The Melbourne Storm have confirmed they will play their second pre-season challenge match of 2026 against the Gold Coast Titans on the Sunshine Coast.
QLD Cup club the Sunshine Coast Falcons and Melbourne Storm had a long-term feeder partnership, and while that has now come to an end, the Storm still have close ties with the region where they were based for much of 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-impacted seasons.
The Storm haven't played on the Sunshine Coast in any capacity since 2021, but will now take their trial against the Gold Coast on Saturday, February 21 to the Queensland city.
“We're excited to be returning to the Sunshine Coast, a region we have traditionally had a strong connection with for our final pre-season game for 2026,” Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski said in a statement confirming the news.
“We have incredible memories from our time there and always have fantastic support. We're looking forward to giving our members and fans in Queensland the chance to see the team up close before the season kicks off.”
The Storm have also confirmed they will perform community outreach programs, basing themselves in the region during the week ahead of the game.
Melbourne have long secured players out of Queensland, but that has become trickier in recent seasons with the addition of the Dolphins to the NRL, who have aimed to claim the northern side of Brisbane for themselves, while the Broncos and Titans have also spread their reach around south east Queensland.
That has led to the Storm fast-tracking their own development, with the club having their own youth teams across all age groups, as well as reserve grade, heading into 2026.
Kick-off on February 21 at the Sunshine Coast Stadium is set for 7:10pm (local) - 8:10pm (AEST).
Both clubs play one game prior to the clash on the Sunshine Coast, with the Titans to play the Dolphins in Redcliffe on Thursday, February 12, and the Storm to head to Queanbeyan where they will play the Canberra Raiders on February 13.
The Storm then open their season proper with the first game on Australian soil for 2026 against the Parramatta Eels on March 5, while the Titans face the Cronulla Sharks away from home in Round 1 on Saturday, March 7.
