NRL: Titans too good for bumbling Warriors

The Titans' Ashley Harrison sprints away from the Warriors during tonight's match at Skilled Park. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand Warriors' awful away run continued with a 12-28 loss to Gold Coast tonight which cast more doubt over their National Rugby League playoff hopes.

The third-placed Titans scored five tries to two at Skilled Park as the error-ridden Warriors blew plenty of scoring chances and were punished at the other end.

Young Titans wingers Kevin Gordon and David Mead both scored twice, including a length of the field intercept apiece, while captain Scott Prince pulled the strings expertly and kicked four goals from five attempts.

It left the Warriors winless from their last six trips across the Tasman, with their only success in Australia this season against Manly way back in round two on March 22.

Victory against Brisbane in Brisbane on Friday is now imperative as they look to cling on in the race for top-eight spots.

The Warriors were their own worst enemies tonight as they spied a chance to knock over the Titans with four of their best players -- Mat Rogers, Ashley Harrison, Luke Bailey and Mark Minichiello -- out injured.

"We pushed a bit of ball and dropped a bit of ball and we gave them a few easy breaks and they capitalised," fullback Wade McKinnon told Fox Sports.

"We're just chasing our tails, like we've been doing most of the year."

The Warriors started promisingly with up-tempo football as the forwards offloaded in tackles and they stretched the hosts.

Lance Hohaia was tackled just short of the line, and from the resulting penalty Kevin Locke goaled to give the Warriors the lead in the 16th minute.

But the Titans soaked up the pressure in the opening quarter before rattling up three tries in 12 minutes to lead 16-2 at halftime.

Fullback William Zillman sparked the Titans with a break from deep in his own territory, before being dragged down by a flying Locke 10m out.

It didn't save the Warriors as Anthony Laffranchi crossed soon afterwards from a slick set move with hooker Nathan Friend.

They scored their second five minutes later after a break down the left by centre Esi Tonga, through Gordon who crossed out wide from a simple overlap.

Then, just as the Warriors looked likely to open their tryscoring account they were punished by a 95m intercept by Mead.

Hohaia was the culprit as he eyed Manu Vatuvei with a flat cutout pass which a gleeful Mead plucked from thin air for his first NRL touchdown.

More errors on attack hurt the Warriors before the break, with Vatuvei soaring high but fumbling a Stacey Jones bomb over the line, then prop Jesse Royal knocking on in a tackle 1m short.

It got worse for the Warriors early in the second half when the Titans were controversially awarded a repeat set of six, when replays showed Hohaia had not played at a Prince kick.

Prince then sent Mead over for his second try with a long floating pass, and converted from the sideline to make it 22-2.

The Warriors finally scored their first try through Hohaia just before the 50min mark from a well worked scrum move when Patrick Ah Van sent him clear.

Locke then pulled off his second trysaver of the match when he cut down Preston Campbell 5m short.

At the other end the Warriors' frustrations were summed up when Joel Moon finished a long range move from a Hohaia break, but was called back for a forward pass.

Simple handling errors on attack began to reach epidemic levels as they sought the line.

Gordon put it beyond doubt in the 65th minute when he plucked a long Jones pass from thin air to race 90m.

One of the Warriors' best, Lewis Brown, crossed for a late consolation try, 7min from fulltime.

Gold Coast 28 Kevin Gordon (2), David Mead (2) Anthony Laffranchi tries; Scott Prince (4) goals

Warriors 12 Lance Hohaia, Lewis Brown tries; Kevin Locke (2) goals

- NZPA