Don't look now Tigers fans, but the Spoon Off awaits. That dreaded clash still two months from the end of the regular season where the winner has a better chance of avoiding the inanimate wooden utensil the butt of many a sporting joke.
So bring on Newcastle, hey. If they can't beat the third-from-bottom side, they can try their luck with the second-from-bottom.
![Try time: Jarryd Hayne goes over to score.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170627035716im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/x/m/s/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwxkuw.png/1498229164863.jpg)
Which is basically the Tigers' lot for the rest of 2017. They don't lack effort. Let that be known. But effort only gets you so far sometimes.
And even when you have the premiers on the rack like they did a week ago, trying hard doesn't win you too many games. Class does. Which sadly they don't have much of right now.
![Happy homecoming: Hayne starred at 'his house' once again.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170627035716im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/x/m/q/z/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwxkuw.png/1498229164863.jpg)
The Titans had enough of it. More than enough. Jarryd Hayne's pinky finger probably had more class than a few Tigers and Titans teammates combined.
And the fact he brought it to one of the most uninspiring nights of the NRL season, two days after a State of Origin letdown in front just 6891 diehards on a freezing night ... that was impressive.
Hayne took over His House again, leading the Titans to a 26-14 win over the Tigers at Campbelltown Sports Ground on Friday night.
He didn't need a last-gasp field goal this time, just a few public lashings in the paper in the wake of his Origin II antics and a couple of classy touches to kill off the cellar-dwelling hosts.
He scored twice and laid on another in a 10-minute second half blitz. It was more than enough. And some think he should be the fall guy for Origin III? NSW don't dare.
Hayne helping the Titans out of a mid-season slumber was about the only normality in primetime. Strange stuff usually happens during Origin time. And strange stuff happens to Origin players.
Of the four bruised Blues who could have backed up, only James Tedesco didn't.
The other three? Aaron Woods kept lumbering through an entire first half and flopped on loose balls when his body would have been screaming for a rest - eventually granted after 64 straight minutes - Hayne tore up the trick shot manual and wore a few hits for good measure and Nathan Peats started kicking from dummy-half.
And while some of it was weird, a lot of it was woeful too. A 14th v 16th clash on a greasy night, it was always going to be that way.
But the Titans - more specifically Hayne - only needed a short burst to put it to bed. The one-time NFL running back's silky hands sent Konrad Hurrell over for the second of his two tries before Hayne did it all himself for his own brace within four minutes. Game over.
Another local boy done good David Nofoaluma had a first half he won't forget in a hurry, bagging one try and throwing the final pass for another as the Titans shaded a wacky first 40 minutes.
Hayne may think he owns Campbelltown, Tedesco probably should, but no Tiger has scored more tries at the ground than Nofoaluma.
Rookie Esan Marsters bagged his first NRL try at the venue, but sharp responses from Hurrell and William Zillman powered the perpetually depleted Titans to a deserved first-half lead.
The Tigers roared back to be within two at the break, but it would be as close as they would get. Hayne had come to play. There was only going to be one result if he did.
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