NRL: West Tigers roar back to hand Warriors first loss of the season

The Warriors made the perfect start but couldn’t finish it as the West Tigers stormed back to claim a 32-14 win at Go Media Stadium on Friday night.

Backed by a loud crowd, the Wahs came out firing from the first whistle, striking through their Pacific stars.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, of Cook Island heritage, crossed in their right corner off a repeat set, before Sāmoan-born Jacob Laban powered over soon after, running a clean line off halfback Tanah Boyd.

Even with clear conditions, handling errors crept into both sides' games, proving costly, before the Tigers found their way back.

Albeit coughing up multiple knock-ons, it wasn’t long until key players stood up.

Halfback Adam Douehi sparked the turnaround, palming off the Warriors’ defence to break the line, before linking up with Fa’aletino Tavana, who crossed on debut down their right edge.

Sunia Turuva of Wests Tigers celebrates his try. Photo/Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

That moment proved to be a turning point as the Tigers began to build momentum.

Tigers co-captain Api Koroisau told Sky Sport post-match that the focus at halftime was “not being worried about the conditions, but backing our ability.”

It all continued to work in their favour, as a ball rebounded off Warriors Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, sitting nicely for Sunia Turuva to send teammate Kai Pearce-Paul over the line.

Mitchell Barnett of the Warriors. Photo/Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

Then impact forward Royce Hunt injected crucial energy, charging over through heavy contact to send his side up 16-10 at halftime.

From there, the Tigers pressed on, with their spine coming alive to shut the Warriors out of the contest.

The Warriors scored once more in the second half through Nicoll-Klokstad, but the Tigers were the side with real control.

Warriors captain James Fisher-Harris delivered a brutally honest reflection to the media on their performance.

“We showed some resilience, but it's just not our standards and we just got punched in the face. So just going to have a look in the mirror and go again.”

Douehi again threatened, slicing through the defensive line before offloading to fullback Jahream Bula, who clocked well over 150 run metres.

The Tigers’ agility and intent exposed the defensive lapses in the Auckland side, reflected in a 50 to 18 missed tackle count.

Jock Madden was strong for his side, scoring a try as well as displaying a solid night on the boot, kicking four from six conversions.

But it was Turuva who had the final say on the match, catching Warriors defenders napping to score in their right corner.

This becomes the Tigers’ second win of the season, and they will look to build on this performance ahead of their round five clash against the Parramatta Eels, who play the Penrith Panthers on Saturday, 7.30pm (NZT).

While it wasn’t meant to be for the Wahs, it’s a clear reminder of the level needed week to week. They will take on the Cronulla Sharks on Sunday 5 April at Shark Park, Sydney.

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