The Titans are chasing more than a two-point performance against the Dragons in Sydney this Sunday as they eye a strong finish to the 2026 season.
Discontent with a 32-point leakage in last week's victory over the Sea Eagles, Gold Coast is determined to rediscover the defensive resolve that has become the foundation of its best football under new coach Josh Hannay.
While the Round 20 victory at home extended the Titans' momentum, it more importantly served as a reminder of the standards the side has set for itself.
"Manly is a pretty good team with a lot of strike, but to our standards, we don't want to be winning games but have the opposition score that many points," Titans lock Chris Randall said.
"Besides the weekend, our defence has been quite good, and I think now our attack is actually starting to catch up and complement our defence."
Round 20 highlights: Titans v Sea Eagles
The side's defensive grit has been a hallmark of recent performances against competition heavyweights Penrith and Brisbane, and Randall believes combining that resilience with an improving attacking game can help the side finish the season strongly.
"Our spine and our connections are really starting to flow at the moment," he said.
"I feel like our footy's getting a little bit of purpose to it and we're getting a bit of joy with our attack now.
"We just want to finish off strong for the back end of the year and take that into next year as well."
Fresh off one of his best performances to date against the club he debuted against 12 months earlier, forward Josh Patston echoed the squad's determination to return to its defensive best for the trip to Sydney.
"We really strive to be great on our D (defence) and limit as many points as we can," he said.
"If we knuckle down on that D this weekend, that'll go a long way."
Match: Dragons v Titans
Round 21 -
home Team
Dragons
17th Position
away Team
Titans
16th Position
Venue: St George Venues Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
The 27-year-old is seeking to solidify his position in the Titans' weekly 17, having taken the longer route to becoming a regular in the NRL squad.
"Being able to have eight games last year, cementing a spot in the side was one of my biggest goals this year and I've had to go the long way around to get there, but each week's a new week," Patston said.
"If I keep turning up each week and doing my job for the team, I'm sure that will go a long way for being picked each week."
Patston expects a stern challenge from a Dragons outfit that he believes have been punching above their current ladder position.
"The Dragons have been playing some good footy and I think they're a bit similar to us - they've just been falling short a couple of times," he said.
"We've got to respect them and who they are."
With renewed defensive focus and an attack beginning to click, Gold Coast is determined to deny the Dragons a lift from the foot of the table and continue its own charge up the ladder to close out 2026.
