NRL: Finals-bound Titans biting at the leaders' heels

Anthony Laffranchi says the Titans can improve. Photo / Getty Images

Gold Coast Titans forward Anthony Laffranchi says the Titans will relish entering their maiden finals campaign as the team flying under the radar.

The Titans secured the club's first finals appearance with a 22-14 win over South Sydney on Friday, keeping the Gold Coast in third place on the NRL table, hot on the heels of St George Illawarra and the Bulldogs.

It has been a position the Gold Coast has occupied all season, lurking ominously behind the front runners yet gaining little recognition as a team to beat.

But with a side boasting premiership winners such as Scott Prince, Laffranchi, Ashley Harrison, Brad Meyers, Chris Walker and Preston Campbell, there is little doubt the Titans will be a major contender come September.

"They've got every right to talk up the Dragons and Bulldogs (as title favourites), they're leaps and bounds ahead playing great footy," said Laffranchi. "We just keep plugging away and doing our job. We don't get caught up in external factors, internally we just want to improve week by week.

"It's an exciting time (making finals for the first time) but we're not going to get too carried away. We're pretty happy with how it's going but we have to keep working to take some momentum into the finals."

That momentum could rest in the hands of the NRL judiciary with fullback William Zillman facing a nervous wait after being put on report for an alleged bite on Rabbitohs winger Jamie Simpson at the ANZ Stadium.

The Titans are adamant Zillman did nothing wrong and will be cleared of the allegation but, given an on-field complaint was made and marks on the forearm viewed by the referees, the incident will be closely scrutinised tomorrow by the match review committee.

"We will consider all the evidence we have got then decide whether a charged gets laid," said match review committee chairman Greg McCallum. "An on-field complaint is only part of the evidence that is collected. There is other evidence like the referees' report and video and then we make a decision based on the strength of that evidence."

Injury could also slow the Titans' momentum as influential five-eighth Preston Campbell suffered an ankle and knee injury in the win and is likely to be rested for next Sunday's home game against Cronulla if in any doubt.

However, the Titans could be boosted with Walker (quad), Harrison (ribs) and Luke O'Dwyer (ankle) possibly back next week.

"We've been together for three years now... we've always been building towards something," said Laffranchi of the team's resolve in 2009. "We have a great bond among the boys now and it's starting to show on the paddock because we're really prepared to work hard for each other."

- AAP