough tough decisions in key moments,” Payten said.
“They just ran harder and tackled harder.”
Cowboys forward Luciano Leilua was also put on report for a shoulder charge on Moeaki Fotuaika.
© AAP 2023
