The sin-binning of Kenny Bromwich and a dramatically reshuffled backline could not stop Melbourne thrashing the Titans 38-0 in their NRL clash on the Gold Coast on Sunday.

Fijian flyer Suliasi Vunivalu and Cooper Cronk bagged two tries each at a wet Cbus Stadium, with the Storm (7-2 record) now having racked up an 80-0 points differential in two games in six days.

Melbourne lost plenty of try scoring firepower when Young Tonumaipea (knee), Marika Koroibete (ankle) and Richard Kennar (foot) succumbed to injuries sustained in their 42-0 ANZAC Day win over the Warriors.

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Yet the Storm were still able to run in seven unanswered tries to relegate Gold Coast to their fifth straight loss.

It marked the first time the Titans had been held scoreless at home in their history.

It was just short of Melbourne’s biggest win over the Gold Coast – a 50-6 blowout in 2007, the Titans’ foundation year.

Bromwich was marched when he threw a punch in a second-half melee that broke out after the Storm bench forward hit Titans playmaker Amos Roberts late.

A 12-man Melbourne still crossed with Bromwich on the sidelines when halfback Cronk crossed for his second try in the 59th minute after a Cameron Munster bust.

Worryingly it was the second time since round 20 last year that the Titans (3-6 record) had slumped to a fifth straight loss.

It was a rare blowout for the Titans who had lost their last four games by eight points or lost.

At one stage the Storm scored three tries in nine minutes to take a 20-0 halftime lead.

The Titans were buoyed by the return of halfback Ash Taylor (rib) and winger Nathan Davis (shoulder) from injury but were still unable to fire a shot against a methodical Storm which celebrated coach Craig Bellamy’s 350th NRL game with the reins.

Sharks beat Broncos for six in a row

Cronulla have won six straight matches for the first time since 2012 and moved top of the NRL ladder courtesy of a 30-28 win over Brisbane.

The Sharks led 28-6 at the break after dominating the first half.

But the Broncos came storming back after the break to draw within two points before the home side held out for a deserved win at Shark Park on Sunday before 14,406 fans.

Led ably by skipper Paul Gallen and well supported by James Maloney and Chad Townsend, Cronulla join the Broncos, North Queensland and Melbourne atop the NRL ladder after nine rounds.

The loss was the Broncos’ first in seven games.

Warriors’ NRL win brings relief and pride

Warriors coach Andrew McFadden has come through a bruising week with a mix of relief and pride after his understrength side lifted for a 26-10 NRL win over St George Illawarra.

The home side had 10 players unavailable through either injury or being dumped to reserve grade for breaking team protocol after a night out in Melbourne at the start of the week.

That followed their limp 42-0 defeat to the Storm on Monday and facing opponents they had lost to in their previous 11 meetings.

But a team stacked with fringe players, given a big cheer by the 12,752 crowd when they ran out, showed plenty of endeavour in a win that lifts the Warriors up to 10th.

“Relief is a big one,” McFadden said of his post-match emotions on Sunday.

“It’s been a big week and probably not many people understand how big a week that was for the players and how much pressure they were under but I’m very proud.”