The Penrith Panthers will hold onto eighth spot after finishing over the top of an understrength Gold Coast Titans 36-22 in front of 17,759 fans at Skilled Park on Saturday night.
After losing five of their previous six encounters, the unpredictable Panthers went into this game clinging onto eighth spot with a host of teams snapping at their heels, but they never really looked in danger despite the Gold Coast getting close on occasions.
A try just before the break enabled the Panthers to enjoy an 18-10 half-time lead before the Gold Coast narrowed the gap with a converted try just after the resumption.
But the Panthers, led brilliantly by half-back Luke Lewis and hulking forwards Petero Civoniceva and Frank Pritchard, simply powered over the top of the Titans, scoring three tries to one to finish off an impressive performance.
The injury-ravaged Titans have lost their last three home matches and now find themselves just one-point ahead of the Panthers on the ladder in seventh position.
There was early joy for the Panthers with Lewis handling twice in a right-edge movement which resulted in winger Michael Gordon diving over for a third minute try.
Gordon converted from the sideline to give the Panthers a 6-0 lead.
Then fresh from bagging a double on debut last week against the Roosters, teenage Titans' winger Jordan Rapana once again showed his aerial abilities, leaping above opposite Lachlan Coote to score a spectacular eighth minute try in the right corner off a Mat Rogers' bomb.
Rogers missed with the conversion, but played an integral role in the Titans' second try of the night, sucking in several defenders from close-range to create space for half-back Brad Davis who floated a well-directed pass to send centre Luke O'Dwyer over wide out.
Rogers added the extras from a sharp angle to give the Titans a 10-6 lead.
The former rugby union international was then placed on report for a high tackle on Coote in the 25th minute before the Panthers struck back two minutes later, Lewis providing a deft cut-out ball to send a charging Pritchard over for a converted try and a 12-10 lead.
Titans' full-back Preston Campbell took the odds of an intercept just before half-time, but unfortunately for the locals it opened up a gap for Pritchard to charge through before producing a superb flick pass to send centre Michael Jennings over for his ninth try of the season.
Gordon added the extras from wide-range to give the Panthers a handy 18-10 half-time lead.
The Titans struck back just after the break when second-rower Anthony Laffranchi stormed onto a flat Nathan Friend ball to crash over for a converted try, reducing the Titans' deficit to two.
But the Titans' resurgence was brief when a deft right-corner Lewis grubber was reeled in by Gordon just before the dead-ball line for his second four-pointer of the evening to give the Panthers a 24-16 lead.
When full-back Rhys Wesser jumped out dummy-half to expose a lack of Titans' left-edge defenders just two minutes later, the Panthers were in the comfort zone at 28-16 up.
Both sides traded tries in the final 15 minutes to complete a quality encounter.
Penrith Panthers 36
Tries: Gordon 2, Pritchard 2, Jennings, Wesser
Conversions: Gordon 5
Penalty goals: Gordon
Gold Coast Titans 22
Tries: Rapana, O'Dwyer, Laffranchi, Hodgson
Conversions: Rogers 3
Sportal's NRL Player of the Year:
3 - Petero Civoniceva (Panthers)
2 - Luke Lewis (Panthers)
1 - Frank Pritchard (Panthers)