It was an entertaining match on Friday night at Campbelltown Stadium when the Tigers hosted the Cowboys who are desperate for a top eight finish to make it to the finals. It was a close game throughout however the visitors were lucky enough to walk away as winners, assisting them in their fight for the finals.
Call It Even
From the beginning of the match right up until the end, both teams were in the fight to win the match, and the end result was in favour of the Cowboys who are now in the top eight. Both sides were even in most aspects of the game, as evident in the match statistics. The completion rates were quite close, with the Cowboys making eleven errors and the Tigers ten. How close the match was ultimately made it more entertaining. It was unfortunate that the home team weren’t able to successfully pull off the win, however their abilities to put up a fight and keep in the match for the entire game was impressive from them. Similarly, the Cowboys were lucky to pull off the win, considering they only fired up with a quarter of the match to go.
Tigers Fall Just Short
The Tigers hosted a match at Campbelltown Stadium for the final time in the 2017 regular season, and it was a bittersweet night for those players who are departing from the club for the commencement of the 2018 season. They were in the game for a long time, and didn’t give the Cowboys many opportunities to capitalise and win the match by more than an eight point margin. It was only late in the match that the visiting team was able to win the game. Despite being a pretty inexperienced side due to the injuries that have hit the Tigers in the last few weeks, it was a strong performance from the side that helped them keep the match close. The Tigers have one more opportunity to impress when they play the Warriors at their second home ground, Leichhardt Oval, where they get to formally farewell their departing players who leave the club. Hopefully they are able to pull off a victory in front of a home crowd.
Dominance by Morgan
Cowboys halfback Michael Morgan was one of the most impressive players on the field at Campbelltown Stadium, scoring a try for himself as well as assisting in one with a brilliant kick in the Tigers’ half of the field. He had a 100% tackle success rate which had a positive impact on the defensive performance from the Cowboys. He made one error during the match, though otherwise played quite impressively, and was an important aspect of the win for the side, who are now in the top eight, and hoping to stay there. Morgan has always been a strong player for the side, and it was extremely evident in the match against the Tigers what capabilities he has and what he brings to the Tigers. Since the departure of Thurston for the season as a result of injury, Morgan has stepped up and performed well.
Important Cowboys Victory
It has been a month since the last time the Cowboys won a match, and as a result their finals hopes had slipped incredibly. The win against the Tigers, while scrappy and a late victory, it was a win and it was important for the North Queensland side who are hoping to secure a spot in the finals series for the 2017 season. The Cowboys are a strong side, though they have suffered quite a large sum of injuries this season which has taken a toll on their performance as a collective side. The performances of the teams around the Cowboys may have a deciding factor on their position in the finals if they are able to achieve it. Their final game is against the Brisbane Broncos at 1300 SMILES Stadium on Thursday evening.
SCOREBOARD
Wests Tigers
Tries: Aaron Woods, Josh Aloiai, Malakai Watene Zelezniak
Goals: Tuimoala Lolohea
North Queensland Cowboys
Tries: Te Maire Martin, Kyle Feldt 2, Michael Morgan
Goals: Ethan Lowe 3
