WESTS TIGERS 28 CANTERBURY BULLDOGS 14
TOM SMITH, CommBank Stadium, Parramatta, Sunday
LACHLAN GALVIN’S first meeting with his old club ended in defeat as the Wests Tigers produced a stunning upset over Canterbury in the wet.
With rain tumbling, Wests fans showered Galvin with boos following his mid-season move to the Bulldogs, and the Tigers’ new halves Adam Doueihi and Jarome Luai outpointed their former team-mate.
Wests’ early 20-0 lead looked shaky on the hour mark after the Dogs shaved the margin to twelve and Alex Seyfarth was sin-binned for a high shot.
But Luai sent Samuela Fainu in to seal a big boil-over which dents Canterbury’s minor premiership aspirations.
The desperate Tigers denied Stephen Crichton the opener, and were rewarded once Jeral Skelton found the right corner against his former club.
Jahream Bula returned from a hamstring injury in style, finishing off a long-range Doueihi line break.
Api Koroisau pierced a perfect grubber into the corner for Skelton’s second, and once Doueihi scooped up a Matt Burton knock-on to sprint 80 metres to the stripe, Wests had 20 points breathing room.
The two Jacobs, Preston and Kiraz, kept the Bulldogs alive with tries either side of the break, and an almighty comeback looked possible when Seyfarth was punished for collecting Harry Hayes in the head.
Crichton was lucky to stay on the park when he caught Taylan May high, gifting Doueihi a penalty-goal, then Samuela Fainu made sure of the win before Josh Curran notched a late consolation try.
TIGERS: 1 Jahream Bula, 2 Sunia Turuva, 3 Taylan May, 19 Brent Naden, 5 Jeral Skelton, 6 Jarome Luai, 13 Adam Doueihi, 8 Terrell May, 9 Api Koroisau, 10 Alex Twal, 11 Samuela Fainu, 12 Alex Seyfarth, 14 Sione Fainu. Subs (all used): 7 Latu Fainu, 15 Royce Hunt, 16 Fonua Pole, 17 Tony Sukkar
Tries: Skelton (14, 30), Bula (19), Doueihi (33), Samuela Fainu (71); Goals: Doueihi 4/6; Sin bin: Seyfarth (60) – high tackle
BULLDOGS: 1 Jacob Kiraz, 2 Jethro Rinakama, 3 Bronson Xerri, 4 Stephen Crichton, 5 Enari Tuala, 6 Matt Burton, 7 Lachlan Galvin, 8 Max King, 9 Reed Mahoney, 10 Samuel Hughes, 11 Viliame Kikau, 12 Jacob Preston, 13 Jaeman Salmon. Subs (all used): 14 Kurt Mann, 15 Harry Hayes, 16 Josh Curran, 17 Bailey Hayward
Tries: Preston (37), Kiraz (52), Curran (79); Goals: Crichton 1/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 14-0, 20-0, 20-4; 20-8, 22-8, 28-8, 28-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Tigers: Adam Doueihi; Bulldogs: Jacob Preston
Penalty count: 8-7; Half-time: 20-4; Referee: Wyatt Raymond; Attendance: 17,423