NRL: Titans sneak home

Mark Minichiello breaks free from the Raiders defence during last night's match between Gold Coast Titans and the Canberra Raiders. Photo / Getty Images

GOLD COAST - The Gold Coast's good news week continued last night as they overcame Canberra 16-10 at Skilled Park to remain on top of the NRL ladder, along with the night's other winner Brisbane.

There was a tense finale after Canberra winger Adrian Purtell scored a freakish try in the 70th minute to lock the scores at 10-all in front of 18,500 fans.

But the oldest player on the field, dual international Mat Rogers, came to the Titans' rescue with the help of halfback Scott Prince.

Prince's decision to run the ball on the sixth tackle instead of snapping a field goal caught the Raiders off guard and set up Rogers for the match-winning try in the final minute.

Terry Campese had a chance to break the deadlock five minutes from fulltime but a magnificent chase by Titans' hooker Nathan Friend, playing his 50th game, put him off his kick which barley left the ground.

Man-of-the-moment Prince - who re-signed with the Titans until 2014 on Wednesday - gave the club a quick return for its investment, continuing his push for Test selection next month with a starring role in the Coast's third straight win.

Weight of possession helped the Titans' cause but they deserved the two premiership points after having two tries disallowed by video referee Phil Cooley.

Canberra never had enough football to mount any serious pressure and when they did, their attack broke down at critical stages.

The visitors look good early as Campese - reportedly in the sights of Penrith, who are prepared to shell out A$350,000 ($446,656) a season for his talents - took just four minutes to put his stamp on the game.

With the Titans regrouping from an off-side penalty, he caught them short defensively on the left, chipping perfectly for centre Jarrod Croker to score a soft try which would not have pleased coach John Cartwright.

Campese slotted a difficult conversion from wide out and the visitors had the start rookie coach Dave Furner would have wanted in front of a parochial crowd.

However anything Campese could do, Prince could do better.

The Titans' maestro's third tackle grubber kick was swooped on by lock Ashley Harrison in the 21st minute to cut the Raiders' lead to 6-4.

Prince's vision laid on the try after he found a hole in the Raiders' sliding defence.

And it was Prince's cool head in the closing minutes that got the Titans home in the end.

- AAP