A gallant Wests Tigers suffered a heartbreaking 16-13 loss to the Parramatta Eels in the dying minutes at CommBank Stadium on Sunday in round 22 of the Telstra Premiership.
The Tigers fought back from a 12-0 half-time deficit to draw level before taking the lead through an Adam Doueihi field goal in the 71st minute for a 13-12 lead.
With the clock ticking down, the Eels then slid over through Isaiah Iongi in the 75th minute to take a 16-13 lead before holding on to claim victory.
It was a cruel blow for the Tigers, and in particular, their inspirational captain in hooker Api Koroisau, who was playing his 250th NRL game.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, it was their seventh straight loss. Wests Tigers have the bye next weekend.
The key moments
11th minute: Wests Tigers centre Patrick Herbet ruled to be short of the line in desperate attempt to score.
17th minute: The Eels miss an opportunity to score off a Mitchell Moses kick after centre Jordan Samrani drops the ball.
21st minute: Parramatta open the scoring through Samrani off a Mitchell Moses kick. Moses converts 6-0.
26th minute: Wests Tigers lock Alex Twal placed on report.
31st minute: Parramatta hooker Tallyn Da Silva scoots from dummy half to beat the defence to score after initial break by Samrani. Moses converts. Eels 12-0.
45th minute: A knock on by Samrani denies the Eels a try off a bomb.
47th minute: Wests Tigers prop Fonua Pole scores a brilliant 20 metre solo try in beating four defenders to score next to the posts. Doueihi converts. Eels 12-6.
53rd minute: Wests Tigers centre Patrick Herbert pulls off a trysaving tackle on Josh Addo Carr.
60th minute: Doueihi creates something from nothing after carrying three defenders over the line to score next to the posts. Converts own try. 12-12.
66th minute: Wests Tigers winger Sunia Turuva drops a cut out pass from Doueihi with line open.
68th minute: Tigers forward Alex Seyfarth denied a try for a knock-on after racing 35 metres to score.
71st minute: Doueihi lands a wobbly field goal from 20 metres out to put the Tigers in front for first time. Tigers 13-12.
75th minute: Eels full-back Isaiah Iongi slides past a rushed up Heamasi Makasini to go over in the corner. Eels 16-13.
What they said
"There was a lot of good to take away today to be fair. We got back to playing some footy that we played at the start of the season. We had our chances to win,'' - Wests Tigers Coach Benji Marshall.
"I thought he was outstanding. It showed true character given the week he had, to turn it around and to just put that into performance on the field,'' Marshall on Adam Doueihi.
