Gold Coast eyeing finals after 32-12 win over St George Illawarra

A 32-12 win over the Dragons has the Titans dreaming of finals football following their most complete performance of the season.

David Mead made a strong return from injury.

THE Titans have emerged as a genuine finals contender after a 32-12 win against St George Illawarra during which an almost-fit Konrad Hurrell threatened to explode.

The Titans leapfrogged the Dragons back into the NRL top eight with the win and could finish the round as high as seventh if the Warriors fail to beat the Sea Eagles in Perth.

On the back of near-perfect possession — they eventually completed 30 of 38 sets but were running at well over 80 per cent until midway through the second half — the Titans dominated the match, with their only blemish allowing the Dragons a late try.

Konrad Hurrell had a strong showing in his first match as a Titan.

Halves Ashley Taylor and Tyrone Roberts dominated the kicking game and Nene Macdonald scored two tries but it was Hurrell that starred, making 14 runs for 154m and setting up Anthony Don for the Titans last try, showing that he will cause trouble with the Titans determined to use him as an attacking weapon.

Hurrell languished in reserve grade at the Warriors this season but Titans coach Neil Henry promised to show confidence in the hulking centre and his faith is already being repaid.

The 24-year-old was playing just his second game for the Titans after injuring his calf in his debut against the Eels in Darwin last month.

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It was meant to be the night Blues warhorse Greg Bird took his frustration at missing Origin selection out to show he still has a representative future but rising Maroons star Ash Taylor stole his thunder in the opening stages.

Taylor turned in one of the best performance of an already stellar rookie season to give the Titans a strong sniff of their first finals campaign in six years, while Bird finished on report for a swinging arm on Gareth Widdop in the 37th minute.

With Josh Dugan and Benji Marshall forced out, the Titans had all but assumed favouritism by kick-off.

But few expected them to dominate the opening stages as they did.

The Dragons barely touched the ball in the opening 15 minutes as Taylor and Tyrone Roberts had the ball on a string.

Nene Macdonald scored two fine tries.

The Titans completed their first seven sets in a row to score twice and force three drop outs, with the Dragons forced to tackle themselves to a standstill as their opponents hogged 83 per cent of possession.

The Titans got off to the best start possible, scoring in the fourth minute after Nene Macdonald climbed the back of Euan Aitken to take a pinpoint kick from Tyrone Roberts in the in-goal to score.

Their second came just minutes later when Taylor took the ball to the line and held it up to find McQueen running a good line through the defence to score.

The Dragons broke through with a try to Kurt Mann but the Titans replied to take a 14-6 lead to halftime and ran in another three tries to seal the win before gifting the home side a consolation try in the dying minutes.

Originally published as Gold Coast eyeing finals after 32-12 win over St George Illawarra