Wests Tigers Intrust Super Premiership side have made it four wins in a row with a convincing win over the Newcastle Knights in their Round 11 clash on Saturday.
It was Newcastle who opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Braden Robson scooped up a kick from Will Pearsall to score out wide.
Bryce Donovan’s conversion hit the posts and the Knights took an early 4-0 lead.
Wests Tigers were quick to hit back and responded with three tries in 10 minutes to build some momentum.
Veiru Mapesone was first to cross for the home side, when he dummied and sliced through to score in the 13th minute, with the five-eighth — who was only brought into the side as a late inclusion — converted from the sideline to put his side 6-4 up.
Two minutes later, Manaia Cherrington finished off a break by Ryland Jacobs, who broke through on the left edge and found the hooker in support for the home side’s second of the day, before Jack Littlejohn crossed on the back of more great build up from Jacobs.
Mapesone had no problems adding the extras to give his side a 14-6 advantage.
Wests Tigers gained further momentum just before the break when Watson Heleta burst his way through the line to reach out and score out wide. Mapesone made no mistakes, and the home side took a comfortable 22-4 lead into the half-time sheds.
Both sides went set for set after the break until Mapesone put in a well-placed kick for Jeremy Marshall-King to go over under the posts in the 49th minute.
Some enterprising play from Chance Peni extended the home side’s lead just seven minutes later, when he flicked a pass to set up Jayden Wheelhouse in the corner for the side’s sixth of the day — giving Wests Tigers a 32-4 lead with still 25 minutes remaining.
Peni continued his good form when he extended the lead himself in the 65th minute — finishing off a nice scrum move to crash over the line out wide. Mapesone nailed the conversion from the sideline to give Wests Tigers an unassailable 38-4 advantage.
Newcastle scored a late consolation try through Matt Soper-Lawler, but the day belonged to the home side, who secured their fourth win in a row and temporarily moved to second place on the Intrust Super Premiership ladder after 11 rounds.
Wests Tigers 38 (Mapesone, Littlejohn, Cherrington, Heleta, Marshall-King, Wheelhouse, Peni tries; Mapesone 5/7 goals) def. Newcastle 10 (Soper-Lawler, Robson tries; Donovan 1/2 goals)
