TIGERS SNEAK HOME AFTER MANLY STORM BACK
THE Wests Tigers are still in the NRL finals race – just – after holding out a fastfinishing Manly 22-20 at Campbelltown last night.
After they trailed by two at the break, the Tigers looked to have the game in the bag when they unleashed three tries in the space of five minutes early in the second half to lead 22-8.
However they had to endure a nervous final six minutes when Trent Hodkinson first scored and Tom Trbojevic caught a pass off his laces and found Daly Cherry-Evans to help bring Manly within two points.
Cherry-Evans then had a penalty shot at goal after the siren from 47m out and on the sideline to level the scores but the kick fell two metres short.
The win moves Ivan Cleary’s men to within two points of the Warriors and Brisbane. They still need to beat South Sydney next week and hope one of those teams lose both their remaining games – and likely by some margins.
The win marked the Tigers’ first at Campbelltown in 824 days, after they had lost seven straight at the venue since last tasting victory there in May 2016.
Manly’s loss capped off another horror week for the club amid the Trent Barrett drama, and left them in danger of picking up their first wooden spoon if they lose to Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday week and results go against them.