A brave Gold Coast overcame centre Brian Kelly being sent off in the 51st minute to beat Newcastle 36-26 and all but end the threat of finishing bottom of the pile for the second time in the space of four years.
The result leave the Wests Tigers – who lost 24-22 to St George Illawarra earlier on Sunday — in the box seat to claim the wooden spoon.
Kelly was marched for a lifting tackle that dumped Knights winger Dominic Young on his head when the Titans led 30-14.
It was a test of character for the Titans from that point and they passed with flying colours against a Knights outfit that rallied late.
Gold Coast five-eighth AJ Brimson had a blinder in one of his best matches.
Titans fullback Jayden Campbell and Brimson turned on an attacking clinic to suggest the addition of veteran Kieran Foran and Sydney Roosters hooker Sam Verrills will give the Gold Coast a spine to threaten the best teams next season.
The win took the Titans to 12 points and two points clear of the Tigers on the premiership table.
With a far better for-and-against record than the Tigers, Justin Holbrook's side are incredibly unlikely to finish at the bottom as they last did in 2019 under Garth Brennan.
Campbell showed vision and class to put David Fifita over with a superb ball and then grubber kick for Greg Marzhew to score his second.
Not to be outdone, Brimson also put a slick kick in for Marzhew and laid on a cracking pass for a barnstorming Beau Fermor.
The Titans led 24-10 at half-time despite Newcastle showing some promise, mostly through the work of crafty rake Jayden Brailey who put Daniel Saifiti over.
The Knights scored first after half-time through Dominic Young, before Brimson sprinted away to score.
Reduced to 12 players, it was Brimson who gave the Gold Coast a 22-point lead with his second try.
The Titans forwards, led by Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Fermor and Moeaki Fotuaika, were dominant and Campbell pulled off several try savers before he was forced from the field with an HIA with 15 minutes remaining after a high shot from Adam Clune.
Clune was not penalised and the Titans fans were not happy.
Newcastle centre Dane Gagai scored two cracking tries soon afterwards but the Titans held on.
Gold Coast unleashed boom back rower Klese Haas — younger brother of Brisbane prop Payne Haas — for an impressive NRL debut.
The bright spot for the Knights was the class of 19-year-old Krystian Mapapalangi who was outstanding with the ball in hand.
Tigers stumble against Dragons
Wests Tigers appear destined to finish the season with the joint venture's first wooden spoon after a late Zac Lomax penalty goal condemned them to a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of St George Illawarra.
Responding from last week's club-record 72-6 hands loss at the hands of the Sydney Roosters, the Tigers were much improved in front of 9,987 spectators at the Western Sydney Stadium.
But leading by a converted try with five minutes to go, the Tigers' defence parted with ease when Jackson Ford ran through to score untouched under the sticks.
Lomax added the conversion to take the Dragons level before he was rag-dolled into touch by Tigers centre AJ Kepaoa in the 78th minute.
Referee Liam Kennedy claimed Kepaoa made "shoulder contact to head", sending him to the sin-bin and awarding Lomax the penalty which he kicked from the sideline to win the match.
The Tigers' final position now hinges on next weekend's match at Leichhardt Oval against Canberra and the outcome of 15th-placed Gold Coast's two remaining NRL fixtures.
More than once, the Tigers looked to be in control against the Dragons. They had a 16-6 lead at half-time courtesy of a try from Fa'amanu Brown and a Tom Freebairn double.
Jaydn Su'A grabbed the Dragons' only try of the first half with Tatau Moga and Lomax on hand to level the match for the visitors after half-time.
With 15 minutes to go, Tigers halfback Jock Madden produced some magic in the shape of a 50-metre try that had the home crowd hopeful of a fifth win of the season.
Instead, Lomax converted Ford's effort before adding his late penalty and inflicting more misery on the Tigers.
AAP/ABC
