The Gold Coast Titans have shown they are the real deal this season outclassing the Penrith Panthers 38-24 at Skilled Park on Saturday night.
As anticipated the second versus third blockbuster was a class above other NRL matches played this season with both sides displaying clinical skills and movement.
Returning from injury, Titans halfback Scott Prince looked sharp all night and provided vital contributions as did Preston Campbell, who was in mercurial form creating countless headaches for the Panthers throughout the game.
Lachlan Coote was in outstanding form for the Panthers displaying courage under fire as he put his body on the line at every occasion.
Penrith suffered a major setback just before kick-off with big second rower Frank Pritchard being replaced by Nathan Smith, but it didn’t seem to faze the away-side when they got off to the perfect start.
Showing why they’re the highest point-scoring team in the NRL, Penrith halfback Luke Walsh unloaded a high bomb into Titans territory and like a man possessed Coote came in at pace to rise above Campbell.
Juggling the ball Coote eventually gained control and dived in under the sticks for his eighth try of the season, giving Gordon a straight forward conversion to make it 6-0 after just three minutes.
As both sides traded sets the Titans tried their hand at the high bomb and when Prince unloaded to the Panthers left edge winger Brad Tighe was put under immediate pressure.
Bouncing off Tighe’s chest, the ball fell perfectly for Prince who was following through and after twisting past Coote, the Titans skipper wearing an unfamiliar No. 19 jumper dived over.
Converting his own try Prince settled the Titans' nerves and levelled the match as the entertaining arm-wrestle continued on.
Showing nothing but silky smooth skills, Preston Campbell sparked the Titans night into life when he danced and threw a no-look pass to second rower Anthony Laffranchi on 25 minutes.
Meeting it at pace, Laffranchi 10 metres from the right of the post hit the hole and went through Travis Burns and Luke Lewis to put the home-side in front.
Prince raised the flags to give his side a six-point lead, but the Panthers went back on the offensive and pegged back four minutes later when Lewis and Burns reversed their recent defensive lapse to combine.
Stacking their right-hand side the Titans were expecting Penrith to attack on the outside, but they did the opposite and came back to the left which gave Lewis the opportunity to offload to Burns who took the ball over with relative ease.
Striking from close range Gordon made sure there was nothing separating the two teams as they headed into the sheds.
Beginning the second-half like they started the first level on points, it was going to take some brilliance from either side to hit the front and to the home crowd’s delight it came from Titans.
Sitting on their fifth tackle after a dangerous looking set, Campbell’s grubber into the goal area looked as if it would run dead, but showing determination Prince athletically flicked it back into play for lock Ashley Harrison to tap down and ground.
Re-instating a six point lead Prince made it three from three from the spot as the Gold Coast’s danger men began to heat up.
Never one to shy from the action Campbell began to menace the Penrith big men with his darting runs