Brutal weekend gets worse for the Tigers
martin gabor
Sat, 7 Sept 2024, 5:36 am GMT+1·4-min read
NRLW Rd 7 – Cowboys v Tigers
The Cowboys survived an almighty scare to heap more misery on the Wests Tigers. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images
The Cowboys have survived a crazy second half comeback to hold on for a thrilling 24-22 win over the Wests Tigers who slumped to their 14th NRLW loss in a row to continue a difficult weekend for the club.
The Tigers looked headed for a big second-half turnaround when they scored three tries in nine minutes to tie things up, but the hosts broke their hearts to keep their top-four hopes alive.
North Queensland looked set for a big win when they crossed twice in the opening 10 minutes, with former Tiger Jakiya Whitfeld scoring off a nice Kirra Dibb short ball.
But the visitors roared back in the second half and threatened to pull off the upset of the season, only for Cowboys winger Lavinia Tauhalaliku to claim a kick and run 80 metres before Jetaya Faifua stepped her way through a play later.
They looked to have sealed it but had another four points taken away for a knock-on which was immediately punished by the Tigers who hit back through Losana Lutu.
The missed conversion left them down by two, and despite having an attacking scrum in the final minute, they couldn’t find a winner as the Cowboys somehow held on.
YOUNG TALENT TIME
A day after their NRL side claimed the wooden spoon, the Tigers moved another step closer to a bottom place finish in the NRLW as poor goal-kicking cost them dearly.
They scored five tries to four but only landed one goal as Kirra Dibb nailed all four of her conversions for the home side.
It’s been an underwhelming year for the Tigers, but just like the men’s side, there have been some encouraging signs with a couple of young guns showing the future looks a little bright.
Chelsea Savill asked plenty of questions off the bench around the ruck, but it was NSW under-19s star Evie McGrath who caught the eye as she sparked a second-half comeback with a fortuitous try.
Rikeya Horne scored from the next set to cut the gap to four points before McGrath touched down in the left corner a minute later, only for the try to be taken off the Tigers for obstruction.
NRLW Rd 7 – Dragons v Raiders
Grace Kemp scored twice to power the Raiders to a thrilling win over the Dragons. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
The Raiders will avoid the wooden spoon after they snapped a five-game losing streak to heap more misery on the Dragons who told head coach Jamie Soward earlier in the week that he won’t be there next year.
The 38-34 win moves the Green Machine four points clear of the Wests Tigers with two rounds remaining, with Canberra breathing a sigh of relief thanks to a monster performance from Grace Kemp.
The towering prop was unstoppable on Saturday afternoon with two tries, 143 metres, 10 tackle busts and an offload as Canberra fought back from 12 points down in the second half to win.
Kemp’s second try and the subsequent conversion tied things up before they scored another two tries in the final 10 minutes, with Dragons superstar Teagan Berry cutting the margin with a stunning solo chip and chase effort to grab her second.
SWEET AND SOWARD
Berry’s attacking brilliance has been the bright spot for the Dragons over the past couple of seasons, but their defensive frailties were exposed again as their finals hopes were extinguished.
The loss caps a tough few days for the club after Soward revealed he wouldn’t return in 2025 after four seasons in charge.
He took them to a grand final in their first year but the loss of so many stars since then has really hurt the Red V, with the club keen to go in a new direction after another year without finals footy.
