NRL Round 24: Tigers likely cop wooden spoon after dumbest play of the year against Dragons
The Wests Tigers are on the brink of their first wooden spoon after throwing away victory with a sensational brain snap against the Dragons.
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An ice-cool Zac Lomax slotted a penalty goal 23 seconds out from the siren to haul St George Illawarra across the line in a dramatic 24-22 win over Wests Tigers at CommBank Stadium on Sunday.
The Dragons centre lined up his shot a metre in from the eastern touchline, ignoring the abuse from Tigers fans to raise the crowd and all but condemn the joint venture club to its first wooden spoon.
It was Lomax’s long break that led to the penalty, with Asu Kepaoa taking him out with a shoulder to the head.
“It was now or never. I closed my eyes and was thankful it went over,” Lomax said of his match-winning kick.
The demoralised Wests Tigers are now on the brink of their first wooden spoon after throwing away victory.
The joint venture club has never run last since forming 22 years ago but now need a last-round miracle to avoid rugby league’s most unwanted “prize”.
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The Tigers play finals-bound Canberra at Leichhardt Oval next Sunday and require a huge win on the back of the Titans losing heavily to the Warriors if they are to escape the cellar.
That scenario is about as likely as Phil Gould taking a vow of silence.
The Tigers, coming off a record 72-6 loss to the Roosters, should have won this game.
Leading by six points with as many minutes left, winger Junior Pauga inexplicably touched a St George Illawarra drop-out before it had gone 10m.
Instead of the Tigers going eight up with a penalty in front, the Dragons received the penalty and scored a match-levelling try soon after before Lomax’s late heroics sealed the great escape.
The Tigers have won just one of their last 11 games since parting company with coach Michael Maguire mid-season.
Missing up to nine first team regulars, the Tigers lacked cohesion and rhythm early.
It was no surprise when the visitors grabbed the first try just seven minutes in following a clever exchange between Tautau Moga and Jaydn Su’A.
@WestsTigers How to lose footy games and alienate people #NRLTigersDragons
— The One And Only Billy Shears (@tigerbalmain) August 28, 2022
Up by 6 with 7 to go and we force a drop out & the ball doesn't go 10. Instead of us getting a penalty infront to make it 8, our dud centre stays inside dragons 10m for a reason unbeknownst to anyone but him & makes contact with the ball.
— Kris Mou (@CedarTiger05) August 28, 2022
We deserve the spoon.
#NrlTigersDragons
But putting all my salt aside for the bunker and Klein. Tigers really did do everything in their arsenal to make sure Dragons got possession there. We are our own worst enemy. I won’t be watching next week. #NRLTigersDragons
— Brighton (@Dat1Porkchop) August 28, 2022
Moga worked a narrow passage down the right touchline before dribbling a grubber inside for Su’a to collect and touch down for a try in is 100th NRL appearance.
The early signs looked ominous for the Tigers but their fortunes changed on the back of two sin-binnings midway through the half.
Dragons fullback Cody Ramsay was sat down for 10 minutes after interfering with Starford To’a as the pair chased a kick deep in Saints’ territory.
The Tigers scored two converted tries in his absence, going from 6-0 down to 12-6 up by the time Ramsey returned.
The No.1 had only just made his way back onto the field when teammate Jack Bird replaced him in the bin after giving referee Liam Kennedy a gobful.
And the Tigers again cashed in against 12 men.
Second-rower Tom Freebairn, starting for the first time at NRL level, claimed his second try of the match after Ben Hunt flew out of the line to leave a gaping hole.
The home side led 16-6 at the break – all their points coming while St George Illawarra was down a man.
The Dragons’ lack of discipline was compounded by eight first half errors and a whopping 25 missed tackles.
They were diabolical but started the second half in much better shape to work their way back into the contest.
Tries to Moga and Lomax saw them level at 16-all just after the hour mark and it appeared they would kick on from there.
But nothing is as simple as it seems when it comes to these two sides.
Tigers halfback Jock Madden changed momentum again after running onto a Zane Musgrove pass and standing up Ramsay on a thrilling 55m run to the line.
You just knew that wasn’t going to be the end of the unscripted chaos.
The Dragons scored eight points in the final few minutes to snatch the win.
UP AND ADAM
Moga looked set to score untouched when he snatched an intercept and began the 92m journey to the Tigers’ goal-line with nothing but open turf in front of him in the second half.
But Adam Doueihi didn’t consider it a lost cause, turning and chasing despite giving the veteran winger a 20m head start.
Moga chewed up the first 50m without too much trouble but turned from Road Runner to roadkill as his intended destination loomed.
Doueihi rounded up his target a metre out from the line, bundling Moga into touch for one of the great try-saving tackles of the season.
“That’s the sort of commitment Tigers fans want to see…just that desperation to get in position,” Steve “Blocker” Roach said in commentary.
OFF THE HOOK FOR NOW
The Dragons’ win guarantees them a 10th-placed finish to the season, one spot above their 2021 position.
The Red V are not interested in gradual improvement after four years without finals football and this scratchy performance will only slightly ease the heat on coach Anthony Griffin.
Griffin knows more of the same won’t cut it next year – the final year of his deal – and has already began gutting his coaching staff to freshen the place up.
His fortunes may well be tied to the future of star halfback Ben Hunt, who has a year to run on his current deal but is no certainty to stay beyond 2023.
Hunt is a Griffin favourite – and the feeling is mutual – and the coach needs to convince his No.7 to stay long-term despite pending offers from a series of rivals.
Why Dragons are the new Wests Tigers
— David Riccio
With great respect to the Wests Tigers, St George Illawarra are the new Wests Tigers.
Here the Dragons are approaching September, just like the Tigers did with Michael Maguire last year, with Saints head coach Anthony Griffin, heading into the final year of his contract and without any guarantee that he’ll be there for 2024.
Meanwhile, the Panthers, Roosters, Storm and Sharks are already planning for 2026.
Like the Tigers experienced last year, the Dragons have also invested in ear muffs to dull the noise emanating from the dressing room.
The Tigers have passed the baton to the Dragons as the noisiest club in the NRL.
Journalists don’t have to make any calls to find out what’s going on at Saints. They take them.
It would be frightening if St George Illawarra management were shocked by this.
Not when you sack a revered statesman in James Graham from your staff, punt two assistant coaches before the end of the season, amid certainty that more staff are about to walk.
Ten-pin bowling, breakfast gatherings, in-and-out video sessions and even unscheduled days off have been tried to keep the players happy.
Last week the call came through to confirm a senior Dragons executive had sound out Cameron Ciraldo to assess the rookie coach’s interest in steering the club from 2024, with the possibility of an earlier arrival next year.
Ciraldo had already tied himself to the Canterbury Kennel, so the call was a quick one.
At that point, Griffin should have walked into head office and demanded answers.
However, similarly to what the Tigers did with Maguire at this point last year, the Dragons too, are planning to pull down the shutters on another poor season and hope that sunshine and cricket will miraculously shift the spotlight away from the inevitable.
This is the problem for the Dragons, as the Tigers will attest.
The Tigers went into this season with ‘Madge’ at the helm, knowing that by April-May, they would have to make a call on whether to extend his contract.
Their entire business model was built on hope.
We all know how that has panned out. Maguire was sacked in June.
With one game left following this weekend, the Tigers are bound for the club’s first-ever wooden spoon.
So what’s the difference with what is going on at Saints?
Management will point to on-field performance and their 10th position on the ladder as one.
Albeit another failed season, the Dragons have remained at the very least, competitive.
However, many will argue that so they should, with a roster that includes Ben Hunt, Jayd’n Sua, Zac Lomax, Jack de Belin, Moses Mbye, Aaron Woods, Francis Molo and Jack Bird.
But if narrowly missing finals for two consecutive seasons is considered a pass mark, why was ex-coach Paul McGregor punted?
Hunt’s contract is also a timely sidelight.
Fans debating over whether the club’s halfback is worth a $1 million contract for 2024-2025, which would conclude when he’s 35, is worthwhile pub chat, but why isn’t the coach’s future just as important, if not more so, than one player?
Because what happens if the Dragons do move on Griffin and the next coach who comes in, doesn’t want an ageing halfback on his books?
The answer? Saints are back to where Griffin began, chasing bargain buys and discards to cover a lopsided salary cap.
And so the focus on what Saints management do next has begun.
If the Dragons don’t start fast in 2023, will they do what the Tigers did and make a move on Griffin in June?
And if so, what was the point of the three months of summer in off-season training?
Or alternatively, what if Griffin does fire early, will the Dragons then extend his contract?
Saints are building their entire future on hope.
And we all know how that plays out.
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