Tigers scrape by to remain in hunt
WESTS Tigers have put a week of drama behind them to hold off Canberra 22- 20 and keep their NRL finals hopes alive.
The Raiders have dominated the Tigers in recent meetings, including a 36- point smashing in June, but the visitors produced a hot start at GIO Stadium and closed out the job.
The result moved the Tigers to within a game of a stumbling Brisbane, who are eighth on the ladder.
The Tigers responded to a tumultuous few days, in which coach Ivan Cleary was linked with a controversial return to Penrith, by scoring the opening three tries of the contest.
Cleary’s side capitalised on Raiders centre Joseph Leilua being sent to the sin bin early to jump out to a 16- 0 lead before second- rower Joseph Tapine finally put Canberra on the scoreboard with a try in the 29th minute. Despite the Tigers being the far better team in the first 40 minutes, they only led 20- 10 at the break after Raiders forward Josh Papalii scored just before halftime.
Canberra were a different team in the second half as Leilua and Tapine scored tries within five minutes of each other to reduce the margin to only two points. But that’s where the score stayed as the Tigers defended for the final 15 minutes to secure their 11th win of the season.
“The boys did really well to hold them out,” Cleary said