It’s taken only five games for the Wests Tigers to develop a cutting edge.
Their right edge, to be precise, where Sunia Turuva and Starford To’a are quietly racking up a try tally to rival the best finishers in the NRL.
After both scored in Sunday’s 20-4 victory against the Knights in Newcastle, that took their collective haul this season to 12 tries – seven from Turuva and five from To’a.
No other centre-wing combination in the NRL has produced more tries this year, although Brisbane duo Jesse Arthurs (eight tries) and Gehamat Shibasaki (four) have also delivered a dozen between them.
It’s a far cry from last year, when the Tigers scored only 82 tries across the entire season in while collecting a third successive wooden spoon.
While Turuva’s output should be no surprise, having scored 30 tries in his three seasons at Penrith, the form of the largely unheralded To’a has been a revelation.
Starford To’a got the better of Newcastle counterpart Bradman Best on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
When To’a left Bradman Best clutching at thin air on Sunday, after a burst of speed and a swerve, spectators could have been forgiven for mistaking who was the State of Origin centre, and who was the quiet achiever still trying to establish himself as a first-grader.
At 24, To’a has appeared in 67 NRL games – 20 for Newcastle and 47 for the Tigers – since debuting in 2019, and coach Benji Marshall believes the Tongan international is ready to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2024 when he made only three appearances.
“I’ve got a lot of belief in Starford,” Marshall said.
“I’ve seen things from Starford that a lot of centres can’t do, both in attack and defence.
“Injury-free, Starford is a different guy, and we’re really proud of what he’s doing for us, and he’s improving each week, and getting more match fitness in.
“The sky’s the limit for him, honestly. He’s just sort of scratching the surface.”
As well as his own try on Sunday, To’a threw the final pass for Turuva’s – one of four try assists he has produced in five games this season – while also carrying the ball 121 metres in attack and making 14 tackles, with only one miss.
His stats would have been even better if not for a confrontation with Dane Gagai that cost both players 10 minutes in the sin bin.
While Marshall is delighted with how his right edge is developing, he felt the Tigers should have piled more points on a depleted Newcastle team that is clearly struggling for confidence.
“I thought our attack was average, if I’m being honest,” Marshall said.
Sunia Turuva has delivered seven tries since joining the Tigers.Credit: Getty Images
“We had a lot of possession, in their half and inside their 20, that we probably should have capitalised on a bit more.
“In saying that, we’re still building on who we are in attack, trying to find out what works best for all of us.
“Our new spine have played only three games together. That’s probably going to take a bit of time, but still, I think we could have been better.”
Marshall has no such complaints about the Tigers’ defence. After six games, they have conceded 110 points, the sixth-best “against” statistic in the NRL.
“I feel like we’re on a bit of a trajectory where we’re still learning who we are, but one thing that has been consistent – bar 20 minutes last week [in a 46-24 loss to Brisbane] – is defensively our resolve and effort that we’re putting in for each other,” he said.
“That’s what wins games … our challenge is to go and do it again next week.”
Turuva and To’a will fancy their chances at Accor Stadium on Easter Monday, when the Tigers clash with Parramatta for the second time this year.
The Eels are the worst defensive team this year in the NRL, having conceded 202 points at an average of 33.6 per game. The Tigers outgunned them 32-6 in round two, with Turuva posting a hat-trick and To’a also scoring.
That was their first game in tandem, and logic suggests they should continue to improve the longer they play alongside each other.
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