Storm blow Titans away 50-6
Melbourne have finished the NRL regular season in style by crushing the Gold Coast Titans 50-6 in their final round match at Olympic Park.
The Storm had already wrapped up the minor premiership, for the second successive year, and were presented with the JJ Giltinan Shield after the match, but they played like their season was on the line.
While they allowed themselves a smile or two as they collected the trophy in front of their adoring home crowd, all celebrations were kept on ice with their opening final against last year's NRL champions Brisbane next Sunday.
Going on this form, the Broncos could be in for an even worse hiding than they got from Parramatta who steam-rolled them 68-22.
The win also meant Melbourne finished the home and away season unbeaten at home, having won 29 of their last 30 matches at the venue they aptly call "The Graveyard", while barnstorming 18-year-old Israel Folau set a new club tryscoring record as he posted his 21st for the season in the 64th minute.
It was a miserable end for the Gold Coast in their debut season with the loss dropping them down the NRL table from 10th to 12th.
The bulk of the damage was done in the first half as the home side ran in five unanswered tries, with in-form halfback Cooper Cronk having a hand in each, as well as scoring his own.
The first came five minutes into the match when Cronk combined with backrower Ryan Hoffman who charged through some flimsy defence.
Winger Steve Turner, playing just two weeks after knee surgery, and then Cronk crossed for the Storm to rocket them to a 16-0 lead 14 minutes into the match.
Anthony Quinn and Matt King then added to the tally, with King's try coming in the final minute after dual international Mat Rogers, who had an unhappy match at fullback, dropped a kick just metres from Melbourne's tryline.
Cronk delivered the ball to King from the scrum and he scooted across unhindered for a 28-0 halftime lead.
Classy five-eighth Greg Inglis got in on the act 11 minutes into the second half when he chipped through and then regathered to plant the ball under the posts.
The Titans' only try of the night was scored by Mark Minichiello off a Preston Campbell before Folau and fullback Billy Slater closed out the scoring for the home team.
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