Hat-trick hero Jaime Chapman starred as the Brisbane Broncos breathed life into their faltering season with a 22-4 defeat of local rivals Gold Coast in Redcliffe.
The Broncos came into the derby winless through the opening two rounds and staring down the prospect of missing finals for the first time since the NRLW's inception.
Anchored at the bottom of the ladder, the Broncos were inspired by 20-year-old Chapman, rallying for the sake of their season and their reputation as the premiership's perennial heavyweights.
Chapman has played a different position in each of the Broncos' three matches this year but coach Kelvin Wright now has cause to keep her at left centre.
The former Dragon bulldozed over to open the scoring 10 minutes into the match and then extended the Broncos' lead in the shadows of half-time, just when the Titans threatened to work back into the contest.
When she streaked over on the left wing midway through the second half, Chapman confirmed a comfortable win and became the third NRLW Bronco to score a hat-trick.
Victory may have come at a cost for the Broncos however, with State of Origin prop Chelsea Lenarduzzi limping off in the final minutes of the match with a suspected leg injury.
The Broncos ridded themselves of the missed tackles that thwarted them in last week's big loss to the Sydney Roosters and guarded the football more jealously than the Titans on their way to a 12-0 half-time lead.
They could have been up 20-0 at the break but for wet and windy conditions that made accurate goal-kicking a challenge.
The Titans’ loss was their third from as many starts this year and increases the likelihood of a season without finals.
They are still a chance to qualify for the finals but defeating Parramatta (0-2) next weekend is non-negotiable.
For the Broncos, the big win goes some way to rectifying their lacklustre points differential, which would prove crucial to their finals hopes given how congested the ladder is towards the bottom.
AAP
