The Gold Coast Titans delivered a stunning 28-8 upset over the Manly Sea Eagles at Robina Stadium on Friday night, despite being severely depleted by injuries and Origin absences.
Facing a near full-strength Manly side that welcomed back stars Tom Trbojevic, Daly Cherry-Evans, and Jason Saab, the Titans defied expectations with a four-try blitz in the first half, including two from Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who became the joint-fastest to 50 NRL tries.
While Reuben Garrick scored twice for the Sea Eagles, they were held scoreless in the second half, with Chris Randall sealing the win in the 69th minute.
Titans fullback AJ Brimson was electric with 260 metres and two line breaks, while overlooked Maroons hopeful Beau Fermor impressed with 156 metres and four tackle breaks.
Manly’s performance was marred further by a dislocated shoulder to Haumole Olakau’atu. The victory marks just the fourth win of the season for the Titans, snapping a poor run and giving them hope of building momentum.
