The Gold Coast remain in the hunt for the minor premiership after out-lasting the Sydney Roosters 23-14 in a tough and absorbing Monday night encounter at the SFS.
The Titans will go into next weekend's penultimate round equal with the Tigers in second spot, two points behind leaders St George Illawarra.
John Cartwright's team meet Cronulla and the Tigers in the last fortnight of the regular season and would need to win both and hope the Dragons lose their two matches to clinch the first minor premiership in the club's history.
The Roosters have now lost three straight for the first time this season and could slip out of the top eight for the first time this year if they don't arrest the slide.
The Tricolours came out full of power and purpose to have Gold Coast on the back foot in the opening exchanges before a small but vocal crowd.
On the back of a string of penalties, the Roosters crossed just six minutes in with almost ridiculous ease.
Mitchell Pearce split Anthony Laffranchi and Mark Minichiello before planting the ball on Braith Anasta's chest for a try under the posts.
Todd Carney added the extras for the perfect start.
But the lead proved shortlived.
By the 12th minute the Titans were back on equal terms thanks to some Scott Prince brilliance.
His perfectly-weighted crossfield kick took a wicked bounce away from Roosters winger Phil Graham and into the grateful arms of Clinton Toopi, the former Kiwi international travelling just a few metres to score.
Prince guided the conversion through the uprights to level at 6-all.
The game then really opened up, swinging from end to end at a frenetic pace.
The Roosters looked headed for the lead when Sam Perrett latched onto an intercept from a Mat Rogers pass and sprinted upfield with Kevin Gordon giving chase.
Gordon roped in his man but not before Perrett threw a wild pass over the heads of his outside men and into Toopi's path.
He then headed back the other way, beating a handful of defenders on a thrilling run.
That kick-started four consecutive sets of six inside the Roosters quarter for the Titans, a try seemingly inevitable.
But the Roosters' defence held firm and, after repelling all Gold Coast could throw at them, returned serve at the other end.
This time it was the Titans' turn to absorb some pressure, which they duly did.
Four minutes before half-time the visitors were in front for the first time.
Nathan Friend and Rogers combined to send William Zillman tearing down the middle of the park with the defence cut to pieces.
He was felled short of his target but from the quick play-the-ball the ball swept to Gordon who snuck over in the corner.
Prince was unable to slot the conversion to leave it 10-6 at the break.
The Roosters got the dream start they were after to open the second half, scoring after six minutes.
Pearce did beautifully to lay on the four-pointer for Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
He engaged the defence before hitting SKD with a delayed pass, the defence opening up for the much improved centre to motor to the line.
Carney's conversion struck the left upright to leave it locked 10-all.
The turning point came just before the hour mark, courtesy of an awful blunder from Perrett.
The winger dropped the ball cold coming out of his own end and watched in horror as Bodene Thompson picked up