TIGERS MOVE INTO STATE CUP FINAL
From the NSWRL
Monday, September 21, 2009
Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers overcame a late comeback by Central Coast Storm to record a 24-18 victory at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday, September 20, in the NSW State Cup semi-final.
The first 25 minutes was all Tigers. The efforts from Ryan Carr as playmaker had the Storms heads spinning as his inside balls were dynamite.
Carr helped set up the first try of the game, in the first minute, when he put a long ball to David Gower, who then popped an inside ball to a charging Al Schirnack, barrelling through the Storm line, 6 – 0.
Then as the Storm were falling over themselves to give back possession Carr moved the ball wide to fullback Sean Meaney, who made a brilliant inside step to slip through one tackle and cross in the 12th minute, which Josh Lewis converted 12 – 0.
Again the Storm couldn’t get it together, dropping the ball anytime they tried to move fast. The Tigers took full advantage, when Dean Webster scored a surprise try as Lewis’s kick rebounded off a Storm players face and Webster picked it up, made 2 strides and a dive to cover the final 10 metres and put the Tigers 18 points in front.
But as the clouds rolled in so too did the Storm. Ominous or not, finally the team which had made it into the top 6 turned up to play. The Storms attacks turned brutal as they charged their way up field. Late edition Joseph Tomane was their key line breaker, getting them on the board with a try in the corner.
Then as Alan Munro ran through unopposed after a Tigers player slipped over in front of him, the Storm looked a chance only being down 8 points going into half time, 18 – 10.
The Tigers were really on the back foot for the next 30 minutes. The Storm drew the score equal (18 – 18) after Captain Rory Kostjasyn completed a sloppy try when he crawled after a missed grubber to get a hand to the ball on the line in the 60th minute, then James Maloney put on 2 points with a penalty kick 2 minutes later.
The announcer was drowned out for the final 18 minutes such was the roar of the crowd. Both sides had several breaks, the Storm fullback Jamen McLeod creating the most havoc. But the difference was in the Tigers ability to hold up the Storms progress and get them back into the game. The combination of Schirnack and Willie Mataka was just too much as they belted their way up the field often with 2 or 3 Storm players hanging off their backs.
But with 5 sets in the Storms half and all eyes on Lewis for the field goal, Ryan Carr stole the win with a try from dummy half right under the black dot to put the Tigers 6 in front which they held out to make the Grand Final qualifier against the old enemy, North Sydney Bears.