The Wests Tigers appear destined for a tenth straight NRL season out of the finals after their top-eight hopes were dealt a near-fatal blow with a horror second half against the Warriors.
After the Tigers led 10-0 at the break in Brisbane, the Tigers fell apart, lacking direction in attack and leaking poor tries in defence to eventually fall 18-16.
The result snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Warriors, who are also only a slim mathematical chance of making the finals.
But it represented a significant hit to the Tigers’ chances of ending the longest finals drought in the NRL.
The joint-venture are now equal with the Warriors at 6-13, meaning even five straight wins to end the season may not be enough to make the finals.
They have one of the easier runs home of the finals hopefuls but still face Cronulla and Penrith in Rounds 23 and 24.
Another premature end to the year would heap further pressure on coach Michael Maguire, who has spent the season with his position a point of continued conjecture.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
“It makes it hard (to make finals) but that’s the position we are in,” Maguire said.
“We’re all very disappointed. It’s obviously a big moment for all of us.
“You work every week to give yourself an opportunity. And the second half was definitely not the style we planned.”
The Tigers’ final ten minutes summed up their frustrations of the past decade.
Trailing 18-16, they had a 90-metre try to Luke Brooks denied after replays showed a kick had bounced forward off his arm before he picked it up and ran away.
Then in bizarre scenes, they failed two unlikely shots at 40-metre field goals to level the scores and didn’t get a man to dummy-half as they turned over their last attacking raid.
“It got frantic,” Maguire admitted.
“Everyone was trying. But you have to concentrate on that moment in time.
“You have to get your dummy-half to the play the ball or someone needs to jump in there.”
Adding insult to injury, fullback Daine Laurie also suffered a suspected fractured leg that would end his season.
Moses Mbye briefly starred at the back in his place in the first half, setting up one try and scoring another.
But they conceded three tries in 16 minutes after the break, including one when they allowed Bunty Afoa to isolate Jacob Liddle and another when Euan Aitken went over untouched from a short Tigers dropout.
The gritty win was a fitting tribute to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck from the Warriors, after they farewelled their captain and Leeson Ah Mau from their Australian camp a day earlier.
“I think the boys certainly would have wanted to put on a good one for his departure,” coach Nathan Brown said.
“He’s certainly a very popular member of the club, Rog.
“He has been through some tough times in the past two years and probably made as many sacrifices as anyone with his family situation.”
Wayne Turner
Guest
That's an insult to park football.
Wayne Turner
Guest
Sadly,Wests Tigers beat Wests Tigers. Not the Warriors. Wests Tigers often their own worst enemy,with so many unforced errors egs: That drop out, no dummy half.... Also,they were favourites to win,which is rare these days.They just about always lose when they are favourites.A sadly mentally weak team,that are hard to watch.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I hear Madge described as a good coach frequently and it may well be the case but with that comes the assumption that he and other coaches given that title can come in and fix up a club like the Tigers because they are better than the average coach. The evidence is very flimsy that this is true. Madge apparently declined the offer to coach Manly because they had a basket case look about them (which was true) but if he had a closer look at the talent coming thru along with Turbo at fullback he should have been tempted to go to Manly. I'm glad he didn't because Hasler has the ability to keep the players onside when things are going wobbly and I'd say Madge struggles in that department. Madge has no trouble dropping players and bringing in new ones but Haslers approach which annoys the fans has a degree of wisdom about it.
Kilgore Trout
Roar Rookie
There were plenty of incidents during the last 20 mins had me screaming in frustration for the Tigers but no dummy half , with the game there to be won , took the cake . I am guessing most people thought the Raudonikis Day performance would be the low point of the season ...... then suddenly a new contender .Madge must be losing his mind .
Cam
Roar Rookie
The loss to the Warriors is just about the worst I have seen from the Tigers and to be fair, there are plenty to pick from. The past 3 years, Madge has had a winning record of 45% in 2019, 35% in 2020 and is currently winning 35% in 2021. Expect that number to keep sliding south. Madge was unreasonably upbeat in his post-match interview and was bigging up all the new players he was blooding. Just delusional. There needs to be a decent bloodletting from the board to the coaching staff to the playing roster. Shane Flanagan might turn the joint around, he is a pretty astute coach and would attract new players without having to pay massive overs.
Or "Both sides prove how useless they are and show why they wont make finals"
Mike Rotch
Guest
They can't get anyone else. The club is a basket case and not respected at all by NRL players.
Jockstar
Guest
With that roster Tigers were never finals hope.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
The headline to this story should be corrected to say the "Warriors crushed the Tigers’ hopes for a 9th spot"
Kobi
Guest
My two bobs worth. You know you are no hope when teams in the top 6 consistently rack up 50 points or more within in a short space of time year after year and that's the delima facing the Tigers. The only people crushed are their loyal fan base left shaking their heads at the decisions made by the Tigers board that keeps them firmly entrenched out of finals contention. Why they purchase unwanted players other clubs have no further use for that are way past their use by date is beyond comprehension.
Phil
Roar Rookie
The headline to this story says the Warriors crushed the Tigers' hopes. The Tigers well and truly crushed their own hopes before this game. That was rubbish they served up last night, not up to NRL standard.
Its a pity they cant do it for themselves or couldnt have done it for Rog a hell of a lot more frequently.
Tony
Roar Guru
The no dummy half incident (with a try and victory in the offing) and the try conceded from the short kick off was absolute park football stuff.