‘Haven’t seen that in 30 years’: Embarrassing blunder sums Tigers’ disaster

The Wests Tigers winless start to the season has gone from bad to worse as the side continue to find new ways to lose.

The Melbourne Storm defeat the Tigers.

The Wests Tigers have been handed their fourth-consecutive loss of the season as the Storm secured a 24-12 victory at AAMI Park on Friday evening.

The visitors were plagued by possession errors and sloppy defence throughout the 12-point defeat, with a scrum loss against the feed in the second half ruining any chance of a late comeback.

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It was Melbourne’s first victory at home in 2023, but Storm coach Craig Bellamy looked anything but satisfied after the win, fuming from the box.

“It was a little bit topsy-turvy there at stages,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy told reporters in the post-match press conference.

“Our effort tonight was a whole heap better than it was the last couple of weeks.

“There’s some things to approve, without a doubt.”

But while the Storm were far from perfect, the Tigers were left regretting a rare brain snap which cost the side dearly.

The Tigers were gifted a set 40 metres out after a sloppy Storm knock-on at 22-12 in the 65th minute, and a subsequent penalty gave the visitors a scrum in the opposition half.

But the Tigers managed to shoot themselves in the foot, losing the scrum against the feed after Tui Kamikamica successfully hooked the ball to baffle the commentators.

“That’s extraordinary,” Dan Ginnane said on Fox League.

Steve Roach continued: “I haven’t seen that in 30 years.”

The Melbourne Storm couldn’t believe their luck.

Tigers coach Tim Sheens confessed in the post-match press conference: “That just shouldn’t happen, not in today’s game anyway.”

To rub salt into the wounds, Meaney booted a penalty goal a couple of minutes later to put the outcome beyond doubt.

The Storm dominated the opening half, leading 22-6 at the halftime break.

Cameron Munster, who missed two rounds with a horrific finger injury, wrapped up the first half with a classy try of his own, dummying at the back of the ruck before steaming through the lacklustre Tigers defence.

He also had a linebreak and a try assist in a strong return performance.

The second half got underway with a catastrophic error from Tigers winger Charlie Staines, whose “diabolic pass” near the posts almost gifted the Storm another try in the 41st minute.

Brooks’ evening went from bad to worse with a dropped ball in the 47th minute adding to the Tigers’ lengthy list of errors.

An embarrassing brain fade from Meaney gifted the Tigers their second try of the evening in the 54th minute. Apisai Koroisau’s well-directed grubber kick looked like it was going dead, only for the Tigers recruit to dive onto the Steeden inches before the dead-ball line as a frazzled Meaney left it alone.

Nick Meaney was made to look foolish.

The Tigers, currently reeling at the bottom of the NRL ladder, are still searching for the first win of the season ahead of Round 5.

“Every option we took seemed to be the wrong one … our execution was very ordinary, in many ways,” Sheens told reporters after the match.

“We’re creating the opportunities, we’ve just got to take the right options. We’ve got some work to do, we admit that.

“They’re disappointed, and I’m disappointed as well.”

Originally published as ‘Haven’t seen that in 30 years’: Embarrassing blunder sums Tigers’ disaster