The Sydney Roosters have sent an ominous warning to their NRL premiership rivals with a 58-6 demolition of Gold Coast in their first half-century since 1937 at the SCG.
Veteran winger Brett Morris recorded a hat-trick on Sunday, while star duo James Tedesco and Latrell Mitchell bagged try doubles.
Mitchell also kicked nine goals from 10 attempts for a 26-point haul.
The Roosters entered the clash minus Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Sio Siua Taukeiaho and co-captains Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner, but it mattered little as the defending premiers moved up to second spot.
Coach Trent Robinson said his team had begun to fire despite line-up disruptions in recent weeks.
“Two weeks ago, we had it,” Robinson said.
“I thought to do what we did to Newcastle who were in form (and) knocking on the top four, and what was it, 48-10? That was a good performance.
“And we’ve had guys in different positions whilst we’re trying to do that.
“If you looked at the team two weeks ago compared to today, it’s very different.
“We know how we want to play and the application to the task, but then also the freedom to play footy was there today.”
For the last-placed Titans, and soon-to-arrive coach Justin Holbrook, the 52-point margin fell two points shy of the club’s heaviest defeat.
Not even Ash Taylor’s anticipated return could lift them, with the troubled playmaker barely a factor.
Stand-in coach Craig Hodges said the final five games of the season might prove telling for a number of Titans players.
“The fear is that it is the habit that they allow for them individually, whether they stay here, whether they move onto other places,” Hodges said.
“And if that’s what they take out of this season, if that’s their legacy moving forward from this season, I think that’s a terrible tragedy.”
The visitors were in strife from the fifth minute when Tedesco strolled through untouched off an Angus Crichton offload, followed by a 12-minute exhibition from one of the game’s best finishers.
First was Morris being ready to collect after Joseph Manu’s tackle break and offload, becoming just the 12th player in premiership history to score 150 tries.
Second was Morris holding his width to take Tedesco’s cutout pass.
Morris completed his hat-trick in style, acrobatically pouncing on a Luke Keary chip destined to roll dead. He also notched three tries in February’s World Club Challenge.
The 32-year-old joins rugby league’s top-10 tryscorers on 152 alongside Harold Horder and Manu Vatuvei.
The procession continued in the second half, Tedesco finishing off a set play and Cooper Cronk notching his 100th career try, both assisted by Victor Radley.
Mitchell snuck over for his double in the final quarter, with Titans playmaker Ryley Jacks scoring a consolation try in between.
Further souring the defeat was a first-half hamstring injury to off-contract Titans fullback Michael Gordon.
