Titans to good for Newcastle with first win of 2025

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Gold Coast Titans v Newcastle Knights

The Titans have proven a step above the Knights to pick up a 26-6 win at home on Saturday night.

The Knights started with multiple attacking chances, but a series of Kalyn Ponga errors and some great defence kept them away from the try line. This allowed the Titans to score first, when a Tino Fa'asuamaleaui hit up and offload set the stage for Jayden Campbell and Keano Kini to put Jojo Fifita over and take a 6-0 lead.

The Knights continued to try and press the Titans line, but their attack looked increasingly disjointed as the game went on. Then when the Titans got a chance, they capitalised with Campbell brushing through a tackle attempt to score himself. While he missed his own conversion, he knocked over a penalty goal not long after to give the Gold Coast a 12-0 halftime lead.

A second penalty goal not long after the break gave the Titans a three possession lead, which they extended just before the hour mark when Beau Fermor carried four Knights across the try line and still somehow grounded the ball, giving them a commanding 20-0 lead.

While Newcastle still pushed for a try to get themselves back into the game, they just never looked comfortable inside the Titans' 20. And then when Phoenix Crossland threw a forward pass after multiple sets on the attack, Gold Coast were able to ice the game when Greg Marzhew dropped a kick and David Fifita picked up the ball to put it over the line and put the score to 26-0. And while the Knights did finally get across the line through Bradman Best, the fat lady had already warbled through most of her opera.

The game did see the debut of highly-rated Knights junior Jermaine McEwen, and while GR had a rough debut trying to handle some of the Titans forwards, he did almost pick up a try assist in Newcastle's last set of the game, however his offload to James Schiller was called forward.

Next week, the Titans head to Sydney to face the Roosters on Friday evening. Newcastle on the other hand, will recuperate with a bye before waiting til the Sunday night of Round 5 to visit Canterbury at Accor Stadium.