**Gritty comeback puts Tigers in final 6**
The Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers made a spectacular comeback on Saturday against the Wentworthville Magpies to win 32 – 26 and keep them in the hunt for the NSW Cup premiership for 2009.
The Magpies were all over the Tigers in the first half, creating havoc in the Tigers defence, which consisted mostly of slapping tackles with little effect. Wenty ran in 3 tries before half time to lead by 6, but had all the momentum.
Brendan Oake was pivotal for the Magpies, scoring 2 tries in 5 minutes to give them the lead they would carry till late in the game. However the Tigers managed to scramble together a try in the closing minute of the first half to keep them in the running, after Sean Meaney took a inside ball from winger Junior Roqica in the corner, which Josh Lewis converted, 18 – 12.
Dressed in their away Ryde Eastwood colours, the Tigers looked beat as the Magpies ran in the next two tries, first when Anthony Mitchell caught them by surprise and dived over from 5 metres out, and the second when the Tigers tackles dissolved in the face of Wenties (#25) who brushed off two tackles running down the wing to score, 26 – 12.
But the Tigers weren’t done yet, showing huge character they lifted in the face of adversity and brought home a tremendous comeback to keep themselves in the series.
Josh Lewis started them off with a 60 metre intercept try to get them within 8 points. Then Brett Lane shined in a glimmer of hope as he took a great inside ball 15 metres out, cut through 2 tackles and stepped past the fullback to take the Tigers within 2 points.
With updated scores flying in from other NSW Cup matches, both coaches were jumping up and down on the side line with the knowledge that a loss here could mean the end of their season.
But with the combination of Willie Mataka and Sioeli Makaui, who looked like they had been playing off each other all their lives, the Tiger’s really stepped out of themselves and carved up the retreating home side.
Meaney scored his second to give the Tigers the lead by 4 in the 72nd minute, but it was David Gower who played the part of battering ram all day which had the Tigers supporters jumping out of the stands as he crossed with 4 minutes to go to seal up the win 32 – 26, and a final 6 spot.
Balmain’s Coach Paul Fletcher was grinning ear to ear congratulating “the teams character. It was character which pulled them from 14 points down to win by 6 when everything was on the line. We won off character.”
<big>**Next Sunday 20th September, we take on the Central Coast Storm at Leichhardt Oval. Kick off is at 3pm.**</big>
