WESTS TIGERS 21 GOLD COAST TITANS 20
TOM SMITH, Leichhardt Oval, Sunday
ADAM DOUEIHI’S 80th-minute field-goal clinched victory for the Tigers over the Titans and sent Leichhardt Oval into raptures.
Jeral Skelton’s second try levelled the scores in the 77th minute and Doueihi missed the tricky conversion attempt, but the beloved local junior became the hero with his one-pointer 17 seconds from full-time.
Gold Coast will be kicking themselves after scoring one more try than Wests, only for Jayden Campbell’s two missed conversions to leave them short by the barest margin.
Captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui left the field early with a knee injury on a horror afternoon for the bottom-of-the-table Queenslanders.
This battle of two bottom-four teams began with Campbell looping a beautiful two-man cut-out to unmarked winger Jaylan De Groot.
Controversial ex-Panther Taylan May made his club debut alongside brother Terrell for the hosts – and Terrell threw the last pass for Taylan’s first four-pointer in black, white and gold.
Skelton also bagged his first before Titans wingers Phillip Sami and De Groot added two in quick succession to put the Titans up at the break.
A pair of penalty-goals for Api Koroisau, who started from the bench, put Wests back in front, until a brilliant individual run by AJ Brimson reclaimed Gold Coast’s lead.
Then after missing the sideline conversion attempt following Skelton’s second, Doueihi made no mistake at the death.
TIGERS: 1 Sunia Turuva, 2 Charlie Staines, 3 Taylan May, 4 Starford To’a, 5 Jeral Skelton, 6 Jarome Luai, 7 Latu Fainu, 8 Terrell May, 14 Tristan Hope, 10 Alex Twal, 12 Tony Sukkar, 17 Jack Bird, 13 Adam Doueihi. Subs (all used): 9 Api Koroisau, 11 Alex Seyfarth, 15 Sione Fainu, 16 Fonua Pole
Tries: Taylan May (13), Skelton (24, 77); Goals: Doueihi 2/3, Koroisau 2/2; Field-goals: Doueihi (80)
TITANS: 1 AJ Brimson, 2 Jaylan De Groot, 3 Brian Kelly, 4 Jojo Fifita, 5 Phillip Sami, 6 Kieran Foran, 7 Jayden Campbell, 8 Moeaki Fotuaika, 9 Sam Verrills, 15 Jaimin Jolliffe, 11 Chris Randall, 12 Beau Fermor, 13 Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. Subs: 10 Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 14 Alofiana Khan-Pereira (not used), 16 David Fifita, 17 Klese Haas
Tries: De Groot (3, 34), Sami (32), Brimson (66); Goals: Campbell 2/4
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 6-4, 12-4, 12-8, 12-14; 14-14, 16-14, 16-20, 20-20, 21-20
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Tigers: Terrell May; Titans: AJ Brimson
Penalty count: 8-3; Half-time: 12-14; Referee: Belinda Sharpe; Attendance: 16,073