Injured Gold Coast Titans skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is confident his side's record-breaking victory over the Warriors is the turning point in their season.
The Titans claimed a piece of NRL history in their 66-6 win, equalling the biggest victory by a team running last across the 114-year history of top-flight rugby league in Australia.
The 60-point winning margin matched the Melbourne Storm's 70-10 victory over the St George Illawarra Dragons in round five 2000.
The Storm went on to play finals football that season, with the win triggering a surge up the ladder.
With the bye this week, the Gold Coast are guaranteed another two points and have the chance to narrow the gap with the top eight. While they currently sit in 15th, the Titans are just six points behind eighth-placed Cowboys and a late-season surge could see them play feature in September.
Match: Titans v Warriors
Round 16 -
home Team
Titans
15th Position
away Team
Warriors
12th Position
Venue: Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
"It was good to get a win for our club, especially after the last two weeks where we probably underperformed big time," Fa'asuamaleaui said. "It was good the boys got the two points and it was a convincing one too.
"We will build confidence from that for sure. Hopefully we keep building from it. We will take the win now but we have got to back it up the next two weeks."
Jayden Campbell's record-setting performance
The win over the Warriors was soured by a hand injury to five-eighth Jayden Campbell, who scored 26 points after kicking 11 goals and crossing for a try.
It was a record points haul for an individual in Gold Coast Titans history and 66 points was the most the team has scored in a single game since their formation in 2008.
Campbell has been sent for scans, with the club awaiting the results.
Titans skipper Kieran Foran said he could sense a response from his side after a disappointing Round 15 loss to the Wests Tigers and hopes it is a sign of what's to come throughout the second half of the season.
"It was good to enjoy a win like that," Foran said. "The club really needed it. The boys have been through a couple of tough losses back to back and haven't performed as well as we'd have liked.
"We had a really good week of training and I could feel a performance like that coming."
Titans v Warriors – Round 16, 2024
The Titans have battled a heavy injury toll throughout the season with Fa'asuamaleaui headlining an overflowing casualty ward.
AJ Brimson, Jojo Fifita, Tony Francis, Klese Haas and Harley Smith-Shields are in the mix to be available for their Round 18 clash with the Sharks in a major boost for coach Des Hasley.
Fa'asuamaleaui, however, will not play again this season after tearing his ACL in Round Three.
It's been a challenging recovery process, but the Queensland and Australian representative has had plenty of support from some familiar, and not so familiar, faces.
Former Maroons teammate Christian Welch and Wallabies star Angus Bell were among the people to reach out and provide Fa'asuamaleaui with confidence he will be back to his explosive best next season.
"I am backing myself," he said. "I get to work on my body the next 10 months and I have never had that before.
"I am only still young at 24. I am still raw in the gym and I get to really explode in that area for the next 10 months. I feel like I am going to be bigger and better. It is exciting. I am confident I can get back to my best."
