Locked into second place, the Panthers should have Nathan Cleary back from his shoulder injury to face the Sydney Roosters in their qualifying final at Penrith Park, likely to be played on Friday night.
But Penrith cannot rely on the star halfback alone to iron out the creases that have been evident throughout his absence, the side once again appearing worn-out and error-prone on Saturday night.
It would be a brave pundit to write the triple reigning premiers off, especially now they are locked in to host the Roosters, who haven't beaten Penrith since 2019.
But the Panthers have not pieced together an 80-minute performance since the round 21 defeat of St George Illawarra.
Penrith were never comfortable against the 14th-placed Titans, making 15 errors and trailing 6-4 at half-time on the back of a surprisingly strong first half from the visitors.
Gold Coast contained the Panthers on the edges and were energised by a brilliant individual try from fullback Jayden Campbell that helped them to their half-time lead.
On Old Boys day at Penrith Park, Campbell would have impressed father and Panthers premiership winner Preston as he stepped around NSW representatives Liam Martin and Dylan Edwards on a 40-metre dash to the line.
The Titans threatened to go through with the upset when left winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira pounced on a loose ball to run 80 metres and cut the lead to four points with 12 minutes left.
The Titans' Kieran Foran had eyes only for a teammate as his side pushed the Panthers hard . (David Hossack/AAP PHOTOS)
It was Khan-Pereira's 24th try for the campaign, the 22-year-old set to become the first Gold Coast player to finish a season with the most four-pointers of any player.
But in the end, Penrith's 10 minutes after half-time were enough to seal victory.
Having put Brian To'o in for the opening try during the first half, Edwards fended Campbell in the chest and spun to the tryline following a six-again three minutes after the break.
Jarome Luai extended the lead with a deft grubber kick to Luke Garner on the left edge, the try ultimately enough to seal the win.
Next week's qualifying final will be the Panthers' last at the fortress of their premiership seasons until 2027 as the venue prepares for major redevelopments.
The result confirms minor premiers Melbourne and fourth-placed Cronulla will meet in the other qualifying final.
In his 200th NRL game, Penrith prop James Fisher-Harris finished with 86 metres and 30 tackles, receiving a cheer from the home crowd when he first ran the ball.
