NRL round 14: St George Illawarra Dragons defeat Wests Tigers 56-14, Zac Lomax on report for nasty collision

Benji Marshall was brutally honest in his assessment of the Tigers after they were demolished by the Dragons, saying if the actions don’t change, then the players will.

Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has been under fire over the last fortnight after it was revealed he had headed to Fiji with his family during the struggling side’s bye weekend.

After his side’s 56-14 loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium he probably wished he’d stayed in the Pacific.

Most believed Marshall could have used his time better working on how the Tigers snap their eight-match losing streak than sipping cocktails at a swim up bar in a Fijian resort. Now the critics have even more ammunition to fire at the rookie mentor

The Dragons piled 44 points second half points, including seven tries in an annihilation that made the Tigers look like they were playing on Fijian time as they continued their season of woe.

Zac Lomax scored a treble and booted ten goals from as many attempts – a Dragons point scoring record of 32.

Moses Suli, Raymond Faitala-Mariner and Luciano Leilua were at times unstoppable, with Leilua joining Matt Feagai in scoring doubles.

Marshall defended his overseas sojourn during the week, saying the benefits from the team’s break were evident when they returned to the training paddock. After 15 minutes it looked like he may have been onto something.

Winger Alex Lobb, whose NRL career had totalled just 12 minutes prior to tonight’s match, opened the scoring for the Tigers in the fifth minute, spectacularly swallowing a Bud Sullivan bomb.

Luciano Leilua had a strong showing. Pictures: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

It wasn’t long after that Sullivan crossed the stripe himself on his former home ground. When the livewire half set up the Tigers’ third on the stroke of halftime, Marshall met his troops in the sheds up 14-12. It was all downhill from there.

To make matters worse for Marshall ahead of next week’s clash with the Titans, rookie winger Solomon Alaimalo left the field after landing heavily on his head while contesting a bomb with Zac Lomax, who was placed on report but will face no further penalty after the match review committee opted not to charge him.

The Tigers produced one of the worst second half performances in memory. Pictures: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

HEADS WILL ROLL

“Very disappointing. We seem to say the same thing every week, which is unfortunate,” a shattered Marshall said after the match.

“But the same time, like we give ourselves every opportunity, we had a week off, freshened up. We start with a lot of energy, 14-12 at half time, and then have 20 per cent of the ball and have as many errors as what we did, schoolboy errors, to be honest, unacceptable. And now, discipline. I talked about it before the game, it is just hurting us.”

He then put his players on notice. Heads are set to roll.

“We find someone to get sin binned every week, give away silly penalties, we lose our head, and unfortunately, we’re in a position where we can’t do that to ourselves, and we do.

“So, I’ll say it again. If the actions don’t change, then the players have to change.”

Ben Hunt was tremendous for the Dragons. Pictures: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

BACKUP BROTHERS

Ben Hunt, Jaydn Su’A and Lomax all turned out less than 48 hours after the State of Origin opener and Dragons fans must have been glad they did.

Hunt was outstanding for the second time this week with four try assists and one of his own, a scything individual dart from 10 metres out.

Lomax was one of the Blues’ best playing 80 minutes in his Origin debut, running for a game high 224 and tonight he added another 184m along with his point scoring feast. He will no doubt nervously await the match review committee’s view of his incident with Alaimalo.

Tigers’ hooker Api Koroisau was overlooked for Origin 1 by Michael Maguire but the Tigers rake was in everything and gave the Blues boss plenty to think about when he sits down to select his next squad.

Apisai Koroisau had some decent moments in the first half which could boost his Origin selection chances. Pictures: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

WEIGHT OF THE WORLD

Stefano Utoikamanu did his pending contract negotiations no favours.

Reports emerged earlier in the week that the Tigers’ prop was likely to reject the club’s five-year, $4 million offer to try his chances on the free agency market. There will no doubt still be interested parties but if tonight was any indication, his price could be headed south.

PERSEVERANCE PAYS

Reuben Porter, a 27-year-old Kiwi born prop, played in the Roosters’ pathways system before enduring seven seasons in the NSW Cup with the Wyong Roos, Mounties, North Sydney Bears and Magpies. Interspersed were four internationals for the Cook Islands and stints in Canberra and Queensland.

Now a father, Porter still works around his training commitments and thought his chance to play NRL had passed him by until the Tigers gave him an opportunity this season following nine games for the Magpies in the second tier competition. He didn’t get the result he wanted but Tigers jersey #287 made it worth the wait.

Originally published as NRL round 14: St George Illawarra Dragons defeat Wests Tigers 56-14, Zac Lomax on report for nasty collision