The Gold Coast Titans have come from behind to beat the Dyldam Parramatta Eels 24-14 in a tough encounter at Cbus Super Stadium.
An error-riddled game with three lead changes saw the home side seal the game in the final ten minutes.
The Titans earned three back to back penalties in the opening two minutes, pressing the Eels line in attack, and looking ominous.
Unable to score in that initial occasion, they managed to in the seventh minute with halfback Kane Elgey picking up a grubber kicked by Greg Bird, planting the ball in the corner.
Aidan Sezer converted the try to give the home side the early lead.
Junior Paulo showed his size and strength, running through and over Elgey from dummy-half to score the Blue and Gold’s first try.
Dummy-half proved to again be the Titans’ weak spot, with hooker Nathan Peats adding another for the Eels, catching the Gold Coast napping to score next to the goalposts.
Reece Robinson easily added the extras from in front to be 10-6 ahead at halftime.
The Titans took the lead in the start of the second half with a try to Nene Macdonald from a Sezer grubber - with the five-eighth slotting the conversion through the uprights.
Macdonald scored his second for the night in controversial circumstances, with the video referee not able to overrule an on-field try call, putting the home side in front.
Bureta Faraimo, called into the side due to injury to Will Hopoate and Brad Takairangi, put in an impressive personal effort to take on four Gold Coast defenders to score, narrowing the lead to just four points.
But the Gold Coast returned fire, with centre James Roberts outpacing the Eels’ defence to dart across and score his own try in the corner, putting the victory out of reach for the visitors.
Gold Coast Titans 24 (Macdonald 2, Elgey, Roberts tries, Sezer 4 goals)
def.
Parramatta Eels 14 (Jr Paulo, Peats, Faraimo tries, Robinson 1 goal)
