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Gold Coast have conceded five tries or more in each of their past four games, but coach Justin Holbrook insists their defence is not as troublesome as it seems.
Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook insists his side's defence is not as bad as it looks, but has told them they cannot afford to switch off against Penrith.
The Titans' 36-28 win over Wests Tigers on Saturday night snapped a three-game losing streak, keeping them inside the NRL's top eight.
But while there have been few concerns over their attack, the match marked the fourth game in a row in which they have conceded five tries or more.
The club are now conceding an average 24.3 points per game this year, beyond what they did last season despite the increased expectations around the team.
But Holbrook insisted the 28 points conceded at Campbelltown were not a reflection of his team's output.
"The first five rounds we defended fine, we all forget that because of recent memory," Holbrook said.
"I'm OK with that (assessment) because the (previous) three weeks have been awful.
"Once again they ended up with 28. But there were some tough things at the back end of the game.
"That effort was exactly what we needed, and we need it all the time."
The Tigers scored three tries in the final 12 minutes, with one coming from a quick tap when the Gold Coast players were trying to request a captain's challenge.
Another came when the hosts targeted and isolated the injured Brian Kelly, while the third was with the Titans down to 12 men.
But while Holbrook was willing to excuse those tries from a defensive perspective, he was not happy with the way his side let momentum slip.
The drop-off came after the Titans let a 24-10 lead against South Sydney slide two weeks ago, before giving up their 22-0 advantage against Brisbane last week.
"When we get it right we're pretty good, but we've got to get it right for 80 minutes against Penrith next week," Holbrook said.
"We can't play 68 and we can't turn the momentum against us when we've got it.
"The good sides just keep the foot on the throat and go on to win 42-12."
