By Adrian Proszenko
Playing without Lachlan Galvin is one thing. Playing without the football, and your full contingent, is quite another.
It is almost impossible to hold firm in the modern, six-again era when down a player. So when Wests Tigers were reduced to 12 men on two separate occasions due to sin-binnings, their fate was sealed.
North Queensland took full advantage of their undermanned opponents, but were almost on the wrong end of the biggest comeback in NRL history. The Tigers, down by as many as 26 points at one stage, stormed home late but fell just short, going down 32-28 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
The Tigers scored the last four tries – the first three came in a frenetic four-minute blitz – but left themselves too much to do. Ultimately, ill discipline proved costly for the visitors, their first outing after their messy divorce with Galvin.
The first transgressor was Jarome Luai. The captain tested the referee’s patience trying to slow down the ruck and earned himself a spell.
“That’s three rucks, back to back to back,” said whistleblower Gerard Sutton. “That’s a mandatory sin bin.”
Adam Doueihi is sent to the sin bin.Credit: Getty Images
North Queensland scored two tries during his absence.
And then, just before half-time, Adam Doueihi obstructed former teammate John Bateman – another Tigers divorcee – as he attempted to score his second try. How Bateman would have relished this.
This time, the Cowboys scored three tries before Douehi returned to the field.
“I was proud of the way they fought, we just need to address some of the things that got us in that position,” Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall said.
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall.Credit: Getty Images
“There are some things in our control that we can be better at, there were also things out of our control, like the two sin bins. I thought they were pretty harsh … The game is hard enough playing 13 on 13; 13 against 12 is hard.”
There was a sense of relief in Tiger Town that the circus surrounding Galvin had finally been resolved. Life without him, however, got off to an inauspicious start.
Luai handled twice in a try-of-the-year contender that went through 11 sets of hands. New halves partner Heath Mason also enjoyed a highlight moment when he finished off a try that he helped create. However, they were never going to get it done after giving up such a big head start.
“I’m just happy and relieved that we held on,” said Cowboys coach Todd Payten.
“I felt like there was a period where we were just waiting for the game to finish and we had to find another gear. We found it. Just.”
The playmaker who shone brightest was Tom Dearden. Calls for him to replace Daly Cherry-Evans as the starting Maroons half will only get louder. Dearden scored a try, set up several others and was arguably the best player on the field.
Let’s see if the Maroons pick and stick.