Gold Coast Titans lose NRL match 6-4 to North Queensland Cowboys

It was the sort of arm wrestle you more likely would have been expecting for Wednesday night’s State of Origin series opener.

IT was the sort of arm wrestle you more likely would have been expecting for Wednesday night’s State of Origin series opener.

Unfortunately for the Titans, for all the ticker on display, they were unable to muster the two competition points required to keep their season alive, falling 6-4 to North Queensland.

It was a surprisingly low-scoring Sunday evening affair at Cbus Super Stadium, with only a spectacular Gold Coast team try giving the scoreboard attendants any work in the first 40 minutes.

Dale Copley celebrates yet another try. Picture: AAP Image

The Titans took the ball right, where second-rower Kevin Proctor – who had arguably his best game of the year – produced an offload, sparking a shift left that was completed by an inch-perfect Tyrone Roberts cutout pass to put Dale Copley over in the corner.

It extended Copley’s try-scoring streak to four games and marked his seventh try in that time.

Fullback AJ Brimson sliced through the Cowboys line to almost add another try before being cut down by opposite number and fellow Keebra Park graduate Jordan Kahu.

Jason Taumalolo scored the Cowboys’ only try of the contest. Picture: AAP Image

Cowboys winger Gideon Gela-Mosby almost got the visitors on the board with a remarkable effort that was denied by a forward pass ruling, and so it was left to his star teammate Jason Taumalolo to post what would ultimately be the matchwinning try after the break.

From there, it was all about missed opportunities for the Titans.

Ash Taylor and Tyrone Roberts both missed shots at penalty goal that would have levelled the scores.

Gold Coast had one last roll of the dice on the cusp of full-time, with Brian Kelly bundled over the left sideline just inches before the try line by Kyle Feldt to shut down a near miracle escape.

Kevin Proctor had a big game for Gold Coast. Picture: Getty Images

Titans front-rowers Jarrod Wallace and Moeaki Fotuaika both tallied big numbers, running 204m and 205m respectively.

But in the end, they were unable to sink a North Queensland outfit reduced to 15 men in the first half due to injuries to Gela-Mosby and Corey Jensen.

The result leaves the Titans stranded in 15th place, now three wins out of the top eight.