Media Reports

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WESTS TIGERS BEAT PENRITH 32-18 IN NRL
By Wayne Cousins
Wests Tigers
12/08/2011 9:23:16 PM

Wests Tigers recorded their fifth consecutive win tonight with a 32-18 victory over Penrith Panthers at Centrebet Stadium in round 23 of the Telstra Premiership.

The win in front of a crowd of 15, 152 moves Wests Tigers to 28 points and moves the side into sixth place overnight subject to the result of the Warriors-Newcastle game.

The victory was also icing on the cake of five-eighth Benji Marshall and prop Todd Payten in their 150th game for Wests Tigers.

Marshall converted four goals in the win and needs just 4 points against Parramatta Eels next Sunday at the Sydney Football Stadium to break Brett Hodgson’s club pointscoring record of 786 points (set in 102 games).

Wests Tigers were denied a try to winger Matt Utai in the 4th minute after the touch judge ruled he had lost the ball in trying to ground it with one hand. Replays showed it could have possibly been given at least the benefit of the doubt.

Second-rower Chris Heighington claimed he scored a try from a Robbie Farah grubber kick in the 7th minute after he touched the ball with his right hand at the same time as winger Ryan Walker. The try was awarded by the video referee.

Five-eighth Benji Marshall - playing his 150th game for Wests Tigers along with Todd Payten - failed to convert the try from 18 metres out.

Marshall looked set to score under the posts in the 9th minute after a break by full-back Tim Moltzen but he was tackled five metres short of the line by centre Brad Tighe. Wests Tigers had numbers to the right but Moltzen tried to barge his way over from dummy half only to be held up when a try looked to be on.

Moltzen made up for it when he finished off a backline play to dive over out wide in the 15th minute after lead up work by Robbie Farah and half-back Robert Lui. The try came on the back of four consecutive sets to Wests Tigers.

Marshall converted the try from out wide for a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes.

Wests Tigers took advantage of a bad call by the referee in the 30th minute when second-rower Gareth Ellis ran onto a short ball to score near the posts. Marshall converted the try from 20 metres out to make it 16-0 after 32 minutes.

The visitors were fortunate enough to get a scrum feed 25 metres out after the referee ruled the ball came off full-back David Simmons and rolled into touch when tackled by Mitch Brown. Replays showed Simmons didn't touch the ball.

Penrith opened their account when five-eighth Harry Siejka put a grubber kick through only for winger Beau Ryan to spill it in-goal for second-rower Trent Waterhouse to score. Luke Walsh converted the try to leave the Panthers trailing 16-6 after 35 minutes.

The score remained that way till half-time.

2nd Half
A crossfield bomb by Walsh saw winger Adrian Purtell leap above Utai to to catch the ball to score. Walsh converted the try to leave the Panthers trailing 16-12 after 49 minutes.

Farah stretched Wests Tigers lead to 20-12 in the 53rd minute when an offload by Heighington in a two man tackle saw second-rower Liam Fulton throw the ball back inside. Farah toed the ball through from 12 metres out to place his hands on the ball to score. Marshall converted the try for a 22-12 lead after 55 minutes.

Wests Tigers stretched their lead to 26-12 when Ryan took an intercept pass from Waterhouse to race 80 metres to score near the posts. Marshall converted the try for a 28-12 lead after 67 minutes.

Ellis grabbed his second try in the 77th minute when he followed through a Farah grubber kick to score out wide for a 32-12 scoreline. Marshall failed to convert the try.

Penrith scored a late consolation try through Walker for a 32-16 scoreline after Fulton knocked on from the re-start. Walsh converted the try for a 32-18 scoreline.

 

[Guest]

Tigers continue winning streak

Updated August 12, 2011 21:50:58
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Wests Tigers made it five in a row over a courageous Penrith outfit rocked by the sidelining of star Michael Jennings, notching a 32-18 victory in Friday night's NRL clash at Panthers Stadium.

The Tigers had too much class for the injury and suspension-hit Panthers, running in six tries to three to move ominously to sixth on the ladder.

"It was tough after a couple of hard games in the last few weeks, and especially mentally it was always going to be tough tonight coming off the back of those two tough games," Tigers skipper Robbie Farah told Grandstand.

"I was a bit worried about us getting a bit complacent and dropping our guard.

"But credit to the boys, we showed up and jumped out to an early lead and that was enough."

With the Warriors hosting Newcastle on Saturday, the Tigers will stay at least seventh after this weekend but Tim Sheens' men can realistically set their sights on avoiding a qualifying final date against the first or second ranked side in September.

Their run home now is lowly trio Parramatta, Gold Coast and Cronulla, a scenario that can have them expecting to finish the regular season on 34 points.

The Panthers, who were missing Jennings after he was stood down for turning up to training under the influence of alcohol as well as stars Luke Lewis, Lachlan Coote and Michael Gordon, will remain three wins outside the eight with their finals hopes gone.

Jennings was made to buy and hand out 2,000 tickets to fans at half-time as part of his punishment.

Gareth Ellis bagged a double while Chris Heighington, Tim Moltzen, Farah and Beau Ryan scored tries for the Tigers with Benji Marshall booting four from six.

For the Panthers, Trent Waterhouse, Adrian Purtell and Ryan Walker scored four-pointers and Luke Walsh kicked three from three.

The Tigers led 16-0 after 30 minutes through three first half tries and 16-6 at half-time after Waterhouse had scored six minutes before the break.

Sheens' nerves might have been tested when Purtell outleapt Matt Utai to grab a Walsh bomb in the 48th minute and it was 16-12.

But a controversial try to Farah five minutes later, after Tigers centre Blake Ayshford had appeared to knock on in effecting a turnover at the other end of the field, provided some breathing space at 22-12.

Penrith did not give up and was mounting an impressive attacking raid when Ryan grabbed a Waterhouse pass and ran 75m to score an intercept try in the 65th minute to seal it.

"I think we just took our foot off the pedal a little bit and we were in a bit of cruise control," Farah said.

"[We] thought the game was in the bag and they came back with a couple of tries and scared us but it was good to see that we could go up a gear and finish them off."

Late tries to Ellis and Walker completed the scoring in front of a healthy 15,152 fans.

A bizarre referral to video referee Paul Simpkins had led to the Tigers' first try.

Lock Heighington was awarded the four-pointer in the seventh minute, but only after referees Phil Haines and Ashley Klein had disagreed about the grounding.

Haines had pointed to the middle of the goal line to indicate a drop-out, but Klein's suggestion the grounding be checked by Simpkins resulted in a try.

 

[Guest]

Civoniceva hits out at wayward Jennings after Tigers taming
Brad Walter
August 13, 2011
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PENRITH captain Petero Civoniceva last night issued a blunt message for wayward teammate Michael Jennings, and the likes of Sydney Roosters playmaker Todd Carney after the Panthers lost 32-18 to Wests Tigers without the NSW Origin centre.

''I am getting tired of seeing stuff like that,'' said Civoniceva, one of the most respected figures in the game. ''A lot gets made of it but I'd like to think there are a lot of boys out there doing the right thing who are responsible members of the community. You get a bit sick of it don't you? But we'll move on.''

Civoniceva and Penrith coach Steve Georgallis were at pains to point out how proud they were of the team's effort last night against a Tigers side whose captain Robbie Farah said had ''done what we had to do'' to secure a place in the finals.

Neither Civoniceva or Georgallis wanted to say how much easier the Panthers' task may have been had Jennings not been dropped for turning up to training under the influence of alcohol on Wednesday, but they were clearly disappointed he had failed to live up to the motto posted on a wall in the club's gym at Centrebet Stadium: Being Here Means:

We do what is right;

The team comes first;

We put all if our energy into every moment here (the results take care of themselves);

We do that because we love it.

Asked how he felt about Jennings's behaviour, Georgallis said: ''That's life. Our playing group has had a lot thrown at us in the last six weeks. It is a good life experience for a lot of guys. I am pretty proud of the players and the way they turned up.''

After handing out 2000 tickets he had paid for to fans during half-time, Jennings was not in the dressing rooms afterwards and officials said he had left the ground.

Georgallis said Jennings was likely to play for Windsor Wolves in today's NSW Cup match against Central Coast at Morrie Breen Oval.

The loss ends any mathematical hope the Panthers had of making the finals and they are now in danger of sliding further down the ladder from their current 11th position.

In contrast, the Tigers are now assured of a top eight berth and coach Tim Sheens said they wanted to continue their five game winning streak into the play-offs. ''We've got one leg in the semis now,'' Sheens said. ''We want to go in with good form.''

After beating competition frontrunners Manly and St George Illawarra in their previous two matches, Sheens admitted he had feared a ''let down'' last night against the Panthers and was relieved to come away from Penrith with the points.

However, he was disappointed the Tigers had allowed Jennings's replacement, Ryan Walker, to score in the dying minutes of the games as they had set themselves a goal of not conceding more than 12 points.

''We bumbled our way through the second half,'' Sheens said. ''An intercept to Beau [Ryan] got us there and we were lucky to get that one.''

Georgallis bemoaned that most 50-50 calls had gone against the Panthers but when asked about a knockdown by Tigers centre Blake Ayshford in the lead up to Farah's try that was missed by match officials, he said: ''Maybe that was a 100 per cent call''.