For the second time in as many home NRL games, Gold Coast have suffered late heartbreak, this time losing to Newcastle on Sunday.
Knights veteran Jeremy Smith scored with four minutes to go as the visitors kept their unbeaten status in 2015 with a 20-18 win.
Having lost in the dying seconds of their season opener against Wests Tigers, the defeat was agonising for Gold Coast, who have now lost their first three matches of the season for the first time since their wooden spoon campaign in 2011.
It caps another big week for the Titans, who had State of Origin stars Greg Bird and Dave Taylor as well as Beau Falloon back in the line-up after the club-imposed suspensions on the trio were lifted on Tuesday, amid allegations of cocaine supply.
After a first half where the Knights dominated possession and took a 14-6 lead into the dressing rooms, five-eighth Aidan Sezer’s second-half double had the crowd of 6962 on their feet.
Sezer scored early in the second half when he regathered his own bomb after Knights youngster Sione Mata’utia allowed it to bounce.
He then put the home team ahead 20 minutes later when Anthony Don sprinted clear from deep inside his own half and from the resulting play the ball Sezer skipped through some unorganised Knights defence to cross.
From there the Knights rallied, laying siege on the Titans half, aided by some poor kicking by the home team’s halfback Daniel Mortimer, who twice booted the ball out on the full.
Forward Eddy Pettybourne was placed on report for a high shot on Korbin Sims while Taylor was also placed on report late in the game, although it was Bird who had committed the infringement by hitting Jarrod Mullen late.
Fullback Josh Hoffman pulled off a sensational try-saving tackle to bundle Joseph Leilua into touch when the Knights centre appeared destined to score but Hoffman’s efforts only delayed the inevitable as Smith snatched the win.
Apart from the confusion over Taylor being placed on report, the Titans also were left fuming by the officials in the first half when the video referee ruled Sims had knocked the ball backwards in the build-up to the visitor’s second try despite it looking like a certain knock-on.
