Undermanned Titans upset Broncos in derby dazzler

The Titans produced a stunning second half to come away with a thrilling 36-34 upset victory over the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

Despite several stars sitting on the sideline, Des Hasler's makeshift spine stood up to dish out an impressive win over their Queensland rivals in front of a sell-out crowd in Indigenous Round.

Returning from a knee injury, star fullback Reece Walsh was up and about from the whistle, splitting the Titans' defence and carrying the ball downfield before Payne Haas crashed over in the next set for an easy four pointer.

The Titans hit back in the 13th minute when debutant Tony Francis finished off a slick passing raid to the right, however celebrations were short lived with the 21-year-old leaving the field with a shoulder injury shortly after. 

The Broncos extended their lead just four minutes later after Walsh put Josiah Karapani in space and the speedy centre found Corey Oates on the inside to score.

Brisbane was then awarded a penalty try in the 21st minute after Ezra Mam chipped the ball over the top for Deine Mariner who was tackled off the ball by Beau Fermor.

Filling in at centre in the absence of Jojo Fifita, Fermor got one back for his side just five minutes later after sliding through the Broncos line.

A sublime pass from Walsh sent Brendan Piakura crashing over for a try in the 35th minute and Brisbane looked to get some breathing space just before the break, however Erin Clark kept his side right in the match muscling his way over to reduce the deficit 24-16 on the buzzer.

The Titans raced out of the blocks in the second half and Chris Randall made Piakura pay for an error in the red zone, finding space down the left to put his side within two points of the lead. 

Come the 53rd minute and Ezra Mam staked a late case for State of Origin selection, picking up a Tom Weaver grubber before racing 90 metres to score.

The Gold Coast then went on a run with Keenan Palasia crashing over to get one against his former club before Brian Kelly skipped over in the right corner with a spectacular Indigenous Round celebration to finish and the Titans had the lead. 

The visitors were on their way to a derby upset when David Fifita picked up a loose ball off a kick and tipped on to Alofiana Khan-Pereira to fly over in the left corner. Kini's third missed conversion for the night made it 36-30. 

The Broncos' looked to tie things up less than five minutes to play when Walsh added another assist with a sweet pass for Selwyn Cobbo on the right, however Jock Madden's conversion was wide and the Gold Coast hung on to their two-point lead.

Match Snapshot 

• Broncos skipper Pat Carrigan was placed on report for a high tackle on Titans prop Josiah Pahulu
• Titans backrower David Fifita left the field for a HIA late in the match for which he later passed.
• Titans winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira has scored eight tries in his past five games.

• Gold Coast youngster Keano Kini came up with 251 metres off 26 runs to go with his two try assists.
• Broncos prop Payne Haas put in another huge 80-minute stint at prop with a team-high 227 metres off 19 runs and 42 tackles with just one miss.
• Titans halfback Tom Weaver was placed on report in the 15th minute.

Play of the Game 

The Broncos looked to steal a late victory in the dying minutes but fill-in halfback tom Weaver came up with a spectacular match-winning tackle on Corey Oates to keep his side in front.

What They Said 

"I just didn't think we're at the races today. Just tried to shoot out against the Titans, which it's probably never going to work. We just weren’t ourselves. Sometimes it's hard to explain. I don't have any answers now, I've got to say. Just lack of effort really; defence is a big one for us and that was sort of non-existent. Some of the tries were (soft); even that one on halftime, you have got to stop them and there; actually all their first half tries were pretty soft. So that's a sign that we're not there physically or mentally, defensively." - Broncos coach Kevin Walters

"We hung it in there, so it's a really good trait. The last seven weeks, we've been playing with that and staying in the fight for the 80 minutes. (Today was probably us) not letting decisions or a bit of adversity go against us too much, shows real character. It’s developing and an important two points for us today, particularly off the back of last week." - Titans coach Des Hasler

What's Next

Both teams enjoy a week off before the Broncos return to Suncorp to face the Sharks and the Titans host the Rabbitohs in Round 14.