The Dragons were in command of a largely dour affair until the Titans turned on two tries in the final four minutes to steal the win and slam the door shut on the red v's finals hopes.

It resigned the Dragons faithful to another season without finals action and leaves interim coach Dean Young with a huge task to get his side up for the final month of the competition without a post-season incentive.

They'll take on the Cowboys in Townsville this weekend ahead of a tough final stretch against the Raiders, Knights and Storm. Host insists the Dragons still have plenty to play for, but Friday's defeat will be a hard one to get past.

"It's a real tough one to swallow, we threw everything we could at the Titans and they just seemed to have an answer for everything," Host said.

"It was just that five-minute period where they went back to back tries and got the win from us. We work hard during the week and prepare well so to just let it slip at the end there's pretty heartbreaking.

"It's hard to put a finger on [why], it's just switching off in periods of the game and it's really hurt us a lot this year. We've had a lot of close games we've lost, all the way back to rounds one and two, where we've fallen asleep in periods of the game where we shouldn't have.

"It's something we've been working really hard to try and fix but [lapses] just got us again. It's pretty devastating."

The final month shapes as a crucial one for Young as he presses a case for the long-term head coaching role, with the club board expected to settle on Paul McGregor's successor before the season's out.

Craig Fitzgibbon looms as the first-choice candidate but the improbability of prying him away from the Roosters has made Anthony Griffin the front-runner.

Young also remains a genuine candidate and Host will be more than happy for him stay on permanently after producing his best two performances of the season in his former NYC mentor's first fortnight in charge.

"Deano's given me a direction to head in and put a lot of faith in me so I'm trying to return that favour," Host said.

"I've known Deano for a long time, he know what I bring to the team and he's focusing on what players do bring more than what they don't. It's good to get that trust and he's building a lot of confidence in me.

"I played 80 [minutes] last week, just under 70 this week so it's good to have a bigger role in the team. It's good to build a bit of momentum later in the season and set myself up for whatever happens next year."

The return to form is a timely one for the off-contract 25-year-old - who will escape suspension with an early guilty plea to a dangerous contact charge for a late shot on Tyrone Peachey in Friday's defeat - having drifted in and out of the top grade since debuting in 2016.

"Nothing's sorted yet, I just leave it with my manager, I just play football," he said.

"Opportunity is what players want and I'm at a period of my career where I've played a fair bit of first grade but haven't really been there for a whole season.

"I'm trying to put my best foot forward, play my best football and just see what happens."