By Michelle Boon at Campbelltown Sports Stadium
The Wests Tigers turned in their best performance of the season so far to topple the ladder leaders Wentworthville 52-16 at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
The Tigers opened the scoring after 12 minutes of play when five eighth Mitchell Moses crossed out wide touching down on a loose ball in the in-goal and he converted to lead 6-0.
With 14 minutes to go, Wests Tigers’ winger Marika Koroibete scored in the left hand corner using an overlap to finish off a great team move and Moses slotted the goal to take the score to 12-0.
Soon after, Wests Tigers’ centre Sitaleki Akauola went over out wide showing deft footwork to brush off defenders, giving Moses another successful conversion and improving the score to 18-0.
In the 33rd minute, Moses notched his double crossing under the posts after Koroibete started a break up the left hand touchline just on halfway, making 30 metres before turning it inside to Moses to go the rest of the way on a clear run. His conversion put them further ahead 24-0.
Shortly after Moses had a treble, going over out wide regathering a well-weighted grubber kick from close range and another successful conversion had the Tigers cruising and well in control leading 30-0 at half time.
There was no respite for Wentworthville at the start of the second half as Tigers’ winger Corey Brown went over out wide in the 42nd minute following a turnover in Wenty’s half that saw the Tigers move it quickly to the right where fullback Jy Hitchcox was able to slip a near-impossible offload to Brown just a few metres out. Moses maintained his perfect record with the boot to extend the lead to 36-0.
In the 47th minute, Wenty got their first try of the match when winger Bureta Faraimo scored out wide after getting a repeat set in the Tigers’ 10 metre zone during which hooker Ben Jones fired a superb long pass to an unmarked Faraimo to stroll over. Halfback Luke Kelly converted to take the score to 36-6.
Seven minutes later, Wentworthville Magpies five eighth Ryan Matterson crossed out wide finishing off a good team effort and Kelly’s conversion made it 36-12.
Soon after, Kelly scored his own long-range try after finding space up the left hand touchline from his own side of halfway and outpacing the cover defence. He didn’t convert leaving the score at 36-16.
In the 65th minute, Koroibete notched yet another double, going over in the left hand corner after Hitchcox made 20 metres on a mid-field kick return then squeezed a pass out to Koroibete who used a small gap down the left hand touchline to scorch past the cover. Moses added the extras to go further ahead 42-16.
Soon after, Tigers’ front rower Michael Bullock scored out wide charging over from close range proving too hard to stop and Moses had his first miss of the day to make the score 46-16.
Right on full time, Koroibete went over for his treble in the left hand corner in a repeat of a move that failed to come off only minutes earlier, with lock Kyle Lovett supplying a perfect pass near the line for him to plunge over.
This weekend the Tigers head up to Cessnock to face the Knights on Saturday afternoon while Wenty tackle Mounties at Aubrey Keech Reserve.
Wests Tigers 52 (M Koroibete 3, M Moses 3, C Brown, M Bullock, S Akauola tries; M Moses 8 goals) def. Wentworthville Magpies 16 (L Kelly, R Matterson, B Faraimo tries; L Kelly 2 goals) at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
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