NRL Match Report | Round 25 v Tigers

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Full-time: The Roosters throw a late challenge after Api Koroisau kicks the ball into touch with second remaining in bid to stop the clock before full-time. The challenge fails and that's all she wrote, the Tigers win it!

79 min: Wests Tigers are in the lead thanks to a Jock Madden field goal. Under huge pressure he nails it from 30m out right in front. Tigers 25-24

78 min: The Roosters start a set from just shy of their own 40m and eye off setting up a field goal. Naufahu Whyte gets an arm free but his offload is intercepted by Tigers prop Terrell May.

Injury update: Salesi Foketi is back on the park after passing his HIA.

76 min: The Roosters get a penalty 35 metres out after a runner supporting Cody Ramsey on a half break was pulled back. Sam Walker steps up in a bid to slot the two points from 15 metres in from touch and it sails through the middle to level the scores. 

74 min: A try of the year contender from the Roosters! Sam Walker ends up scoring after starting on the left side, receiving the ball from dummy-half on last tackle, deciding to put it through the hands to the right, then Victor Radley puts a kick in across field, which goes backwards for Mark Nawaqanitawase to snare, he basketballs it over to Nat Butcher inside, Butcher goes back to the Roosters winger who surges through two defenders on his way toward the posts, then he flicks it back to Walker running to the opposite corner to score it. Walker just sneaks the conversion in. Tigers lead 24-22

70 min: Mark Nawaqanitawase is over for the Roosters! On a shift right, Siua Wong bats it on to Robert Toia who is into space, then he offloads to Nawaqanitawase who pushes his way through two Tigers defenders and rolls over, looks to get the ball down in a scramble and claims the try, which is awarded. On replay, the Bunker rules there was separation between the ball and Nawaqanitawase's forearm and fingers before he grounded it and the try is overturned.

68 min: The Roosters get a penalty 40m out from the Tigers line after ruck interference causes Siua Wong to drop the ball attempting to play it. Reece Robson takes the quick tap and is about to break through until Alex Seyfarth makes a desperate lunge for Robson's arm and is successful in forcing the Roosters hooker to spill the ball.

66 min: The Roosters are back in it with a try to Robert Toia. After marching down the field it comes to the right for one of the rare occasions of the game and Sam Walker passes to Robert Toia, who doesn't have much of an opening in front of him until he steps and beats Solomone Saukuru, slips through a tackle and dots it down. Walker hits the post with the conversion attempt and has his head in his hands. Tigers lead 24-16

Injury update: Salesi Foketi has left the field for a HIA with category 2 symptoms.

64 min: The Tigers threaten many times on the following set and Jock Madden puts a dangerous grubber down on last tackle, but Billy Smith saves the day with a brave dive forward and back into the field of play.

40/20: Another huge play from Api Koroisau, who pops out from dummy-half and throws it on the boot and the ball has back spin on it, evading Cody Ramsey at the back.

61 min: They're very 'Api over in Tigertown. Api Koroisau is over to extend the lead for the Tigers to finish the play he started with a short side run, quick hands down the left and a line break from Junior Tupou, who throws a cutout inside to his skipper to score next to the posts. Koroisau converts his own try to make it a 12-point lead. Tigers 24-12

58 min: The Tigers aren't giving too much away to the Roosters, putting in some fantastic yardage sets and the right kicks on the end of it to force the home side to work it out of the corners.

55 min: The Roosters get another chance at consecutive sets on the Tigers line after a penalty for an escort. On the following set, Victor Radley is on a strong lead run and the ball goes past him, but he takes out Alex Seyfarth and the referee blows the penalty the Tigers' way.

51 min: A fantastic reward for Wests Tigers as Solomone Saukuru crosses for his thrid NRL try in his second game to give his side the lead. It was set up on a strong run from Samuela Fainu down the left, who popped his arm free to find Jahream Bula trailing in support, then the fullback smartly sets up the draw and pass for Saukuru to score. Api Koroisau has taken the kicking tee off Jock Madden and he has nailed the conversion from wide out. Tigers 18-12

47 min: Outstanding defence from the Tigers. The Roosters enjoy three consecutive sets on the Tigers line but consistently find players flat-footed, making easy meat for the visitors. Sam Walker is put under pressure with a last tackle cross field kick and it's far too deep and marked for a seven tackle set.

44 min: The Roosters have received their instructions to do everything better and they start off with a simplified game plan, which is putting them on the front foot. The Tigers keep them out, but as they try to work it out, Api Koroisau goes for a 20/40 which has the distance, but lands centimetres over the touch line.

Half-time: We're all tied up at Allianz Stadium after a first half not many expected coming into the match. The Roosters have been a shadow of the team sharing the competition lead, making a comedy of errors - after opening the game with a try to Billy Smith - to invite Wests Tigers to show what they've got. They took advantage with three quick tries, but Jock Madden's off day from the kicking tee kept the lead to 12-6. The Tigers' intensity dropped away late in the half, allowing the Roosters to build pressure and ultimately score a try right on half time and level the scores.

40 min: The Roosters have salvaged the half with a second try to Billy Smith. They've found their groove in the final stages of the half and head left for Sam Walker to throw a double cutout pass to the winger to double up. Walker follows it up with a conversion from the sideline. Scores level 12-12

36 min: A handling error from the Tigers gives the Roosters another opportunity to attack their line. It's not a great set from the equal competition leaders and Reece Robson tries a grubber kick from dummy-half to end the set, but it goes straight to Api Koroisau, who is on the end of a high tackle from his opposite number.

33 min: The Roosters have woken up, completing the sets and starting the win the yardage battle. Cody Ramsey pins his ears back and breaks through Jarome Luai and steps off his right towards the posts, Tigers fullback Jahream Bula grabs and spins Ramsey, who gets an offload to Robert Toia, but he fumbles it and the Tigers survive.

28 min: Jeral Skelton has a double! On the back of a schoolboy handling error from Lindsay Collins on his first run off the bench, the Tigers go on the attack again. The ball is shifted right and Jahream Bula just draws enough interest from Hugo Savala to create an extra number, then he throws it short to Patrick Herbert who produced a blink-and-you-miss-it no-looker to Skelton who has a rails run to the corner. Jock Madden again misses with the conversion attempt. Tigers 12-6

24 min: Wests Tigers have are in the lead after a forgettable moment from Roosters centre Billy Smith. The winger drops it cold taking the first hit-up of a set inside his own 10m line and the ball falls for Patrick Herbert, who throws the flick pass out to Tony Sukkar to cross for a try. It was on the back of another inspired Tigers run of play including a set restart thanks to crafty dummy-half play from Api Koroisau. Jock Madden can't find his range 10 metres wide of the uprights. Wests Tigers 8-6

20 min: The Tigers have hit back here at Allianz Stadium. Jeral Skelton is on the board after a right side shift that had Hugo Savala rushing out of the defensive line and coming up with air. The visitors earned the opportunity on the back of two penalties to piggy-back into attacking ball. Jock Madden has the kicking duties but can't convert. Roosters lead 6-4

17 min: The Roosters are camped on the Tigers line and earn a repeat set after Patrick Herbert is captured in goal fielding a Sam Walker grubber kick on last tackle. The Tigers step up in clunky follow-up from the Roosters and turn them away.

12 min: Alex Seyfarth breathes a sigh of relief as Reece Robson can't hold on to the ball just as he goes to reach for the line on a scurry from dummy-half.

10 min: Billy Smith is flying high to capture a Daly Cherry-Evans last tackle bomb and he briefly has it over Jeral Skelton, but spills it over the dead ball line. They will get another opportunity to attack after a poor error from Alex Seyfarth in the following set. 

9 min: The Roosters are putting in some bruising defence led by none other than Victor Radley to keep Wests Tigers hemmed in working it out of their own end to build the pressure.

Injury update: Unfortunate but not unexpected news for Wests Tigers, with confirmation Alex Twal is ruled out with Category 1 concussion symptoms.

4 min: Too easy for the Roosters! The home side puts a strong set together and earn a set restart. In the following plays, a simple shift to the left has Billy Smith in space and he gets the ball down on the line one-handed on a run toward the corner post. Sam Walker converts from the sideline. Roosters 6-0

2 min: Wests Tigers look up and about with their first use of the ball and attack down the left, but centre Solomone Saukuru is caught on last after his winger is nowhere to be seen.

1 min: Alex Twal stumbles out of a tackle in the first set and leaves the field with a head cut and for a HIA.

Kickoff: A great day in Sydney sets the scene for what is set to be an exciting contest, with the Roosters having first use of the ball.

Late Mail

Roosters: Nat Butcher joins the starting line up in the only game day change with Spencer Leniu to come off the bench. Skipper James Tedesco will miss a third straight game with an ankle injury. Cody Ramsey has doing a superb job filling in at fullback and will do so once again. Rex Bassingthwaighte comes back on to the six-man bench as a result. 

Wests Tigers: Just the one change in the 90-minute squad update, with Terrell May to come off the bench and Alex Seyfarth to start at prop. Adam Doueihi is headed for shoulder surgery and it was confirmed on Tuesday he would be replaced at halfback by Jock Madden, who plays his first NRL game since Round 18. Lock Alex Twal returns after missing the Dragons game due to illness so Sione Fainu slides to the bench. Winger Sunia Turuva was initially listed on the interchange but dropped out of the side in the 24-hour update after suffering a knee injury late in last week's match. Tino Tavana replaces Turuva on the six-man bench. 

Titans v Sharks at Cbus Super Stadium

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Full-time: The Sharks turn it around in the second half to break their two game losing streak with a 30-22 victory.

79 min: Titans half Lachlan Ilias puts up a towering bomb in a last-ditch effort to give themselves a shot of winning, but Ronaldo Mulitalo flies high to snare it and runs an extra 30 metres on the back of it to all but seal the result.

75 min: A consolation try for the Titans but a memorable one for Bodhi Sharpley. Having passed his HIA and returned to the field, the second-gamer is trailing through on a Luke Sommerton grubber kick from dummy half and dives on it to give the Titans a glimmer of hope. Jayden Campbell converts from next to the posts. Sharks 30-22

72 min: The Titans have put together a couple of impressive sets, making plenty of metres as they throw it around hoping to mount a late comeback, but the Sharks are turning up in defence when it matters.

68 min: A second try of the day for Ronaldo Mulitalo as the Sharks extend the lead. In a very similar play to the one that had Katoa leaping over, Mulitalo receives a cutout over the top from Nicho Hynes and does not need to be as acrobatic to score in the corner. Hynes converts from the sideline. Sharks 30-16

66 min: Addin Fonua-Blake has been a man possessed on his second stint. He turns ball player on this occasion and shows soft hands and deception to put Teig Wilton through a hole, but support runner Niwhai Puru is pulled down just short.

62 min: He did not just do that! It's a finish from Sione Katoa that has to be seen to be believed, who just about completes a front flip so he can leap over the cover defence of Phillip Sami after receiving a triple cut-out from Nicho Hynes. The opportunity came off the back of a ruling against Sami for passing off the ground. Hynes missed the conversion attempt. Sharks 24-16

58 min: It's all happening through the middle for the Sharks and Addin Fonua-Blake has try. It comes again off the back of a powerful Siosifa Talakai play-the-ball, setting up a quick play the ball. AFB is not given a saloon pass to line, dragging two defenders over the line and pushing off Titans fullback Keano Kini to just the ball on the line. Nicho Hynes converts from adjacent the posts. Sharks 20-16 

Injury update: Titans interchange prop Bodhi Sharpley has been called off the field for a HIA.

Injury update: Titans second rower Beau Fermor has suffered an abdominal injury and has been ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Crowd: 16,074

52 min: The Sharks have crossed the stripe through Nicho Hynes. Niwhai Puru puts the bomb up on last tackle and Ronaldo Mulitalo leaps high to snatch it, passes to Teig Wilton and he finds Hynes. However, the Bunker finds Hynes did not have both feet behind Puru and is ruled to have been within 10 metres of Mulitalo's grab and is offside. 

49 min: It felt like it would only be a matter of time for the Sharks to start this half time and this time it's Cameron McInnes crashing over off a pass from Blayke Brailey. Some credit needs to also go to Siosifa Talakai, who had a rapid play the ball off a run off the back fence. The opportunity came through yet another handling error from Moeaki Fotuaika. Nicho Hynes converts from adjacent the uprights. Titans lead 16-14

46 min: The Sharks get the first opportunity to go on attack and look threatening when turning the ball back inside. Mawene Hiroti breaks a few tackles on a threatening run, which the Titans just handle, a couple of plays later he's receiving the ball on last pass off a short pass, but again the home side shuts the play down and forces the handover. Moeaki Fotuaika adds to the pressure with a knock on as the Titans work it out, but all's well that ends well as Addin Fonua-Blake returns serve with an error trying to find a quick play-the-ball.

44 min: The two teams are going set for set, grinding away to start the second half, but the Sharks certainly look a bit more upbeat after regrouping in the sheds at half-time.

Injury update: Jojo Fifita was struggling with a hip injury late in the first half but will soldier on after receiving treatment at the break.

Half-time: The Titans take a 16-8 lead into half time and they thoroughly deserve it after impressing for much of the opening stanza. The Sharks started the stronger as the visitors had some discipline issues and struggled to contain Sharks middles Addin Fonua-Blake, Tom Hazleton and Blayke Brailey. But since the Sharks took an 8-4 midway through the half, the Titans held their discipline where the Sharks could not, turning it on in attack and making the Sharks look clunky when they had possession, putting on some strong defence.

40 min: The final set of the half is the story of it for the Sharks as Nicho Hynes takes a look at the defence before receiving the ball and spills it.

35 min: The Sharks get a golden chance on the back of an error against Titans hooker Oliver Pascoe. They receive a set restart to go deep on attack but early in the new set they try to catch the Titans napping, but their eagerness leads to an error from Niwhai Puru.

33 min: The Gold Coast Titans try scoring record is broken! Phillip Sami overtakes Anthony Don with a try in the corner, finishing off the opportunity he creates with a line break a few plays earlier. It's a short side play that does the trick, with AJ Brimson going to Beau Fermor on his left and he finds Sami in open space to score one of the easiest of his career. Jayden Campbell slots the sideline conversion. Titans 16-8

30 min: The Titans are throwing the gauntlet down to the Sharks and look energised on every run, occasionally popping offloads to keep the ball moving. It's a reasonably warm day on the Gold Coast and the Sharks have some fatigue setting in.

27 min: It's try for try here at Cbus Super Stadium. The Titans go right on the attack after a Tino Fa'asuamaleaui offload has Jayden Campbell dancing through the line. After Lachlan Ilias go oh so close on the right side, the Titans spin it left and the Sharks are fooled by a Beau Fermor decoy run, leaving space for Keano Kini to pass short to AJ Brimson to get across for the try. Campbell bends it like Thurston to nail the conversion. Titans 10-8 

22 min: The Sharks are back in the lead through Sione Katoa. After an error from Lachlan Ilias near half way - and a set restart - the Sharks set up camp on the Titans line and a shift right has Will Kennedy wrapping around to create the extra number. His quick hands give Katoa an open run the line. Nicho Hynes puts this attempt across the face of goal and away to the left. Sharks 8-4

17 min: How quick the tide turns! The Titans have a try through Jojo Fifita diving over in the corner. The play starts with a dart out of dummy-half from Oliver Pascoe and he finds Tino Fa'asuamaleaui on a charging, who hits, spins and offloads before the ball goes through quick hands right to Fifita to score. Jayden Campbell can't add the extras. Scores level 4-4

14 min: The Titans have put together some tidy sets of six, kicking to the corners to make the Sharks work it out of their own end. But the Sharks are dominating through the middle with powerful runs targeting behind the ruck to consistently enter the Titans' half.

10 min: The Titans are putting themselves under big pressure early, giving away another two set restarts in the Sharks' possession after points. They survive on this occasion due to some clunky Sharks play on the left between Niwhai Puru and KL Iro, the latter making the error off a pressure pass.

9 min: The Sharks have their try through Ronaldo Mulitalo. It wasn't the prettiest one for the visitors, with Will Kennedy's pass dribbling on the ground behind KL Iro and bouncing towards the try line, making it slightly easier for Mulitalo to plant the ball under some pressure. Nicho Hynes hits the upright on his conversion attempt. Sharks 4-0

5 min: The Sharks are over the line through Sione Katoa, who celebrates only to learn the last pass from Mawene Hiroti has been called forward. The field position came off the back of a line break from Blayke Brailey, which looked to have set up a try only for KL Iro to stumble as he made a beeline towards the try line.

3 min: It's low risk footy early on from both sides as they look to settle into the game. A ruck infringement against Nicho Hynes gives the Titans the first attacking field position, turning it over on last tackle after the crash play option from Oliver Pascoe to Tino Fa'asuamaleaui on last tackle fails to yield a result.

Kickoff: The Titans receive first use of the ball on a fantastic afternoon for footy on the Gold Coast.

Late Mail

Titans: Klese Haas and Kurtis Morrin join the starting side at prop and second row respectively in the 90-minute squad update. Moeaki Fotuaika and Arama Hau, who were originally named to start, revert to the interchange. Cooper Bai was named to start at lock on Tuesday with Chris Randall moving to the bench. Winger Phillip Sami requires one try to break Anthony Don’s club tryscoring record (85). No changes in Saturday's 24-hour update.

Sharks: Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has bolstered the size of his starting pack in the 90-minute squad update, with Tom Hazleton named at lock and Cameron McInnes shifting to the bench. The loss of five-eighth Braydon Trindall to a shoulder dislocation brings Niwhai Puru into the halves alongside Nicho Hynes. The 24-year-old played three games at halfback earlier in the season when Hynes was out with a calf injury. Prop Addin Fonua-Blake's return from suspension sees Oregon Kaufusi move to the bench. Sam Stonestreet was added to the bench on Saturday with Braden Uele dropping out.