The Titans have strengthened their hold on a top-four spot with a 16-4 win over the Wests Tigers on Sunday, with representative prop Shannon Mato the standout performer.
Across 56 minutes on the field Mato, who was well backed up another big showing from Georgia Hale, carried the ball for 286 metres and punished her opposing middle forwards on her way to player of the match honours.
After leading 6-4 at the break the Titans pulled clear early in the second half but didn't seal the result until Evania Pelite crossed for her fourth try of the season two minutes from time.
With two rounds of the regular season to play it leaves the Titans two points clear of the fifth-placed Raiders, while still mathematically in reach of the minor premiership.
What excellent Wests Tigers defence
After Hale's piercing run opened the scoring on 11 minutes and Lauren Brown converted, the Wests Tigers hit back four minutes later with a Rebecca Pollard try which clawed them back to 6-4 at the break.
After being unable to find a result out wide, where the visitors came up with a couple of brilliant try-saving plays, the Titans got their second via a more direct route when Dannii Perese barged over early in the second half.
While a poor miss from in front of the posts on the ensuing conversion from Brown meant it remained a one-score game, the Titans kept the Wests Tigers at bay and then killed the contest off with Pelite's try in the 68th minute.
Evania Pelite Try
Missing frontline stars Kezie Apps and Rikeya Horne, who sat the game out under concussion protocols, it marked a fifth-straight defeat for the competition newcomers who went undefeated through the opening fortnight of this season.
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Match Snapshot
- Shannon Mato had more post-contact metres (128) than any Wests Tigers forwards' total yardage tally on the day, bar Christian Pio.
- Jaime Chapman left the field for a HIA in the 25th minute which she failed.
- Georgia Hale and Sienna Lofipo were both placed on report for foul play after hair pulls on Wests Tigers players.
- The Wests Tigers missed 48 tackles compared to the Titans who missed just 12.
- Dannii Perese scored the first try of her NRLW career in the second half in what was her third game in the top-flight.
- Gold Coast racked up almost 400 more run metres than their opponents, despite having only three extra carries of the ball.
- Georgia Hale finished with 49 tackles and not a single miss.
- Teenager Brooke Talataina made her NRLW debut for the Wests Tigers in the halves.
Play of the Game
It started off looking far from a try-scoring opportunity, but after zipping past a would-be tackle 20 metres out from the line, Georgia Hale intelligently re-positioned herself on the run, in order to fend off a covering tackle from Botille Vette-Welsh.
Georgia Hale Try
What they said
"They definitely like making it hard but it was a good week at training so leading into this week we were looking good. Discipline before half-time really cruelled us. Defence is really keeping us in the game. The completions and discipline are hurting us. We don't want to keep relying on our defence." - Titans coach Karyn Murphy.
Titans: Round 7
"We knew it was a challenge today with a couple of premium and experienced players not available. We also knew it was our grand final today. We just weren't good enough to win. The effort was amazing and I was proud of how they hung in there and stayed at it." - Wests Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley.
Wests Tigers: Round 7
What's next
The Titans remain at home on the Gold Coast for a meeting with the bottom-placed Eels in Round 8 and pending other results could wrap up a finals spot with a win. The Wests Tigers meanwhile kick off a double-header at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday against the Broncos.