The Warriors have saved their worst performance of the NRL season for last.
Photo: AAP Image/Dave Hunt/Photosport Ltd 2021
Out of top eight contention, they have succumbed to their heaviest defeat of 2021, going down 44-0 to the Titans in their final round match on the Gold Coast.
It is the Titans' biggest ever win and it is the first time the Warriors have been held scoreless this season.
They turned in an error-strewn first 40 minutes to trail 16-0 at the break, before the match descended into farce in the second-half.
The Warriors were forced to play with 10 men after Jazz Tevaga, Matt Lodge and Kane Evans were sent to the sin bin when tempers boiled over.
The result secures Gold Coast the final place in the top eight for the first time in five years, at the expense of the Cronulla Sharks.
The Titans will face the Roosters in the first week of the finals.
The Warriors should have scored just 60 seconds into the match, but second-rower Euan Aitken spilled the ball over the line.
That was the closest they got to crossing the line in the first-half as they frequently coughed off possession, completing just 10 of their 17 sets.
Titans back-rower David Fifita celebrates scoring his second try against the Warriors. Photo: AAP Image/Dave Hunt/Photosport Ltd 2021
The Titans took advantage with fullback Jayden Campbell, hooker Mitch Rein and interchange back-rower David Fifita all scoring tries to give the Gold Coast a 16-0 halftime lead.
They needed to win by 11 or more to claim eighth place.
Fifita scored his second try just two minutes into the second-half to extend the lead to 22 points and stamp out any hope of a Warriors' comeback. It was his 17th try of the season, the most in Titans history.
The Warriors had a couple of chances to get on the board a few minutes later.
Second-rower Josh Curran was stopped just short of the try-line and then winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak had a try ruled out for a forward pass. The Warriors had already lost their captain's challenge.
Titans captain Jamal Fogarty converted a Brian Kelly try from the sideline to put Gold Coast up 28-0 15 minutes into the second-half.
Tempers then flared with Tevaga, Lodge and Evans sin-binned after two melees in as many minutes. Titans front-rower Jarrod Wallace was also binned for escalating the second scuffle.
Patrick Herbert and Campbell scored tries when it was 12 against 10 to stretch the Gold Coast's advantage to 38 points, before Titans front-rower Moeaki Fotuaika dotted down for their eighth unanswered try in the 79th minute.
