Benji Marshall celebrated his first win as an NRL head coach courtesy of the club’s Generation Next.
Jahream Bula bagged a double, Lachie Galvin was impressive in his second NRL game, and skipper Api Koroisau was magnificent as the Tigers beat Cronulla 32-6 at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday. Koroisau was struck down by gastro – he appeared to dry reach at one stage in the first half – which only enhanced his Herculean effort.
Marshall sat proudly in the coach’s box. It was fitting his first triumph came at his favourite inner-western Sydney venue.
“It feels good for the team, it’s not about me, it’s about the team … I asked the boys to follow the game plan for 80 minutes and give us that, and they did it,” Marshall said.
“This guy next to me [Koroisau] was battling heavy gastro before the game and could hardly walk. He had no energy, but to punch out what he did in the game showed how much it means to his teammates. That’s why he’s the skipper.”
There will be plenty of wins to come for Marshall if Bula, 22, Koroisau, and 18-year-old Galvin continue to trouble opposition teams with their slick passing and off-the-cuff approach.
Did we mention Jarome Luai heads to Tiger Town next year to complete an impressive spine?
Cronulla were poor, ill disciplined, lacked urgency, failed to stop the Tigers’ offloads, and Nicho Hynes had an off night with the boot. Two of his kicks sailed out on the full.
Dale Finucane was split open twice and failed an HIA, Toby Rudolf was in a moon boot, Royce Hunt did not even make it onto the field after straining a calf warming up on the sideline, and Cam McInnes was placed on report for a high shot on John Bateman.
“We got out-enthused, they [the Tigers] were great and we were not,” Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
Justin Olam made his debut for the Tigers and won over the faithful with some brutal shots. Fellow Sharks centre Sifa Talakai was just as much a handful.