A golden point penalty goal has delivered one of the most dramatic wins in Wests Tigers history as Adam Doueihi nervelessly sealed a thrilling 20-18 win over Cronulla at a sold-out Leichhardt Oval.
In wantaway teen Lachlan Galvin’s first NRL game since his contract saga engulfed the joint-venture, the Tigers prodigy starred and then celebrated with his teammates while 14,812 punters went berserk.
After all the drama of the past two weeks at Concord, to compound a decade of failings, fights and stuff-ups, this felt written in the stars.
Golden point field goal shots by Nicho Hynes, Braydon Trindall and Doueihi – taken from out wide when Jarome Luai was under pressure – were charged down and sailed agonisingly wide at 18-all.
Not until Tom Hazleton roughed up Fonua Pole and forced the ball free in a two-man, 87th minute tackle, could the two sides be separated.
Doueihi calmly stepped up and nailed the 30-metre shot.
The final few tackles of regulation time said it all about the newfound resolve in Tiger Town though, with one try-saving effort after the other somehow keeping the game alive.
Lachlan Galvin and Jarome Luai on Sunday. Credit: Steven Siewert
Galvin was right there in the middle of it too with a spectacular stop of Hazleton as he sniffed a match-winning try.
That it came after the 18th sin bin of the weekend, and one that threatened to break the Tigers for good, made it all the sweeter.
When referee Grant Atkins, following the intervention of the bunker, sat Pole down for collecting Hazleton high in an upright collision between the pair, well the Tigers had seen this one before.
From 18-12 when Pole trudged off, the Sharks levelled up through back-rower Billy Burns. Then with just a few minutes remaining, Hynes hammered a 50-metre field goal straight into the goalpost.
Still the Tigers clung on to have a sold-out Leichhardt Oval crowd in full voice.
Take nothing away from Cronulla’s fightback from two double-figure deficits. But Benji Marshall’s side deserved nothing less.
Fans at Leichhardt Oval. Credit: Steven Siewert
Barely a boo was bothered with by the masses anyway as Galvin – the joint-venture’s future who will walk the door, leaving date TBC – played his first NRL game since the whole sorry contract saga broke.
Despite the threats delivered on social media last week, the locals reserved most of their jeers for the officials and the visitors.
They were really never going to be directed at Galvin aside from one or two during the warm-up. Not once Luai jinked on the run to find Galvin just eight minutes in, with Galvin in turn popping an offload through two defenders for Samuela Fainu to crash over and open the scoring.
The 19-year-old shared a brief celebratory cuddle with Api Koroisau before flying into his teammates, fists and blood pumping after playing his part to a tee.
Galvin takes a carry. Credit: Steven Siewert
At the 27th minute with Luai and Galvin on song, Starford To’a was shoving Mawene Hiroti to the deck and setting up Sunia Turuva in the other corner.
Given the Tigers were playing with the wind at their back, Ronaldo Mulitalo’s scything try right on half-time could have been pivotal for Cronulla.
But at 10-6 Nikora and Luai both left the fray, one thanks to the other, and the Tigers helped themselves to a penalty goal.
When Galvin hoisted a bomb into the breeze, Tallyn Da Silva grubbered the bouncing ball for four more points and a critical 12-point lead.
Cronulla trimmed it back with a long-range Will Kennedy try that benefited from a fortunate bounce as well.
Luai and Nikora both returned and so did the Tigers’ resolve. Terrell May saved a try as Nikora shot onto a beautiful line that had four points written all over it. Turuva and Jahreem Bula somehow denied Mulitalo a moment later out wide.
And as has rarely been the way for the Tigers for so long, they kept knocking them back.
