A resurgent Penrith have moved into the NRL top eight for the first time this season after shutting out Gold Coast 24-2 on Friday night. The four-try rout seemingly puts another nail in the coffin of Titans coach Garth Brennan, whose side barely posed a threat at Panthers Stadium. The lopsided defeat comes just days before Gold Coast boss Mal Meninga hands down a mid-season review to the club's board, with Brennan's fate on the agenda. Brennan insisted he has been able to block out the speculation around his future, however was unsure whether the players are showing signs of distraction. "I can deal with it quite easily. I don't listen to it. I don't buy into it. I can't control it, but I'm in my mid-40s," Brennan said. "Some of these guys are in their late teens, early 20s, it may be affecting them a little bit. Probably the speculation (of), where does their future lie as well?" Two nights after helping steer NSW to a famous State of Origin triumph, veteran James Maloney backed up to lead the Penrith to a sixth straight win. The Blues playmaker set up two tries for winger Brian To'o, who impressed the 10,317 home crowd with his acrobatics in the corner.
