NRL 2024: West Tigers defeat Parramatta Eels 17-16, Lachlan Galvin set for suspension
The Wests Tigers emerged as one-point victors over rivals Parramatta, but the thrilling win came at a cost, with one of their star playmakers set for suspension after being charged for a hip drop tackle.
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Wests Tigers teenage sensation Lachlan Galvin is facing at least a two-match ban for his hip drop on Parramatta’s Kelma Tuilagi in Monday afternoon’s blockbuster at Commbank Stadium.
The match review committee reviewed the incident on Monday night and slapped the 18-year-old with grade three dangerous contact, the same charge handed to Dolphins’ utility Max Plath over a hip drop on Sunday afternoon
Coincidentally, the Tigers play the Dolphins this weekend. Galvin was sent to the sin-bin in the second half off the Tigers’ win over the Eels after landing awkwardly on Tuilagi’s leg.
He returned to the game to set up the decisive try as the Tigers secured a thrilling one-point win over the Eels, but is now facing a stint on the sidelines.
GALVIN COMES BACK TO HAUNT EELS
He grew up a diehard Parramatta fan and had dreams of one day wearing the famous blue and gold jersey in the NRL, but on Easter Monday, Lachlan Galvin came back to haunt the Eels with a moment of magic that has Wests Tigers fans dreaming of what might be in the years to come.
Struggling clubs have spent decades hearing of the next big thing who can save them, but Galvin looks set to be the one after he helped conjure a second-half comeback to lead the Tigers to a stunning 17-16 win.
The teenage rookie’s head could have dropped when he was sent to the bin early in the second half for a hip-drop tackle on Kelma Tuilagi that the referee missed but the Bunker spotted on a challenge for something else.
It was a moment that could have killed his confidence, but he returned determined to influence the result, and that’s exactly what he did.
“I’ve never really lived in that moment before where I had to come off for 10, but the boys did really well with a man down,” Galvin said after the game.
“I had to come back on and make it up to them, so I tried my best.”
Having started the game with a beautiful grubber for Justin Olam to score the first of his two tries, Galvin then took on the line with 12 minutes to go, beat several defenders and produced a peach of a pass for livewire Jahream Bula to put the Tigers in front.
“As Benji says, do what you see. I saw that I could run, luckily I got through and then I heard Bula back on the inside like he always does,” he said.
“I thought ‘throw it’ because he’s always there.
“It’s a bit crazy coming out in the past three games and performing well. Five months ago I was leaving school and I was getting my lunch box in my bag. It’s pretty weird, but it’s a dream come true.”
The Eels struck back through a penalty goal with six minutes remaining, but veteran Aidan Sezer put the Tigers back in front when he coolly slotted a field goal in the final minute.
Wins are never easy for the Tigers, and of course they had to survive one more heartstopping moment when the Eels were awarded a penalty from the kick-off, only for Clint Gutherson to hook his attempt to the left after the siren.
“You’ve got to sit in the box with John Morris and Robbie Farah to understand what that’s like,” Marshall said.
“They were both like ‘we can’t lose like this’. I told them ‘what’s meant to be, will be’ and if we do win then we’ll be proud of the boys.
“To come back on after feeling a bit down on himself (Galvin) and to then produce what he did just shows his character.”
BLAIZE OF GLORY
There were fears the Eels would struggle without Mitchell Moses for the next two months, but it took just one touch from rookie Blaize Talagi to show he’s the man who can carry them forward while the star halfback recovers from a broken foot.
The teen sensation was fearless on debut when he ran through Tom Trbojevic to score, and a shift into the halves didn’t faze him with Talagi putting skipper Clint Gutherson into a yawning hole with his first touch.
Talagi ran the ball with confidence and combined well with Dylan Brown, but it was Gutherson who carried the Eels with a trademark captain’s knock.
The tireless fullback had his best game of the season, backing up a J’maine Hopgood break to put his side up 12-6 to go with 149 metres, a try assist and three goals.
He deserved to kick the winning goal, but it wasn’t to be as 13 errors came back to haunt the hosts.
“I felt like we just chased a soft win,” Brad Arthur said.
“The past couple of weeks, we’ve built our game on being tough and rolling the sleeves up. I don’t know if we wanted to do that as much as they did today.”
THE DEFENCE RESTS
It felt like a game where there’d be 60 points on a stinking hot Monday in front of 28,608 fans at CommBank Stadium, but instead it was the Tigers’ defence that got them over the line.
Defence has plagued them for years, but it won them the game with the Tigers holding out the Eels for six sets in a row on their own line in the first half.
For all of Benji Marshall’s attacking brilliance as a player, he has brought in a newfound defensive resolve as coach which the fans will love.
“That’s probably the most resilient performance we’ve had in a Tigers jersey for some time,” Marshall said.
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