A Mitchell Pearce field goal with 20 seconds to play secured the Knights their place in the finals with a 15-14 win over the Titans at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
With Kalyn Ponga and Pearce at their inspirational best the Knights climbed to 26 competition points to ensure they will finish seventh for the second consecutive season.
In the early going it was the ninth-placed Titans who had the ascendancy with Phillip Sami crossing after just five minutes courtesy of a Beau Fermor line break.
Seven minutes later Jamal Fogarty landed a penalty goal to make it 6-0 and the Titans looked good but that’s when Ponga stamped his class on the match.
The Knights skipper shifted from the right-hand side to the left and charged onto a pass from dummy half Jayden Brailey before splitting two defenders to score.
Having drawn level the Knights then shot themselves in the foot with mistakes by Josh King and Hymel Hunt gifting the Titans a chance to wrest back the lead.
After being held back for the first 32 minutes, David Fifita had immediate impact when Justin Holbrook put him on, leaving three defenders in his wake as he crossed for his 15th try of the season.
The Titans held onto their lead until the 61st minute when Ponga took the ball at speed 10 metres out and delivered a perfect pass for Mitchell Pearce to score.
With the game in the balance at 12-12 it was the Knights who edged by two in the 71st minute when Pearce was tackled late by Jarrod Wallace and Jake Clifford nailed the penalty goal.
Four minutes later the Titans were level again when Jayden Campbell was taken high and Jamal Fogarty landed the penalty shot.
A missed field goal shot by Titans centre Patrick Herbert with two minutes to play handed the Knights a seven-tackle set and after Clifford had his field goal charged down it was Pearce who stepped up to ice the win.
Story first published on NRL.com