Moeaki Fotuaika remains "confident" the Titans can be the only Queensland team to make the 2021 finals but knows they must quickly address their wild form swings.
Gold Coast are in 10th place - two points outside the top eight - with six matches in hand and a relatively favourable run home.
While they face the red-hot Rabbitohs (round 22) and first-placed Storm (round 23), the Titans have four winnable fixtures against teams ranked below them, starting with the Bulldogs on Sunday.
If Justin Holbrook's side can triumph in those games, it could be enough to sneak into the play-offs for the first time since 2016.
However, considering the Gold Coast haven't won back-to-back matches since round three, it's easier said than done.
After thrashing the Dragons last week, they now have an opportunity to make it two straight and gain crucial momentum.
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North Queensland (14 points, one win behind the Titans) are still an outside hope of finishing in the top eight while Brisbane (10 points) can hypothetically get there but will need a miracle.
But there's little chance of two Sunshine State clubs playing past the first week of September when the regular season concludes.
"I'm pretty confident that we can play in the finals," said Fotuaika, who isn't looking too far ahead.
"We really haven't been consistent throughout the year, so that's probably the main thing for us."
He added that "it's definitely a motivation for all of us in the team. We all want to try and play finals footy.
"But ... hopefully we can just be consistent with our games and hopefully we can play some finals footy at the end."
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A shining light for the Maroons in their 2-1 series loss, the 21-year-old prop's "energy levels are high" after the Origin period.
Following standout efforts off Queensland's bench - averaging 100 metres per match - Fotuaika is keen to kick on at club level.
"I've taken a lot of confidence out of the Origin campaign and I'm just trying to bring it back here to the Titans," he said.
"Just being around that professional environment, you definitely learn a lot as well as learning off the great players in that team.
"I've got niggling injuries with my shoulder and my knee, but it's all pretty good. I've just got to stay on top of it with the recovery, making good choices with sleeping and drinking a lot of water and resting."
Meanwhile, outside back Esan Marsters feels like he is "debuting again" as he prepares for his first NRL game in six weeks.
Having played four matches for Gold Coast after a mid-season move from the Cowboys, Marsters was then dropped.
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The six-time New Zealand international's recall has come with incumbent centre Patrick Herbert suspended for one match.
"We're not playing [reserve grade] games, so we can't get the opportunity to show what you can do," Marsters said.
"But I think you can still go out there and train as best you can. I've had good training sessions in the past couple of weeks.
"I just miss playing footy and to go out and play this game this weekend is going to be pretty cool ... I'm pretty nervous but I know I've been there before I know I can get back to the best footy I can."
