Titans stun fading Dolphins with crucial comeback win

Gold Coast have scored four unanswered tries to send the Dolphins into a spin in Brisbane. (Jason O'BRIEN/AAP PHOTOS)

Gold Coast have orchestrated a stunning 21-14 comeback win over the bumbling Dolphins, who gave up a 14-point lead for the second consecutive week.

The Dolphins led 26-12 last week before losing 28-26 at Penrith and had a 14-0 advantage midway through the first half against the Titans at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

That lead was extinguished by the 59th minute as the visitors rallied and the Dolphins' discipline went out the window.

When Klese Haas swooped on a Chris Randall grubber kick that hit the upright, the Titans had a 20-14 lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Veteran Kieran Foran iced the win with a field goal after coach Des Hasler gave his side a stern rev-up at halftime.

The Titans are now on 20 points, just four outside the top eight ahead of their home clash with Brisbane on Saturday.

"Today was a really important one. We are still alive," Hasler said.

"We were way off the pace in the first half and addressed that at halftime and came out and did what we needed to. 

"I am really proud of the way we responded. We have got to use that against the Broncos. It will be another tough one next week."

Last year at the same venue the Dolphins trailed 26-0 before launching the equal-biggest comeback in premiership history to win 28-26.

This time it was Gold Coast showing the character and class to fight back, with winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira scoring a double to take his season tally to 19.

The Dolphins are eighth on 24 points but their second-half collapses have become an issue putting their finals hopes in jeopardy, after six losses in eight games.

Alofiana Khan-Pereira.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira scored two second half tries as the Dolphins floundered in the Titans' wake.

"The effort is outstanding. Our execution is killing us," coach Wayne Bennett said.

"There aren’t many games we haven’t led at halftime but we find a way in the second half to let it all fall apart."

The Dolphins began powerfully when prop Tevita Pangai Jr followed an Isaiya Katoa grubber and juggled the ball before scoring after it had been spilled by Titans winger Jojo Fifita.

Fellow prop Jesse Bromwich was the beneficiary of a sublime short ball from Katoa and barged over the top of Gold Coast forward David Fifita to make it 12-0 after 15 minutes.

The Dolphins had a try to Jack Bostock disallowed when centre Herbie Farnworth was ruled to have interfered with Titans defenders.

Jesse Bromwich scores a try.
The game started well for the Dolphins as Jesse Bromwich scored, before a second half collapse.

"I don’t know what Herbie was supposed to do with himself. He passes the ball and was supporting (Bostock). I'll need to hear what (the NRL) explain," Bennett said.

Dolphins prop Josh Kerr was sin-binned for holding centre Brian Kelly back during an attacking raid on the cusp of halftime, a moment that turned the match. Kelly then scored in the next set to get the visitors back in it, trailing just 14-6 at the break.

Bostock again had a try disallowed when he bobbled the ball at dummy-half before crossing.

The Dolphins were sloppy in the second half and the Titans made them pay, with winger Khan-Pereira crossing for two tries - both after passes by Jayden Campbell that went to ground - to level the scores at 14-all.

From there Gold Coast ramped it up and the Dolphins faded.

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