NRL round 8: Wests Tigers 20 d. Cronulla Sharks 8

The Wests Tigers showed no signs of a team divided over the events of the past week, downing the Sharks in a golden point thriller in front of a parochial Leichhardt crowd.

Tallyn Da Silva celebrates his try. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

A relieved Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has labelled his team’s thrilling 20-18 golden point win over the Sharks as “season-defining” amid the Lachlan Galvin drama that has engulfed the club in recent weeks.

Presenting as a different man compared to recent media commitments, Marshall couldn’t hide his pride in his Tigers team who combated a fast-finishing Sharks team.

An 88th minute Adam Doueihi two-pointer proved the difference, when Tom Hazleton was penalised for roughing Tiger Fonua Pole 30 metres out in front of the uprights.

The Tigers showed no signs of a team divided, turning up for the entire 80 minutes, with several incredible try-saving tackles saving the day at the death, including Galvin’s effort on Hazleton in the final minute of regular time.

The win helps soften the Tigers’ recent dramas over the future of Galvin, with the club now on the precipice of the NRL’s top eight.

“From a club perspective, that’s the pressure reliever we needed,” Marshall admitted.

“It was so up and down emotionally. I was so proud of the players and how they never gave up. That’s the spirit we have been playing with all year.

“One thing you can’t coach or find are guys who are willing to fight and play for each other, and they showed that in spades tonight.

“That’s a season defining win. We’re 4-4 into Magic Round and can catapult our season from here.”

The Sharks fought their way back from a 12-point deficit midway through the second half but were left to rue a myriad of missed opportunities.

Jarome Luai went off for a HIA. Picture: Tom Parrish

Five wayward field goal attempts between Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall were among the myriad of bombed chances for the Sharks, with two dropped balls over the tryline by Sharks wingers Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sam Stonestreet in the final 20 minutes compounding the defeat.

“There was a lot to like but they cooked us in the first half there. It felt like we were never in it, but we kept finding a way,” Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.

“There was a lot to like about the effort and our ability to hang in there, but we just needed to execute a few things better. There were so many moments – an ankle tap here, a dropped ball there – where we couldn’t execute when we had them on the backfoot.”

Classy return

Galvin showcased why he is the rugby league’s most sought-after teenager, helping inspire the Tigers to the upset win.

Eight days removed from his reserve grade demotion in response to the furore surrounding his future, Galvin had a hand in all three of the Tigers’ tries.

In their first opportunity to watch Galvin feature for the Tigers since turning down a rich five-year deal, the 14,000-strong Leichhardt Oval faithful offered a mixed reception for the young playmaker.

That sentiment quickly turned as the Tigers, aided by a strong breeze, ran up a 10-0 advantage, with both tries coming through the hands of Galvin.

The first came nine minutes in when Galvin managed to get an arm free for back-rower Samuela Fainu to race away for first points. Galvin would also play a key role in a Tigers’ set play which saw winger Sunia Turuva capitalise out wide come the 30th minute.

Lachlan Galvin had a strong return to first grade. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Briton Nikora’s sin bin for a high hit on Jarome Luai early in the second half handed Galvin greater playmaking opportunities, with the Tigers captain leaving the field for a head injury assessment.

The Sharks’ failure to clean up a Galvin kick soon after resulted in more points as an opportunistic Tallyn Da Silva capitalised to extend the Tigers’ lead.

“I was just doing it for the team. It wasn’t about me this week, we wanted to come in and do everyone proud,” Galvin told Fox League post-game.

“It’s been a big couple of weeks but to come out here and win, it’s great.”

The tide turned in the Sharks favour midway through the second half when Will Kennedy and Billy Burns scored in quick succession, the latter a quick response to the controversial sin-binning of Pole.

But the Sharks failed to polish the win off when it mattered, much to the delight of the Leichhardt faithful.

A stretch too far

It was perhaps one of the worst captain challenges in NRL history, but who could blame the Sharks given the recent crackdown on high tackles.

It came midway through the first half when Ronaldo Mulitalo looked to clean up a Tigers kick in-goal.

He would be met by the outstretched hand of Jack Bird, who offered the slightest of knocks across the Sharks winger’s chin.

Quick to take umbridge with the love tap, Mulitalo did enough to convince skipper Cameron McInnes that a penalty was deserved.

Rugby league diehards threatened the premature death of the great game when the play was sent to the bunker. They were left to live another day once the call was quickly quashed.

Ronaldo Mulitalo. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

History made

The crackdown on head high tackles helped provide a slice of history this weekend, when Nikora and Pole were sent to the sin bin for separate discretions.

Pole’s 10-minute spell midway through the second half was the 18th sin bin of the round, the most across any weekend in NRL history.

Questions remain over the consistency of the punishments being ruled, though it leaves the entire competition on notice to toe the line with no end in sight for the crackdown.

Originally published as NRL round 8: Wests Tigers 20 d. Cronulla Sharks 8