Wests Tigers NYC boys have extended their winning streak to seven in a row with a 30-18 victory over the Penrith Panthers at Leichhardt Oval.
It was another dominant attacking display from the Club, with five-eighth Te Maire Martin continuing to impress, as he controlled the tempo of the match throughout and terrorised the Panthers’ right-edge defence.
A quick flick from Delouise Hoeter in his return game saw John Tohi post first points of the afternoon for the joint-venture Club, with the winger standing up his man before planting it down in the corner after nine minutes.
Matthew Woods couldn’t add the extras, though, leaving the score at 4-0.
Martin soon took control of the game with a sweeping back-line move seeing Watson Heleta crash over the line for his 10th consecutive try.
Woods nailed the conversion for a 10-0 lead after just 12 minutes of play.
John Ogden was the next to crash over in the 17th minute following some sharp build-up play from Heleta and Martin. The winger soon had a double after further good work down the left from Martin and hooker Manaia Cherrington, with Woods unable to add the extras from the sideline on either roccasion.
That gave the hosts an 18-0 lead after 25 minutes of play.
Cherrington got into the action himself in the 30th minute as he burrowed over from dummy half close to the posts. Woods added the easy extras and the scoreline was blown out to 24-0, which is how it would read at half-time.
The Panthers would come out firing in the second half, though, and would reduce the margin to 12 points in the opening 10 minutes, as both Sam Scarlett and Antonio Pelesasa crossed for tries close the posts.
However, the run would be ended in the 62nd minute as Ogden collected his third try of the day following a dropped cross-field kick from Eli Levido.
Woods converted the try from out wide to push the lead to 30-12.
Penrith scored a late consolation try through lock forward Sione Katoa as time expired, but it was all in vain, as the hosts emerged with a 12-point victory.
Final: Wests Tigers 30 def. Penrith Panthers 18
