Wests Tigers’ NYC side has extended their winning streak to six games with a 46-16 victory over the Canberra Raiders at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
It was another impressive performance for the junior Wests Tigers, who were led by Te Maire Martin’s hat-trick of tries and controlled performance to consolidate a top-four spot on the 2014 competition ladder.
After having several attacking sets on the visitors’ line, it was Wests Tigers who posted first points of the afternoon through Martin.
His sharp run close to the line saw him plant the ball down on the left, with Matthew Woods’ conversion pushing the score to 6-0 after 13 minutes.
The Raiders hit back shortly after, though, with captain Matt Frawley beating a few close to the line to level the scores after 18 minutes.
Mason Farrell pushed the hosts back in front in the 22nd minute, when a sharp back-line move off the scrum saw him accelerate outside of his man and plant the ball down out wide. Woods then nailed the tough sideline conversion in windy conditions, to restore the hosts’ six-point advantage.
However, that lead would again be cut shortly after, with Lachlan Hurst scoring out wide in the 26th minute following a strong left-edge raid.
Scott Doyle missed the conversion, to leave the score at 12-10.
Martin and Lamar Liolevave continued to terrorise the visitors’ right-edge defence throughout the first half and broke through once more as the second-rower Liolevave made a linebreak deep inside his own half. He then linked up with Martin down field, who ran around to score under the posts.
Woods duly added the extras to push the score to 18-10 after 34 minutes, which is how it would remain at half-time despite late chances for both teams.
Wests Tigers would continue their attacking dominance after the break, with John Tohi going over in the 51st minute following sharp hands across the back.
Woods couldn’t add the extras from the sideline, leaving the score at 22-10.
The Club’s Keebra Park connection on the left edge had proven fruitful all day, and it would again hurt the Raiders in the 54th minute as Liolevave’s ball found John Ogden on the right wing, who ran around to score next to the posts.
Woods added the extras to push the score to 28-10.
Canberra appeared to have pegged one back in the 59th minute through Jack Creith after an intercept, but a successful captain’s challenge found a knock-on in the lead-up from the visitors, and the try was disallowed.
Martin grabbed his third of the day in spectacular fashion in the 67th minute — stepping two before fending away two more to score next to the posts.
Woods’ simple conversion pushed the scoreline out to 34-10.
The Raiders made matters worse for themselves in the 70th minute when Erza Howe was sent to the sin-bin for being the third man in to the melee. That saw the visitors with just 12 men for the remaining 10 minutes of the match, and the home side soon took full advantage with another four-pointer — this time through Daniel Rakvin, who burst through three tackles to score.
Woods’ successful conversion pushed the score to 40-10 with five minutes left.
The hosts weren’t done, though, with Hala Masila grabbing a try next to the posts after running a good line — pushing the score out to 46-10.
The Raiders added a try on the siren through Hurst, but it was all in vain, as the hosts ran out comfortable winners in the end at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Final: Wests Tigers 46 def. Canberra Raiders 16
