By Joel Gould
A brave Gold Coast overcame centre Brian Kelly being sent off in the 51st minute to beat Newcastle 36-26 and all but end the threat of finishing bottom of the pile for the second time in the space of four years.
Kelly was marched for a lifting tackle which dumped Knights winger Dominic Young on his head when the Titans led 30-14.
It was a test of character for the Titans from that point and they passed with flying colours against a Knights outfit that rallied late.
Gold Coast five-eighth AJ Brimson had a blinder in one of his best games.
Manly’s Kieran Foran, who will join the Gold Coast next year, would have been sitting at home licking his lips.
Titans fullback Jayden Campbell and Brimson turned on a razzle-dazzle clinic to suggest the addition of veteran Foran and Sydney Roosters hooker Sam Verrills will give the Gold Coast a spine to threaten the best teams.
The Titans celebrate a try by winger Greg Marzhew.Credit:Getty
The win took the Titans to 12 points and two points clear of Wests Tigers on the premiership table.
With a far better for-and-against record than the Tigers, Justin Holbrook’s side are incredibly unlikely to finish at the bottom as they last did in 2019 under Garth Brennan.
Campbell, playing with the same backyard footy skills that his legendary father Preston used to showcase back in Tingha decades ago, showed vision and class to put David Fifita over with a superb ball and then grubber kick for Greg Marzhew to score his second.
Not to be outdone, Brimson, who was in everything, also put a slick kick in for Marzhew and laid on a cracking pass for a barnstorming Beau Fermor.
The Titans led 24-10 at the break despite Newcastle showing some promise, mostly through the work of crafty rake Jayden Brailey, who put Daniel Saifiti over.
The Knights scored first after half-time through Young before Brimson sprinted away to score.
After the Titans were reduced to 12 men, it was Brimson again with a left foot grubber kick, and then another, who gave the Gold Coast a 22-point lead.
The Titans forwards, led by Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Fermor and Moeaki Fotuaika, were dominant and Campbell pulled off several trysavers before he was forced from the field with an HIA with 15 minutes remaining after a high shot from Adam Clune.
Clune was not penalised and the Titans fans were not happy.
Newcastle centre Dane Gagai scored two cracking tries soon afterwards but the Titans held on.
Gold Coast unleashed boom back-rower Klese Haas, younger brother of Brisbane prop Payne Haas, for an impressive NRL debut.
The bright spot for the Knights was the class of 19-year-old Krystian Mapapalangi, who was outstanding with the ball in hand.
