The Gold Coast. Fine to visit for a weekend, but not for much longer than that. If the rumours ever come true about Disney setting up a theme park in Victoria, then what purpose does the Gold Coast serve. If only the famous reputation of the place being “where sort goes to die” had actually killed the Commonwealth Games.1
Recently Fox League had a countdown of what they referred to as the “150 greatest NRL (regular season) games” and clocking in at number 32 was this terrible game.
S20E10 – Melbourne Storm vs Gold Coast Titans
2017 was the third year that the extremely wealthy club owners had sold out Victorian members and fans by only playing 11 games in Melbourne,2 and for the second straight season home ground advantage was given over to a Queensland team at Suncorp Stadium. This time it was the Gold Coast Titans spared a trip to Melbourne3 as part of a double header.
Melbourne entered the match two games clear on top of the ladder with only one loss for the season, meanwhile the Gold Coast had just won their third match, thrashing the hapless Knights 38–8.
It was Indigenous Round and Melbourne wore fetching horrible orange jerseys with blue numbers.4
Missing Jesse Bromwich,5 Melbourne were bolstered by the return of Tohu Harris from a broken foot, for his first game of the year.
The Gold Coast would miss an early penalty goal shot, but would still open the scoring with the video referee taking an age to confirm a try to Ryan James despite James being offside and within the ten metres of an attacking kick.
A piece of Munster magic which put Tohu Harris through the line down the left edge, saw Billy Slater’s converted try level the scores after 20 minutes. Melbourne would soon hit the lead at 12–6 after a Smith-Slater-Cronk special.
The left channel would provide another try with Cronk finishing another brilliant movement which saw Munster send Tim Glasby into open space. At 18–6 Melbourne’s goal line defence cracked and Nathan Peats put Leivaha Pulu over the line under the posts. In what was fast becoming a tryfest, Anthony Don scored out wide to send the teams to half time with Melbourne up 18–16.
Another try set up by Nathan Peats, this time with a little grubber to Konrad Hurrell put the Titans up as Melbourne’s defence looked shaky. Gold Coast scored their fourth straight try to go out to a 28–18 lead and Melbourne were in deep trouble despite a mounting injury toll for the Titans.
Some field possession had Melbourne putting pressure on the Gold Coast line and Will Chambers found the hole to bring the margin back to four points. Melbourne would regain the lead in the 67th minute after Suliasi Vunivalu caught a towering bomb and offloaded for Joe Stimson to score his first career try untouched. On the very next set Cheyse Blair would score in the corner, Cameron Smith added the extras and at 36–28 with nine minutes to go it was game over… right?
Umm no. Tyrone Roberts latched into an Ash Taylor grubber to make it 36–34 in the 75th minute, then a moment of brilliance from Anthony Don and Konrad Hurrell put the Titans up with a minute left. Anthony Don fielded the high and short kick off and it was all over. Melbourne equalling the highest losing score in competition history.
Bellyache was fuming:
We didn't control the ball again and I thought our defence was really poor.
We pride ourselves on defence at our club and I can't remember a poorer defensive effort than what we put up tonight. It's a real low for me.
You don't want to go out there and defend like the way we did. To score 36 points and still lose just isn't on.
At the end of the day [the attitude isn't right]. I was particularly disappointed with our defensive effort.
Melbourne’s defence did tighten up in 2017, conceding four or less tries in every match through to the Grand Final, and only losing the two matches where the opposition scored four tries.6
Melbourne – 36 (Cronk 21’, 26’, Slater 18’, Chambers 63’, Stimson 66’, Blair 69’ tries; Smith 6/6 goals)
Gold Coast – 38 (Hurrell 44’, 77’, James 15’, Pulu 32’, Don 36’, McQueen 54’, Roberts 73’ tries; Elgey 5/7, Taylor 0/1 goals)
Stat pack
Melbourne have previously played three games on 18 March winning in 2000 against Parramatta, but losing to the Wests Tigers in 2001 and Parramatta in 2021.
Melbourne are on a seven game winning streak on the Gold Coast, having won five straight against the Titans and two against other opponents during the dark times in 2021. Gold Coast last defeated Melbourne in 2013 when the NRL always seemed to schedule a game there during the midseason exhibition series.7
Melbourne have won eight straight against the Gold Coast, with the Titans last win being the game featured above.
Melbourne average 28.28 points in games against the Gold Coast, the club’s highest average against active opponents.
In the only match between Melbourne and the Gold Coast Chargers, Melbourne won 62–6, which was the club’s highest score and biggest winning margin back in the club’s inaugural season.
Team line-up
Nick Meaney
Will Warbick
Remis Smith
Justin Olam
Xavier Coates
Tyran Wishart
Jahrome Hughes
Tui Kamikamica
Harry Grant
Christian Welch ©
Trent Loiero
Elisa Katoa
Josh King
Jonah Pezet (NRL debut)
Alec MacDonald
Tariq Sims (Storm debut)
Jordan Grant
Grant Anderson
Aaron PeneYoung TonumaipeaBronson Garlick
Kane Bradley
Preview
Team list Tuesday brought news of three possible returns from injury, with Justin Olam and Xavier Coates named in the backline, and Tui Kamikamika coming back into the forward pack to offset the loss of Nelson Asofa-Solomona. Hopefully all three or at least one of these three will actually take the field on Saturday afternoon.
On the bench the Pezet era might be about to commence with Jonah Pezet set to make his NRL debut. Will the hype be justified? Pezet certainly brings a lot of potential to the team and if used well, I hope his NRL debut is the start of a long career.8
Tariq Sims has also been named to come off the bench for his Storm debut. Sims could be a good signing if he can stay on the field, but it hasn’t been a stellar start in that regard.
UPDATE: Pezet and Sims are both in the final squad and named to play, while Bronson Garlick has maintained his bench role ahead of Jordan Grant. Coates, Olam and Kamikamica all are named, although Anderson will travel as cover.
Looking at the Titans Duds, former Storm young gun Tino Fa’asuamaleaui has been joined by little brother Iszac. Joe Stimson has also made the trek to the coast after his time was up at the Bulldogs last year. Melbourne will need to look out for the pace of the Titans little men, with experienced playmaker Kieran Foran now in charge of the Gold Coast attack.
With both teams missing tackles like they’re going out of fashion, perhaps a high-scoring dual might be in order rather than a defensive stalemate. Or they both could splutter and drop the ball in a knock-on-athon.9
The reshuffle certainly makes the team look better on paper, however with the injury report still looking dire, Melbourne go into a second straight game looking vulnerable. Lightning won’t strike twice will it?
But I digress. Although some fancy new facilities being built in Victoria over the next few years might be a good thing.
The Titans have won twice in Melbourne from 11 matches – the S12E04 extremely negative rugby league stylings in the upset at Olympic Park in 2009, and the S17E05 win at AAMI Park in 2014 a week after Melbourne lost to Canterbury (oh oh) in Perth.
Thankfully the Indigenous jerseys from 2018 onwards have been more in keeping with the club’s colour palette, and all have been an improvement on the 2012-2017 iterations.
Both games during the midseason exhibition series: S20E16 – the 25–24 loss to the Roosters in Adelaide; S20E18 – the 22–6 loss to Parramatta.
Seriously, two of Melbourne’s three losses at Robina have been in June, with the other coming in April 2010 just before everything went pear-shaped.
Hopefully in Melbourne.
It really could go either way 30–28 or 14–6. Uncertainty is back in vogue!