Gold Coast coach John Cartwright doesn’t have any long-term concerns after his team’s ill-disciplined NRL derby display against rivals Brisbane last Friday.

The Titans were on the end of a 10-0 penalty count during the first half of the 32-6 hiding at Suncorp Stadium, with representative forward Dave Taylor placed on report and captain Greg Bird sent to the sin-bin.

But Cartwright doesn’t believe he has any reason to worry about his team’s temperament, claiming an emotional build-up that included the death of forward Luke Douglas’s mother early in the week had played its part in frustrations boiling over.

“If it happened every week it’d be something you’d be really worried about but our discipline’s been pretty good all year,” Cartwright said on Monday.

“It’s not something that has been creeping into our game. It was a big occasion, it was a very emotional week.

“There’s no excuse for it, but we’ll put that one behind us and get ready for Parra.”

The Titans will be without hooker Beau Falloon (ankle) and winger David Mead (broken jaw) for Sunday’s trip to Parramatta and Cartwright admitted their absence, particularly that of Mead, was of more concern to him than the loss to the Broncos.

“We really missed Meady while he was out,” he said.

“No coincidence he came back and we got back into some winning form.”

Mead has now broken his jaw three times within the past year but Cartwright said it was down to bad luck rather than any medical predisposition to the injury.

“It must have been a pretty big blow because it loosened the screws in the joint,” said Cartwright, referring to the plates and screws Mead has in place from previous surgeries.

“It sounds like we’re talking about a car but they had to take all the pieces out and reassemble it. The surgeon assures us it’s back to normal for him in four weeks.

“You do get worried when things like that keep happening but he just said it’s just coincidence.”

Cartwright has also poured cold water on a media report the club was lining up a bid to sign North Queensland star and former Queensland State of Origin fullback Matt Bowen.

He said while his club is always looking at new options, particularly in the outside backs, no offer had been made to Bowen.

“The position, that’s where we’re looking and that’s why we’re going to get linked,” he said.

“But it’s not something that we’ve considered at the moment.”