KEY POINTS:
Titans 36
Warriors 24
Next weekend's return to Auckland can't arrive quick enough for the New Zealand Warriors after their National Rugby League (NRL) road woes continued on the Gold Coast today.
The Titans maintained their competition lead with a 36-24 win in hot afternoon weather at Skilled Park, outscoring the Warriors six tries to four.
While the Warriors put in an improved performance it wasn't enough to prevent their fourth loss from four matches in Australia this year.
The leaky points syndrome hit again, making it 168 points conceded across the Tasman in 2008 as lowly Canberra loom at home next Sunday.
The Titans' star quality outshone the Warriors, with halfback Scott Prince again weaving more magic under limited pressure, and unpredictable fullback Preston Campbell a constant menace.
Prince converted all six of the Titans' tries.
Five-eighth Michael Witt was the Warriors' shining light, scoring two brilliant solo tries and adding four goals for a personal haul of 16 points.
Blockbusting winger Manu Vatuvei also threw an injury scare into the Warriors' and Kiwis test camp, collapsing in pain with a wrenched left knee near the end and later limping off.
With a superior kicking game, the Titans were always in control.
They led 24-12 at halftime and extended the lead to 30-12 with an Anthony Laffranchi try five minutes after the break.
Prince had a hand in the first two tries, a kick and chase setting up Ashley Harrison and an overlap and quick hands setting up Ben Jeffery to make it 12-0 after 15 minutes.
A Michael Luck try from a Nathan Fien grubber opened the Warriors' account before Campbell's brilliance ensured an 18-point gap at halftime.
He shrugged off two tacklers, including captain Ruben Wiki, to offload for Brad Meyers then strode through a yawning gap 50m out and stepped inside fullback Lance Hohaia to score.
Vatuvei stormed over out wide from a bullet pass from Witt four minutes before halftime, then a flying Campbell was denied a second by a desperate tackle from Hohaia and Michael Crockett 1m out.
The missed tackle count was 22-10 to the Warriors at the break.
Laffranchi stormed onto a short ball to extend the Titans' lead before Witt gave the visitors a glimmer of hope.
He jinked through five tackle attempts to score from a standing start, 20m out, then scored with from a chip and chase with six minutes left.
The Titans were safe by then and were denied a try to Gavin Cooper on fulltime by the video referee.
The missed tackle count improved for the Warriors, with just six blemishes in the second half.
Warriors centre Brent Tate bemoaned the same old errors but felt they were still on the improve.
"We're just making too many errors. When they're attacking our end we're just too soft," he told Fox Sports.
"We're getting closer; I think we took a couple of steps forward today. In that second half we've proved we could hold teams out, we've just got to put our mind to it.
"It's an attitude thing with us at the moment."
Tate admitted his brother-in-law and captain Steve Price's return from injury was much-needed.
"He's a huge loss, he keeps the guys going forward with his direction and leadership.
"But we'll keep trying and, like I said, we're getting closer."
Scores
Titans 36 (Ashley Harrison, Ben Jeffery, Brad Meyers, Preston Campbell, Anthony Laffranchi, Brenton Bowen tries; Scott Prince 6 goals) Warriors 24 (Michael Witt 2, Micheal Luck, Manu Vatuvei tries; Witt 4 goals). Halftime: 24-12.
- NZPA
