KEY POINTS:
The Warriors' next opponents Gold Coast sit firmly atop the NRL ladder with five wins, from six matches and a good points differential after upsetting neighbours Brisbane 26-24 in front of a full house.
The Titans have beaten North Queensland, Canberra and Cronulla at home with big crowds backing them, so next Sunday's visit for the Warriors will be loud and hostile.
Their co-captain Luke Bailey, with a broken hand, and five-eighth Mat Rogers, suspended, will miss the game but both were out on Saturday when the Broncos were beaten. Ashley Harrison filled in at five-eighth but it was their halfback Scott Prince who led them around.
The Broncos lost fullback Karmichael Hunt after 25 minutes with a knee tear which will be checked today but puts him in doubt for the May 9 Anzac test in Sydney.
Yesterday, the Newcastle Knights scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Sydney Roosters 34-20.
The Knights trailed 12-20 at halftime but rallied in the second half to break a three-game losing streak.
Two late tries to five-eighth Chris Bailey and a last-minute 60m try to prop Danny Wicks sealed the result.
In the other match, the Wests Tigers beat South Sydney 30-10, keeping the Rabbitohs, co-owned by Hollywood actor Russell Crowe, winless for the season.
There were late upset results at both Parramatta where Manly scored in the 74th minute to win 20-16 and at Cronulla where the Sharks believed they had won and celebrated when they thought Brett Kimmorley had nailed a field goal one minute into extra time, only for referee Sean Hampstead to disallow it and Penrith teenager Jarrod Sammut to snatch a 21-20 victory with a field goal of his own.
Replays showed Hampstead was right, the ball skimming away to the left of the upright. But the match review committee will consider a report from its ground manager about Panthers trainer Matt Adamson spending too much time on the field. Sammut said afterwards that Adamson was in his ear when he lined up a 78th minute sideline conversion as Penrith came back from 20-10 down, and was chirping at him prior to the winning one-point shot.
It was Sharks backrower Lance Thompson's 239th and last game. He scored a try in the 15th minute but the fairytale ending eluded him.
Manly bench hooker Heath L'Strange scored the winner over the Eels as they came back at Parramatta, despite losing three men to injury. Wing Michael Bani was taken to hospital after suffering a neck injury, veteran Steve Menzies went off with a hamstring strain and five-eighth Luke Williamson suffered concussion and all are in doubt for their next game at home to the Bulldogs.
Parramatta have the bye this week and their coach Michael Hagan, despairing of his team's effort, was glad of it. "We lost it more than they won it,"he said of the game. "I don't think I could face up to it next week with some of the things we are throwing up."
The Bulldogs beat the hapless Dragons 30-18 with Sonny Bill Williams dominant. Errors and ill-discipline cost the Dragons but coach Nathan Brown said afterwards that he had little chance but to stick with the same 17 for their next game against the formidable Roosters on Anzac Day because of the short turnaround.
Former Kiwis wing Matt Utai scored two tries on return after a sternum injury and Auckland-born right centre Tim Winitana also had two touchdowns.
