Munster's kick from the sideline is no good. Full-Time - Storm 32 defeat Titans 14
WELCOME BACK YOUNG! - great scrum play and it was a great pass from Cooper Johns and Young Tonumaipea slides over in the corner to seal a comprehensive victory
Maybe not... Sosefo Fifita loses the ball
Kick goes out of play from the Storm - Titans will get the final say
PENALTY STORM - Titans in front of the kicker
Set restart Titans - ruck infringemenrt
One on One Strip Titans - Beau Fermor rips it out
Tino Fa'asuamaleaui loses it
Kaufusi loses it.
Tanah Boyd's pass was forward
David Nofoaluma knocks it out
PENALTY TITANS: Young Tonumaipea with a double movement
Peter Gough has NO TRY on double movement
Coates' pass was INTERCEPTED
Peter Gough starts NO TRY on the basis of David Nofoaluma being HELD UP
Unsuccessful after all that.
Titans gonna challenge this one...
Sosefo Fifita loses it
Munster converts and it's 28-14.
Munster splits them on the very next play. The Titans middle was cut to shreds as Munster gets past Jaimin Jolliffe and crosses for his third.
JOHNS... taken inches short
PENALTY STORM: "Big shove in the back" is the ref's wording
PENALTY STORM: Slow ruck
Wishart with the big tackle on Beau Fermor with the ball jolting free.
PENALTY TITANS: Marion Seve with the second effort
Kick goes dead - it's a seven tackle set.
Forward pass from Kenny Bromwich
Jayden Campbell taken in goal. Line dropout for the Storm
Big run from Smith!
Jojo Fifita takes that well.
Liu loses the ball.
Munster ball plants and he loses it
Coates forces it back in play but it's recovered by Greg Marzhew
PENALTY STORM: Hold down penalty
Kick goes dead from Tanah Boyd
PENALTY TITANS: Ball strip there
Kelly's pass goes to ROW Z! Such a shame for the Titans.
Boyd misses wide left.
Well I highlighted the short kicking game this week and they nail it. AJ Brimson puts it on the toe and Brian Kelly wins the race to the ball. Titans are back in this one.
Good kick from Boyd and they get another set
King loses the challenge
Captain's challenge from Melbourne - challenging the ruling of knock on
Off we go for the second 40. Update re: Hughes. His shoulder is getting looked at so Tyran Wishart will play at 7 (via Lara Pitt).
Melbourne 22 lead Gold Coast 10 at Half-Time
Kelly knocks it down
Set restart Storm - ruck infringement
Great grab David Nofoaluma
Late opportunity for the Titans
PENALTY TITANS: Carried on with that tackle for a good five seconds after Peter Gough called held
Looks as if Coates is OK
One problem cleared, now Xavier Coates goes down. Melbourne can't take a trick tonight
Looks like a shoulder problem for Hughes but he looks ok
Jahrome Hughes hurt in back-play
A successful conversion by Munster - 22-10 Storm
We just were reminded that the Titans can't tackle. Johns finds Munster and he shows and goes beating Fifita for speed and the Storm strike back.
Hand-over - Storm working it out in decent field position.
So Tino is coming off the ground following that hip-drop. Aaron Booth will not return
Boyd converts - 16-10 Storm lead.
Peter Gough is OVERRULED and Herman Ese'ese crashes over for the Titans
Peter Gough starting NO TRY for a double movement
Set restart Titans - ruck infringement
Brandon Smith is placed on report for a hip drop style tackle
Now Tino is hurt here
Boyd fails to convert - 16-4 Storm lead
Well, a much-needed four-pointer for the Titans sees Beau Fermor score. Great shape to the left sees Boyd find Fermor and he eventually got the ball to the ground and the Titans hit back.
PENALTY TITANS: Flop
Hughes kicks early but Jayden Campbell recovers
Munster from touch is successful - 16-0 Storm lead.
Big Kenny crashes his way over the stripe. Great shape out to this left hand side, Hughes, Grant and Johns all touched the footy there. Great pass from Johns and Kenny crashes over.
PENALTY STORM: Ruck infringement
Challenge successful - Brimson loses it
PENALTY TITANS: AJ Brimson taken off the ball... they're going to challenge
Six again for the Storm but Hughes didn't know... rookie mistakes
Great grab David Nofoaluma and he was in the clear... big chase from Sosefo Fifita
Bunker overturn - 7 tackle set for the Titans
Coates forces a goal-line dropout
Munster's conversion attempt is successful and it's 10-0
Titans are crying for obstruction but it'll be to no avail and the Storm grabs their second. Great kick from Hughes and Munster flys high to cross for the home side.
Seve puts it down in good ball territory
Extended stoppage as Aaron Booth is down hurt.
Cooper Johns is held-up. But the Storm are punching straight through the middle of them
PENALTY STORM: Tanah Boyd guilty of the second effort.
That was a bizzare kickoff and the Storm somehow maintain possession.
Munster hooks it wide right - 4-0 Storm
The defence was MIA from the Titans, Seve steamrolled his way past the edge defence on the previous tackle. On the ensuing play, Harry Grant delivers a wonderful ball to Xavier Coates and in his first game back from injury he scores first.
Hughes takes the kick easily and was ankle tapped by Brimson, saves a run away effort
Correction - it was a one on one strip lost forward by Melbourne. Didn't get who made the error.
The milestone man Clark tried to offload and he lost it
Big try saver from Jojo Fifita and he saves a try.
Peter Gough starting NO TRY saying David Nofoaluma has lost it over the sideline
They're going to start goal line dropout here - good take from Xavier Coates who offloaded and it was lost by the Titans.
Peter Gough rules Tui Kamikamica was HELD UP - oh so close.
Melbourne winning the field position battle early here.
Few key milestones tonight, the Bromwich bros become the first brothers to play 500 combined games for the one club, Erin Clark brings up game 50 and Jahrome Hughes brings up 100 NRL games
Both sides get through their opening sets.
Peter Gough is the man in charge for this one and we're off and running on Friday Night Footy!
Friday Night Footy kicks off in Melbourne for the clash between the Melbourne Storm and the Gold Coast Titans. For the home side, this match is of vital importance for the race for the top 4. For the visitors it's a match that's seemingly impossible to win, they've only won once at AAMI Park and a win gets them off the bottom of the ladder (result on Sunday pending). On the team front, Melbourne's back 5 is completely different to what you saw in The Front Row, Cam Munster to FB with Tyran Wishart going to the bench, Xavier Coates is recalled to wing with Dean Ieremia dropping to 18th man, Cooper Johns moves to 5/8. Tui Kamikamica starts at lock with Josh King on the bench. For the visitors, Greg Marzhew starts on the wing in place of Patrick Herbert with Sam Mcintyre joining the bench. Kickoff at 6pm.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Peter Gough
Touch Judges: Phil Henderson, Belinda Sharpe
Video Referee: Adam Gee
MELBOURNE STORM (32)
Tries: Xavier Coates, Cameron Munster (3), Kenny Bromwich, Young Tonumaipea
Conversions: Cameron Munster (4/6)
GOLD COAST TITANS (14)
Tries: Beau Fermor, Herman Ese'ese, Brian Kelly
Conversions: Tanah Boyd (1/3)