Luke Brooks has sparked Wests Tigers to an 18-16 win over Melbourne in an NRL trial match at Sunshine Coast Stadium in Queensland.
While the club didn't name a captain for the clash on Saturday, former skipper Robbie Farah led the team down the tunnel and was present at the toss in the absence of recently-appointed captain Aaron Woods.
Farah played 30 minutes before being replaced by rising hooker Manaia Cherrington.
With Brooks set to miss their season-opener due to suspension, Tigers coach Jason Taylor went with likely starter Jack Littlejohn in the halves alongside Mitchell Moses.
But, faced with a 16-8 deficit at halftime, the introduction of Brooks, as well as a second-half shutout of a Storm unit missing the `Big Three', helped the Tigers score an impressive win in Caloundra.
Brooks set up new recruit Josh Addo-Carr for his second try early in the second half before David Nofoaluma levelled the scores in the 71st minute.
Former Gold Coast prodigy Jordan Rankin, who is considered to start on the wing and replace the goalkicking boots of Pat Richards, stole the victory with a sideline conversion.
The Tigers raced to an 8-0 lead early through tries to Addo-Carr and Michael Chee Kam.
However the Storm hit back with three straight tries, first to Nelson Asofa-Solomona and then newcomers Jeremy Hawkins and Curtis Scott, to hold the advantage at the break.
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