South Sydney have bounced back immediately to winning ways with a 32-4 NRL thrashing of Gold Coast on Saturday night.
Led by English brothers Sam and George Burgess and youngster Luke Keary, the Rabbitohs quickly banished the disappointment of Monday’s loss to St George Illawarra.
The heavy defeat is the Titans’ fourth in a row and leaves them running out of time to claw their way back into the top eight with just six matches remaining.
Sam Burgess grabbed a try double while 21-year-old Keary scored his first NRL tries with a late pair of four-pointers.
Sam’s little brother George Burgess was the other try-scorer for the Rabbitohs while winger Kevin Gordon scored the only points for the Titans in the 62nd minute.
Veteran winger Matt King didn’t get on the scoreboard but performed excellently on his return from a broken arm to set up Keary’s first try.
Souths’ win ensures they will hold onto top spot on the ladder regardless of the result of Sunday’s clash between second-placed Sydney Roosters and Newcastle.
The Titans, who missed a whopping 51 tackles, could be two games outside the eight by the end of the weekend depending on results.
Adding to the home team’s woes, hooker Matt Srama looks set to miss most of the remaining games of the season after suffering a high ankle sprain in the first half.