Several decisions that went against the Titans left coach Josh Hannay ropeable after the match.
Dolphins fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Titans five-eighth Jayden Campbell, in his 100th NRL match, scored doubles at Robina in a Friday night clash full of drama.
With the hosts seeking a late winning try, Gold Coast prop Moeaki Fotuaika was sin-binned for clipping Dolphins dynamo Kurt Donoghoe in the 79th minute when in possession after taking exception to Donoghoe's actions in the tackle.
The Dolphins will need to fix their lacklustre starts to games in the finals series where they will initially play either Penrith or the Warriors away.
They have now been kept scoreless in the opening 20 minutes of the past five games and eight of their last nine, but coach Kristian Woolf wasn't overly concerned.
"We've won seven games in a row," he said.
"What did we need to do tonight? We needed to get a win and we needed to come away without any injuries. We did both those things so I am happy."
The Titans, leading 14-0, were fuming when fullback Keano Kini was sin-binned in the 23rd minute.
Kini was marched for pushing Dolphins winger Tevita Naufahu into touch after referee Wyatt Raymond had deemed the tackle complete. It seemed a harsh call, given the visitors gave away three consecutive penalties earlier on their tryline without a player being binned.
"I thought it was incredibly harsh and not long after that they get a try from a knock-on," the Gold Coast coach said of the Kini binning.
"You talk about momentum swings - they don't get much bigger than that. Moe got smacked in the face at the end and ends up in the bin for retaliating.
"(Jamayne Isaako) throws a leg out to trip (AJ Brimson) in the act of a potential try-scoring play and it is just a penalty.
"It was probably more sin-binnable than Keano's play. You stack all those things up and you lose by four points, you have got to be proud of your team's effort."
The visitors scored twice while Kini was off the field, through star backs  Tabuai-Fidow and Herbie Farnworth.
Farnworth's try came after a knock-on by centre Jack Bostock in the lead up while contesting a bomb.
Gold Coast led 14-12 at halftime but the Dolphins clicked into gear with Ray Stone and Tabuai-Fidow scoring after magnificent inside balls by half Isaiya Katoa and Donoghoe.
Katoa had a try disallowed by the Bunker, with Bostock this time ruled to have knocked-on a bomb after it appeared to have gone back.
"The second-half no-try (to) Bostock was a square-up. That was a try to the Dolphins," Hannay said.
The Bunker then disallowed tries to Dolphins second-rower Connelly Lemuelu and Titans forward Arama Hau.
Campbell genius set up a thrilling finish when the dazzling five-eighth raced 70m after intercepting a no-look pass by Katoa to race 70m to score.
Dolphins winger Jamayne Isaako played his 96th straight game for the club, finished the regular season with 288 points and was the leading points scorer for the fourth time in his career and the third time in the past four seasons at the Dolphins.
Campbell and AJ Brimson score early tries and Campbell added a penalty goal to make it 14-0 inside 16 minutes.
The Titans let the lead slip to finish the year with just six wins, the same number as their dismal 2025 season.
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