Bula, Tigers double down in win over dire Dragons

All Jahream Bula was thinking about was putting his body on the line and winning the game for the Wests Tigers.

For the second week in a row, the rookie Tigers No. 1 came up with a magnificent try-saver to seal an 18-16 win over St George Illawarra.

The Dragons looked set to pinch victory with 90 seconds on the clock when powerhouse centre Moses Suli charged to the line, threw the ball behind him and winger Mikaele Ravalawa dived for the right corner.

But Bula, in just his third NRL game, launched his body to deny Ravalawa.

The 21-year-old did the same thing eight days earlier when he somehow stopped Penrith ace Nathan Cleary when the playmaker looked set to score a certain try in the Bathurst slush.

Tigers coach Tim Sheens labelled the play “extraordinary”, while Tigers captain Api Koroisau said the act of desperation “makes us feel incredible”.

Wests Tigers No. 1 Jahream Bula in action against the Dragons.Credit: Getty Images

This game between two struggling teams featured plenty of errors, and was at times tough to watch, but at least Bula is giving Tigers fans reasons to believe as they suddenly chase their first hat-trick of wins in five years.

“I knew I had to make the tackle, it was the last minute in the game, and I put my body on the line,” Bula said.

“I was grateful to come away with the result. I had to get there, that’s all I was thinking in that moment.

“I thought [Suli] was going to take it [all the way], I’m a smaller bloke compared to him, but then he threw it out the back and it kind of shocked me. I had to get to the tryline to stop Ravalawa.”

David Nofoaluma (left) celebrates his first-half try with Jahream Bula (centre) and Brandon Wakeham.Credit: Getty

Sheens hinted Bula was in the mix to make his NRL debut over the summer, and was grateful the youngster had handled the step up to the big leagues so quickly.

“He tackled the centre, then let him go and shoved the big winger over the sideline; it was match winning stuff,” Sheens said.

“It was the same as last week. I did say he was a pretty fair player [before his debut].”

Koroisau added: “I thought he was great. We were losing heaps of those [close] moments in the first few rounds, so for him to make those tackles two weeks in a row, it’s no surprise we’re winning games now.

Ben Hunt pulled no punches in his assessment of the Dragons’ performance.Credit: Getty

“That was a really hard tackle to make. For him to do that for us, it makes us feel incredible and gives us that belief.”

The Tigers clung to a tight win over Penrith, and on more than one occasion looked ready to throw away victory against the Dragons.

Recalled Dragons playmaker Jayden Sullivan scored two tries, and the Red V dominated field position and possession after the break.

A wobbly Brandon Wakeham dropout went 10m and dribbled into touch, handing the ball back to the Tigers.

And they raced down field a couple of minutes later to score via Junior Tupou. Tupou stepped infield as three Dragons defenders all grabbed at thin air.

It was a lead the Tigers did not relinquish.

“I’m not getting any younger for the heart-attack stuff that’s happened the last couple of weeks, but we got through it,” Sheens said.

The last time the Tigers won three in a row was rounds four, five and six in 2018.

High-flying South Sydney await them next Saturday, with Sheens quick to point out his side could not afford to make silly errors, including failing to find touch with penalty kicks.

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