Titans 28 Broncos 16

It took the Cowboys a decade to record their first win over the Broncos; last night the Titans did it in their first meeting to ensure the future of the NRL's newest rivalry in south-eastern Queensland.

Cheered on by the majority of the 47,686 crowd at Suncorp Stadium, the Gold Coast franchise stunned the premiers on their own turf to notch their third win in five matches.

Scoring five tries to three, the only downside to the Titans' emphatic victory was a sickening leg injury two minutes before full-time sustained by former St George Illawarra prop Michael Henderson, who only 20 minutes earlier was celebrating his first try in the Titans colours.

Crunched in a tackle by Brad Thorn and Greg Eastwood, Henderson could be heard via SportsEars screaming in agony as he was comforted by Gold Coast fitness guru Billy Johnstone.

The incident provided a sombre ending to what was one of the Titans' greatest wins - and one of Brisbane's worst recent performances.

Led by co-captain and man-of-the-match Scott Prince, Gold Coast stormed to a 22-6 lead after Henderson's 58th-minute try and were easily the better team.

Titans coach John Cartwright said: "It doesn't get much better than coming to the premiers' home ground and beating them. You just can't put a value on wins like that."

Prince added: "It's a new team, a new franchise, there's new friendships and with every win it brings us closer."

Justin Hodges grabbed Brisbane's second try four minutes later, and Brent Tate scored late on from the scrum win that followed Henderson being taken off on the medicab, but a 75th minute Anthony Laffranchi try had already secured the Titans' historic victory.

It was probably the first time the Broncos have had more boos than cheers as they ran onto Suncorp Stadium, a venue also being used by the Titans to host four matches. Titans games are unlikely to get any bigger than the NRL's latest local derby.

An indication of the atmosphere was referee Steve Clark telling his fellow match officials during the opening exchanges: "I'm having trouble hearing out here, boys."

For almost half-an-hour, the two teams sized each other up, each attempting to make it to the end of a set of six tackles and put a kick into the opposition's in-goal. Back and forth they went until Brisbane forward Dane Carlaw lost the ball in the ninth minute.

Gold Coast prop Luke Bailey produced one of the best "falcons" since Mario Fenech's infamous heading of the ball at the same ground while playing for South Queensland Crushers, when a pass from Preston Campbell bounced off Bailey's forehead in the 14th minute, but mostly it was the Broncos making mistakes.

Tonie Carroll knocked on 15 metres out from the try line, Tate put his foot over the sideline as he reached down to pick up the ball at dummy-half and was then unable to take a poor pass from Darren Lockyer that went over the sideline.

Lockyer made amends with a one-on-one strip on opposing five-eighth Matt Hilder from a 21st minute penalty against Carroll for a grapple tackle on Luke Swain but the Broncos were struggling to hold the Titans out, and in the 27th minute Mark Minichiello finally breached their try line.

Pushing off Hodges after being put into space by halfback Prince, Minichiello's try followed another Brisbane error, this time by winger Steve Michaels, who lost the ball in a tackle near his own line for Gold Coast hooker Nathan Friend to almost score.

Campbell converted to put the Titans ahead 6-0, and three minutes later Minichiello almost scored again after a Mat Rogers break down their left-hand touchline. The former South Sydney back-rower was pulled down just short of the try line by Tate but quick hands and a Prince cut-out pass put Brett Delaney over in the opposite corner.

A controversial call by touch judge Russell Turner, who ruled Hilder was outside the field of play when he batted Lockyer's kick for the restart from the try into the air and grabbed the ball, led to Karmichael Hunt crossing for the Broncos in the 32nd minute and they went to the half-time break trailing 12-6.

GOLD COAST 28 (B Delaney 2, M Henderson, A Laffranchi, M Minichiello tries; P Campbell 4 goals) bt BRISBANE 16 (J Hodges, K Hunt, B Tate tries; D Lockyer 2 goals) at Suncorp Stadium. Referee: S Clark. Crowd: 47,686.