The Titans suffered a 24-16 loss to the Storm at AAMI Park in Round 23 last season, but it was the costly injuries to Luke Bailey and Ashley Harrison which were the major talking points after the match.
With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the Gold Coast’s key forwards lasted just nine and 18 minutes respectively as their weakened line-up conceded four tries to three and let a 10-0 half-time lead slip through their fingers.
Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk both scored tried within just six minutes of the start of the second half, before further tries to Ryan Hoffman and Gareth Widdop secured a victory that consolidated a top-two finish for the Storm and kept the Titans two wins outside the top eight.
The night, however, was best remembered as one of history for the Storm – 19-year-old winger Mahe Fonua becoming the first Melbourne-born-and-bred player to debut for the Victorians in the NRL.