By Dan Walsh
For the second time in three months, Adam Doueihi’s boot has sealed a famous Wests Tigers win at Leichhardt Oval, with the local junior nailing a field goal with 10 seconds left to sink the Titans 21-20 on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
At times it felt as though each side was fighting to claim the wooden spoon rather than avoid it. Des Hasler described his gallant but wasteful Titans’ play as “dumb”. Benji Marshall declared it the Tigers’ worst performance of the season.
But after the Gold Coast appeared set for a sorely needed upset, Jeral Skelton’s 78th-minute try first gave Doueihi the toughest of sideline conversions that he couldn’t send home.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice in a game featuring 25 of them, belting home a 25-metre drop punt to keep the Titans rooted to the bottom of the ladder.
Just as he kicked a golden-point penalty goal against Cronulla earlier this year, Doueihi’s heroics shone brightest amid a slew of schoolboy errors, and some dazzling Sunday afternoon footy to match.
The Tigers now sit four points clear of the Gold Coast and with a bye in hand, should avoid the game’s least wanted cutlery – which has been theirs alone for the past three seasons.
A jubilant Adam Doueihi and Tigers teammates celebrate his match-winning field goal.Credit: NRL Photos
Play-the-balls went without a dummy-half. Crossfield kicks on the run landed on a dime. Plenty of passes missed their mark from point-blank range. Others sailed past desperate defenders with all the precision of a drone strike.
One Tigers penalty goal evened a wild contest up at 14-all. The next to put them ahead – gleefully accepted by Api Koroisau – came because the Titans couldn’t pack a scrum quick enough. Referee Belinda Sharpe missed a Jarome Luai knock-on in the lead-up too, just to get in on the act.
“It was important to get the two points today. I don’t want to say about how we got it, but we got it,” Marshall said.
Hasler didn’t mince words, and didn’t blame the officiating either.
“We didn’t need the scrum clock [violation], I don’t think it was the penalty count (that cost us),” Hasler said.
Taylan May takes on the Titans’ defence.Credit: Getty Images
“It was a very disappointing second half. We go out and bumble, we fumble, we throw balls over the sideline and get carried over the sideline.
“We can’t land on the bouncing ball. We miss tackles and complete nine from 15. I’m really disappointed with that performance. It was pretty dumb”. In between maddening mistakes, some fine attacking moments emerged.
When the Tigers could put together a left-side shift, it usually worked. After mistimed early attacking raids, Terrell May piloted a sharp ball to put brother Taylan on the outside of Jojo Fifita, with the former Panthers premiership-winner crashing over in his first game since early last season.
Playing his first game in 18 months after being sacked by Penrith and stood down to answer domestic violence charges that were later withdrawn by police, Taylan May was the Tigers most likely man out wide.
He signed with the joint-venture on a train-and-trial deal and no promise of anything more. But within 20 minutes he was already looking like the strike centre the club has been hunting for some time.
A repeat of the left-side raid had Skelton over in the same corner, but the Titans still took a 14-12 advantage into the sheds thanks to two tries within three minutes before the break.
One of those was Campbell’s audacious 30-metre kick on the fly to put Jaylan de Groot’s second try, and a surprise lead, on a platter. AJ Brimson looked to have sealed the win with a blistering 65th minute try though when he carved through the Tigers middle defence.
The Gold Coast had claims to a famous win of their own considering they lost captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui to a knee injury early. The drums will continue to beat ever-so loudly that this is coach Des Hasler’s last season in charge. A former schoolteacher, he will coach his 500th NRL game next week against the Warriors.
Doueihi’s boot means he goes into it with no competition points from Leichhardt, just effort and schoolboy errors.
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