Roar Guru
The Gold Coast Titans have denied the Penrith Panthers their chance to win three matches in a row, with a late try from Anthony Don giving the visitors a 4-point win.
REPORT: DON WINNERS STUNS PANTHERS
Final score
Panthers 24
Titans 28
Two teams stuck in the middle of the ladder log jam will be looking for a crucial win when the Penrith Panthers host the Gold Coast Titans at Pepper Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 2pm (AEST).
After an indifferent start to the season without captain Matthew Moylan, the Panthers have won two games in a row jumping up to seventh on the table. Coming off a one-point win over the Canberra Raiders, Penrith backed it up with a well-earned win over the New Zealand Warriors in Christchurch by 12 points.
Having been on the end of a few big losses, the Titans looked as if they found a spark on Monday night with a 20-point win over the Sydney Roosters. Questions still remain over the ability of the Titans to string good games together though, with just one pair of back to back wins seeing them sit 11th on the ladder.
In team news Anthony Griffin has shown faith in his team by naming an unchanged line-up from the one that got the points in New Zealand. Meanwhile, the Titans lose David Mead with a knee injury. Nene McDonald takes his place on the wing and former Parramatta Eels hooker Nathan Peats will make his first appearance, being named on the bench.
While the head-to-head record is fairly even, the experience in the Panthers spine from the likes of Jamie Soward, Peter Wallace and Matthew Moylan vastly outweighs the Titans with Tyrone Roberts playing alongside the less experienced William Zillman and Ashley Taylor.
Prediction
Given a more settled lineup and the fact they have some players who will be looking to impress Laurie Daley one more time, the Panthers will be too strong.
Panthers by 12 points.
Can the Panthers establish themselves as a top eight side or will the Titans continue their march towards the eight?
Join The Roar for live coverage from 2pm (AEST) to find out as the two sides face off and don’t forget to get involved by leaving a comment below.