The Tigers may have discovered some resolve, but it was the same old heartbreak with Jarome Luai on report and the club nursing key injuries from a 26-24 loss to the Warriors on Sunday night.
A stunning 70-metre runaway try by rookie Warriors back-rower Leka Halasima triggered a late jailbreak by the visitors in what proved a tit-for-tat thriller at Campbelltown.
The Tigers can take plenty of comfort from their numerous fightbacks, though the tense defeat will gall too.
From 24-apiece with nine minutes to play, a high shot on Charnz Nicoll-Klokstad by Alex Seyfarth gave Luke Metcalf a 40-metre shot at a penalty goal. He nailed it.
And as the Tigers scrambled and tried for miracle plays to pinch back the win they seemed to have in their keeping, nothing went right. Kicks went into touch, last passes weren’t thrown and Benji Marshall could only grit his teeth on the sideline.
Marshall could well be counting the cost for some time too after Luai battled with a shoulder injury for much of the closing stages.
Warriors players celebrate their win over Wests Tigers.Credit: Getty Images
It will be a nervous wait for the $1.25 million halfback after he was put on report, but not sin-binned, for direct contact to the head of Warriors winger Ed Kosi early in the second half.
Adam Doueihi’s latest injury – a groin issue that ruled him out moments before kick-off – is cause for concern too.
As is the sight of Samuela Fainu, the Tigers’ player of the year last season, limping midway through the first half with a knee injury that ended his night.
Luai’s hit on Kosi and the lack of immediate punishment perplexed. Referee Wyatt Raymond put Luai on report but didn’t sit him down as has been the case with most all direct head highs since the 2021 Magic Round.
Fonua Pole scores for Wests Tigers.Credit: Getty Images
The Tigers take on high-flyers Brisbane on Saturday and could be without their marquee man. That will be one hell of a test given he impressed most with his defence.
Not least when he tangled with old Panthers’ teammate James Fisher-Harris on one tackle, then forced an error on the next.
For a team that’s leaked 29 points a game for the past three years, star front-row recruit Terrell May somehow holding up Bunty Afoa over his try line was a sight for the sorest eyes in the game.
That it was followed in the next set by Solomone Faataape swooping onto a Lachlan Galvin grubber, just fruit for the sideboard.
When Latu Fainu strolled through soon after, the Campbelltown crowd were in full voice as an 18-12 deficit was now a six-point advantage to their boys.
They were never exactly comfortable though, and in the end, rightly so. It was still the Tigers. And among a phenomenal 80-minute effort up front, May did drop a deserved try over the line.
Jahream Bula was called back for a 67th-minute try too, for Starford To’a’s obstruction line.
And that was the tale of a game in which the Warriors led three different times in the first 45 minutes.
The Tigers fought back each time to reclaim the lead, until the last, when they just couldn’t again mow the Warriors down. And despite all the obvious improvements in Tiger Town, that was the one that mattered most.
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Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.
