The Sydney Roosters have sent foundation Gold Coast coach John Cartwright out a loser in his final game in charge with a gritty 26-18 win on Monday night.
On a rain-sodden Allianz Stadium before the lowest NRL crowd of the year of 6,345, James Maloney led the way for the home side as Cartwright's eight-year reign at the club ended in defeat, and the premiers kept their hold on fourth spot.
After gifting the visitors a try in the opening exchanges, Maloney's late-season form surge continued, the former NSW playmaker scoring one try and had a hand in two others in a man-of-the-match effort.
The Roosters have fallen to poor losses to cellar dwellers Cronulla and Newcastle in recent weeks and coach Trent Robinson was happy to get away with a victory against a typically gutsy Titans, whose hopes of finals footy are all but over.
"It was a good old footy game in the end, there were some errors early and the game got into that broken play footy and both teams had to react a bit differently," he said.
"I thought we did the big parts the game really well, we tackled well, we ran well."
Cartwright said he had a tough lead-in to his final game after his resignation last week.
"It's been a hard week I will be honest with you," he said.
"Not with the team but in quiet times when you are on your own - it has been tough.
"I haven't thought about what I will do and where I will be tomorrow, that is the last thing on my mind."
Anthony Don swooped on a loose Maloney goal-line pass to open the scoring in the third minute before Anthony Minichiello hit back for the Roosters three minutes later.
In a topsy-turvy first half littered with errors, Maloney stepped his way through the Titans goalline defence in the 20th minute and threw the final pass for a Nene Macdonald four-pointer in the 34th minute.
Those efforts were countered by a Dave Taylor try with his first touch in the 28th minute and a Greg Bird try from a kick by Daniel Mortimer - in his first game against his old club - on the stroke of halftime for the Titans to lead 18-16 at the break.
But the Roosters returned to their impregnable defensive efforts of last season after the break as the Gold Coast couldn't manage a point.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck scored in a grubbering effort in the 50th minute to put the Roosters ahead 20-18.
Maloney again threw the final pass for Michael Jennings' try in the 69th minute and kicked the match-sealing penalty in the final minute.
In a season of near misses, Cartwright's final words as Titans coach were to bemoan another one that got away.
"For the majority of the year, we have tested most sides, nearly all sides, and when it came to the crunch we probably just didn't play well enough," he said.
"We dropped some ball, and gave them a lot of field position and they are the premiers, they took advantage.
"But to still be in the game ... losing by a penalty was really disappointing.
"I didn't think the game deserved to be decided by a penalty."
Aidan Sezer was the Titans' best in his return from a pec injury.
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