It was a dour affair at Campbelltown Stadium as the Wests Tigers were able to pinch an eight-point victory over the hapless Newcastle Knights.
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Neither team played well throughout the game, but that would help to explain their ladder positions coming into the match of 14th and 16th respectively.
Even though they lost, the Newcastle Knights would have been a lot happier with their performance, given the 62-0 smashing they were coming off at the hands of the Cronulla Sharks.
Having Trent Hodksinon back on the field helped big time, but the game was won in the forwards with creativity, and consequently points being limited and low throughout the match from both teams.
Errors marred the game, although a lack of direction in attack was frustrating close to the line. All the halves – Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses, Trent Hodkinson and Brock Lamb – struggled to create anything, and others failed to finish.
But where the halves couldn’t produce, the forwards did. For the Tigers, it was Aaron Woods and Elijah Taylor who led the way with Taylor playing almost like a third half. Woods had a stack of runs early in the game, including some offloads and had the Knights on the back foot straight away – which could be credited for some of the fatigue they suffered from late in the match.
The Tigers did dominate early – even though it wasn’t evident on the scoreboard but the Knights worked really hard to get back on the front foot, with their charge led by youngster Daniel Saifiti. He made over 230 metres throughout the game at over 13 metres per run on average.
The Knights lack of execution bit them at the end and their defence wasn’t good enough to hold Wests from taking the lead and running through the finish line.
Mitchell Moses opened the scoring with a try on the right-hand side after a beautiful short ball from Elijah Taylor.
The Knights try in the first half came through Trent Hodkinson after some offloads from Daniel Saifiti and Jeremy Smith that opened some holes in the line and Hodkinson was able to cross easily.
With a couple of penalty goals leading up to halftime the Tigers held a four-point lead.
Newcastle would be first to score in the second half through Dane Gagai who threw a massive dummy to the left and ran through a hole you could have driven a truck through.
The Knights were unable to hold the lead though as Josh Addo-Carr crossed for the Tigers 18 minutes from time off a wonderful series of passes that ended in a flat cut out from Jordan Rankin.
Luke Brooks would close the scoring in the 70th minute after plenty of pressure went onto the Newcastle line. Elijah Taylor took on the line, running a nice angle and opened a big hole for Brooks to go through and score easily.
So the Wests Tigers keep their season alive while the Newcastle Knights move further behind at the bottom of the ladder.
Wests Tigers 20
Newcastle Knights 12
The Roar’s NRL MVP
3 – Elijah Taylor
2 – Daniel Saifiti
1 – Aaron Woods
Stats
Tries: Tigers (3), Knights (2)
Goals: Tigers (2/3), Knights (2/2)
Penalty Goals: Tigers (2/2), Knights (0)
Possession: Tigers (50%), Knights (50%)
Completions: Tigers (31/38), Knights (29/40)
All Runs: Tigers (184), Knights (159)
Run metres: Tigers (1663), Knights (1634)
Line breaks: Tigers (8), Knights (4)
Offloads: Tigers (11), Knights (7)
Tackles: Tigers (320), Knights (344)
Missed tackles: Tigers (38), Knights (30)
Penaties: Tigers (8), Knights (8)
Errors: Tigers (8), Knights (8)
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