Titans 36 NZ Warriors 24

AS A youth in the tiny northern NSW town of Tingha, Preston Campbell used to hunt rabbits using sticks and stones. These days, the prey he chases is much bigger, and his methods less antiquated. But the results are the same.

Against something far more ferocious than a furry white animal - 17 mostly monstrous men in black - Campbell yesterday produced arguably his best catch in Titans colours.

He scored a try and had a major hand in two more as the Titans recorded their fifth successive win - a first for a Gold Coast franchise.

It was a welcome return to form for the Titans' first signing, who hobbled on to the Olympic Stadium before the 2006 grand final as the new squad was being introduced to the NRL - and has hobbled through much of his time as a Titan since.

"They've been really tough, the last few years," Campbell said after the win. "I did the knee last year, and I've only now just started to come good. The year before I did my ankle in my last game with Penrith. But I feel fit and I feel strong."

Campbell clearly found his spark against the Warriors. His 27th-minute assist showcased a whole bag of tricks: stepping and swivelling and dummying and falling and finally offloading to Brad Meyers for the try.

"I was just thinking, 'What's he doing?"' halfback and captain Scott Prince said. "I didn't know which way he was running, to tell you the truth. A lot of energy. He's on a bit of a high at the moment.

"He's very confident with his ability, and it just goes to show - he dropped the ball early in that game and he bounced back, and we worked hard for him, and he caused a bit of a headache in attack for them."

Confidence is the key. Campbell's 31st-minute try, a wonderful piece of individuality and ingenuity, showed less and more at the same time, the 30-year-old running on a 13-year-old's energy in a 50-metre dash.

He said the confidence his teammates had showed in him while he struggled with injury had rubbed off.

"The fact that everybody around me was just oozing confidence … what's the word for it, just the attitude of the boys - it's relaxed, but it's work, work, work for each other," he said.

"It was so contagious. The boys were really positive about things, and I'm just glad that they were able to stick with me for the first few months.

"I'm probably feeling the best I've felt over the last four or five years, even longer.

"I'm just glad they showed faith in me, persisted with me as long as they did. I probably showed in the off-season that I was still capable of playing some football."

In 80 minutes, he showed he was still capable of playing not just some football, but great football.

"I've been watching 'Presto' for years, and I've got total confidence in him," Titans coach John Cartwright said. "He's injury-free and he's feeling good. He's bouncing into training every week."

Having more protection has helped, too. Cartwright singled out his side's new-found size this season as a major difference between its first and second seasons.

Campbell, as well as Prince and hooker Nathan Friend, have been able to take full advantage.

The win over the Warriors, on a hot day when the side was knocked around by injury - prop Michael Hodgson suffering a knee problem and centre Luke O'Dwyer rolling his ankle - was the best example of that.

"They [the Warriors] are the type of side that troubled us last year, them especially - they gave us two touch-ups," Cartwright said.

"They're a big, physical side, and we struggled a bit with those sides. I was just really keen to see how we aimed up physically and I think we did.

"It shows our recruitment was spot on. We needed a bit of size, a bit of punch."

The little guys' willingness to punch above their weight was also captured in a fiery moment in the middle of an entertaining game. Prince, who can fight a bit, mind you, brushed past 109-kilogram Epalahame Lauaki with his leg and copped a left-hand slap in return. "I just walked past him and accidentally bumped him, and he got a little bit agitated really," Prince said. "Just a big boy having fun."

He was on his own in that department, at least among those men in black.

GOLD COAST 36 (B Bowen P Campbell A Harrison B Jeffery A Laffranchi B Meyers tries S Prince 6 goals) bt NZ WARRIORS 24 (M Witt 2 M Luck M Vatuvei tries M Witt 4 goals) at Skilled Park. Referee: S Lyons. Crowd: 25,310.