Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett knows until his side reduces its errors it won't be able to keep up in a league he says is the toughest he's ever seen.
The Broncos were poor in a 26-14 loss to Gold Coast at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
It was their first defeat in eight games against their south-east Queensland rivals and first at home since the initial meeting of the two teams in 2007.
Brisbane trailed 10-0 before they had any real possession of their own and, having worked back to trail 16-8 at half-time, let themselves down with more unforced errors late in the game.
Bennett's men were humbled by St George Illawarra in the NRL's opening round and scored scrappy wins in their next two games before Sunday's shocker against the Titans.
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Fingers have been pointed at the side's inept attack but Bennett said the club's issues didn't stem from there.
"We can't attack unless we hold the football; everybody's improved defensively in the game, you're totally exposed if you haven't got control of the ball," he said.
"It's a collective problem ... that stuff's killing us.
"It takes away everything you want to do in a game ... because you haven't done the basics well."
Bennett rates this season's competition as the toughest he's seen and knew the Titans would respond after copping a 54-8 hiding from the Dragons last weekend.
"Physically better every year; stronger, faster and fitter," he said.
"I don't think anyone in the Broncos team didn't know that the Titans you saw last weekend weren't going to put that performance on tonight."
Brisbane captain Darius Boyd hopes they can take lessons from the loss, but also chalk it up as "one of those days".
"It's just disappointing because it's just not us; we knew they were going to turn up after last weekend and we just didn't," he said.
"In a 26-week competition, while you expect to be up all the time you're not going to be."
