Kevin Naiqama’s late try helps Wests Tigers down Bulldogs 18-12
THE Wests Tigers somehow cast aside a controversial and painful week to record an upset 18-12 win over Canterbury.
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INSPIRED by departing skipper Aaron Woods, Wests Tigers somehow cast aside a controversial and painful week to record an upset 18-12 win over Canterbury.
It was a win built on courage and adversity just days after it was revealed Woods and fullback James Tedesco were defecting to rival clubs from next season.
Woods, Tedesco and Mitchell Moses played with passion and commitment.
“I was very proud of the team today, for sure. Everyone of them,” Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary said.
“There were a lot of distractions, obviously.
“It was obvious at yesterday’s training session that they were really focused and determined. That was evident in the game today. It was the Big 17 today.”
It was an emotional victory for a team that huddled together on the field after fulltime and left ANZ Stadium together.
Tigers players celebrated wildly in what was Cleary’s second win in charge at Concord.
Parramatta-bound Moses, in particular, was elated and punched the air in celebration.
Woods will quit the Tigers after this season to join Sunday’s opponents, Canterbury.
He was booed by fans when his image appeared on ANZ Stadium’s big screen before the game.
The proud Leichhardt product was warming up on the field at the time and must have been shattered.
Fans are still angry after The Daily Telegraph published a photo of Woods having coffee with Bulldogs players at a Roselands cafe last Wednesday.
He was also jeered after receiving the Anzac Medal for man of the match on the field after the game.
Woods spoke with Triple M and Fox Sports after the match but did not attend the routine press conference. Teammate Chris Lawrence substituted.
Asked about being booed. Woods told Triple M: “It’s a part of footy. The thing is that I haven’t signed or agreed to anything. It’s all speculation. We’ve got the best fans, they’re just passionate.”
Woods ran for 172 metres through 17 hit-ups and made 26 tackles in his 64 minutes. It was a colossal performance.
“He showed today where his focus is,” Cleary said.
Moses and Tedesco had some nice touches, while Luke Brooks made a successful return from injury.
“Every time we went to training we just enjoyed each other’s company and ripped in. And that’s what we have been doing,” Lawrence said.
Recently re-signed winger David Nofoaluma scored the opening try after a lovely pass from Tedesco. Perhaps in a statement about the week’s drama, Nofoaluma celebrated by grabbing and kissing the Tigers emblem on his jersey.
Canterbury will rue Sunday’s loss, which came through a late Wests Tigers try.
Bulldogs forward Greg Eastwood left the field in the second half for a concussion test. He did, however, stay on the field for a minute or two after allegedly being concussed.
Eastwood protested, saying he had hurt his knee.
He later attracted the ire of coach Des Hasler when he bizarrely decided to kick on tackle three with his side on the attack and the scores locked at 12-all.
The ball went straight to Tedesco.
“We were just dumb in some areas,” Canterbury coach Des Hasler said.
“They played well, they completed really well on the back of a 7-2 penalty count.”
The first-half highlight was a stunning chase from veteran Bulldogs centre Josh Morris. He somehow ran down a runaway Nofoaluma, who had taken an intercept and sprinted 80m.
Canterbury played the final 10 minutes with 12 men after centre Brenko Lee was sin-binned for a professional foul.
“Harsh, very harsh,” Hasler said of the incident.
Before nearly 20,000 fans, the Bulldogs scored what could be the early contender for try of the year five minutes into the second half when winger Kerrod Holland crossed after the ball had swung through 12 sets of hands.
The second half was scrappy and unattractive as both teams committed an excessive amount of errors.
WESTS TIGERS 18 (K Naiqama D Nofoaluma tries M Moses 5 goals) bt CANTERBURY 12 (K Holland M Montoya tries K Holland 2 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Gerard Sutton, Peter Gough. Crowd: 19,303.
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