The Sydney Roosters have survived a final-play scare to edge the Gold Coast Titans in Townsville in a sudden-death NRL playoff match.
A 77th-minute field goal by teenager Sam Walker gave the Roosters a 25-24 lead, but a dramatic end was to follow, with the Titans blowing a near-certain try.
The Titans broke down the left-hand side from deep inside their half with Bo Fermor and Phillip Sami combining only for Walker to pull off a try-saving tackle ten metres from the line.
But the drama wasn't over as the Titans shifted to the left and created a three-on-two overlap only for former NZ Warriors centre Patrick Herbert to ignore the hulking David Fifita and take on the line himself.
He was tackled at the line and a hopeful offload floated into touch and the match was over.
It means the Roosters play Manly Sea Eagles next week for a spot in the qualifying final in a fortnight.
The Roosters never trailed, but couldn't separate themselves from a gutsy Titans side riding the wave of momentum created in a 44-0 hammering of the Warriors a week ago.
Tries to Matt Ikuvalu and James Tedesco has the fifth-placed Sydney club sitting pretty with seconds to play in the first half.
But Fermor scored on the stroke of the break to reduce the gap to six with the Roosters leading 12-6.
Playing his 200th NRL game, Roosters winger Daniel Tupou scored to open the second half, but back-to-back Titans tries to Brian Kelly and Jamal Fogarty drew the scores level with 25 minutes to play.
Veteran centre Josh Morris, who retires at the end of the season, put his side back in front with a quarter to play, only for prop Jared Wallace to capitalize on a Ikuvalu mistake to tie things up minutes later.
The two sides exchanged a missed field goal apiece before Walker calmly slotted the winner with three minutes to play.
