Gold Coast Titans could be forgiven for feeling a tad nervous when defending a 10-point lead against Canterbury midway through the second half of their NRL clash at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

Just six days before, the Titans had held a 14-0 lead against Wests Tigers but were run down in the second half and suffered a heart-breaking golden point loss thanks to a Robbie Farah field goal.

But Titans coach John Cartwright insisted that devastating loss never entered his head as the Bulldogs mounted a fruitless comeback in the second match of the Brisbane double-header.

“Honestly, last week never entered my head,” Cartwright said.

“It was a test of what we spoke about and worked on as a result of last week.

“The trainers were reporting there was no panic out there.”

The Bulldogs closed to within striking distance at 20-14 down when NSW State of Origin hopeful Josh Morris scored in the 69th minute.

But it was a former Bulldog – impressive five-eighth Aidan Sezer – who calmly slotted two penalty goals – one from 40m out – and a field goal to put the icing on what Cartwright described as a “courageous” 25-14 victory.

The 20-year-old Sezer has been a welcome relief for Titans talisman Scott Prince, who has not been forced to shoulder all the playmaking duties at halfback.

“He’s very composed,” Cartwright said about Sezer, who played in the lower grades for Canterbury before joining the Titans at the end of last season.

“I suppose that’s what you look for, especially in a playmaker, how they handle the jump up in speed and tempo (of NRL).

“It’s hard sometimes for a young kid not to be overawed by someone of Princey’s experience.

“He’s a great kid, a great listener and he really wants to learn. He’s got a lot of boxes ticked.”

The Titans will take plenty of confidence out of beating the Bulldogs, whose coach Des Hasler was furious about the 11-2 penalty count against his team.

When the game was in balance, the Gold Coast lost Prince (hamstring soreness) and centre Beau Champion (cramping) and were forced to send back onto the field a crook Ashley Harrison (virus) and Luke O’Dwyer, who was groggy after a brutal shoulder charge from prop Sam Kasiano.

“It was probably not the prettiest game in the world but from our angle it was courageous for a lot of reasons,” Cartwright said.

“No one really gave us a hope. I think we were a pretty long price in a two-horse race.

“It’s just very pleasing to go into the bye with a victory.”

Kaisano’s hit on O’Dwyer has reignited debate about the shoulder charge, following suspensions this season to his Bulldogs teammate Frank Pritchard and Broncos back-rower Ben Te’o for making contact to an opponent’s head using the shoulder.

But Cartwright refused to criticise Kasiano for the controversial tactic.

“I see that as accidental contact,” he said. “We’re going to be in the situation where one of our blokes will do it.

“Personally I don’t really have a problem with it.”