Robbie Farah was the star of the show as the Wests Tigers dominated the New Zealand Warriors 34-6.
Match Report
With both sides coming into round two off strong performances in the first round, the crowd in Campbelltown Stadium were expecting a hard-fought encounter but witnessed to a one-sided affair as the Wests Tigers – lead by Farah – made easy work of the New Zealand Warriors.
The match was a tug of war for the first 30 minutes with neither side gaining the upper hand until Esan Marsters kicked a penalty goal to take a 2-0 lead.
This turned the tide as the Tigers took advantage of repeated errors by the New Zealand side and scored back-to-back tries via Corey Thompson and Robert Jennings to take a 12-0 lead into the break.
After making more errors to start the second half, the Warriors finally got some points on the board after Ken Maumalo scored in the corner after completing a nice set play started by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck down the left edge.
This was the last time the Warriors looked to be in the contest as Farah took the reins and set up a second try for Thompson and scored one himself from dummy half.
The Tigers were in complete control when Mahe Fonua caught a tap on from Maumalo and scored in the corner.
The Warriors continued being their own worst enemies, making error after error, and were already looking forward to their flight home when Michael Chee-Kam ended the match with a try in the 77th minute.
Four Pointers
The Farah show
With the way Robbie Farah has started 2019 it is hard to believe he is 35 years old; with one try and three try assists, Farah was by far the best player on the paddock.
His experience shone through as he exposed the Warriors’ defence and provided the Tigers with the attacking edge they needed to come away with the victory.
His passing out of dummy half was crisp, and his kicking game added a dimension to this Tigers side that has made them a formidable opponent for any NRL side.
Warriors rue errors
After such a promising start to the season the Warriors were their own worst enemies; when you make 14 unforced errors you are going to struggle to defeat any side in the NRL, and that was the case here for the Warriors.
Anytime the Warriors found themselves in the Tigers half they were almost guaranteed to give the home side the ball back with silly errors; if the New Zealand side is to bounce back in round three some respect for the ball must be found on their flight back across the ditch.
Tigers pack dominates
After predicting that the Warriors forwards had the edge over their counterparts, the Tigers pack delivered a terrific performance.
The Tigers ran hard, providing Farah and their halves plenty of time to probe the Warriors’ defensive line for weaknesses.
They also defended exceptionally well in the middle, negating any chance the Warriors forwards had to gain much-needed momentum as they struggled to get back into the match.
Warriors exposed out wide
With poor opposition in round one, the Warriors’ defence was never really tested, but they were exposed in round two.
The right edge appears to still be a headache for the Warriors as the Tigers were almost always threatening to score when they targeted that side of the field.
The Warriors have plenty of homework to go over as they prepare for their round three clash against the Manly Sea Eagles.
The Result
Wests Tigers 34
Tries: Corey Thompson (2), Robert Jennings, Mahe Fonua, Robbie Farah, Michael Chee-Kam
Goals: Esan Marsters 3/6
Penalty Goals: Esan Marsters 2/2
Warriors 6
Tries: Ken Maumalo
Goals: Adam Keighran 1/1
Squads
Tigers: 18. Moses Mbye, 2. Mahe Fonua, 5. Robert Jennings, 4. Esan Marsters, 1. Corey Thompson, 6. Benji Marshall, 7. Luke Brooks, 8. Ben Matulino, 9. Robbie Farah, 10. Alex Twal, 11. Ryan Matterson, 12. Luke Garner, 13. Elijah Taylor. Interchange: 14. Russell Packer, 15. Thomas Mikaele, 16. Josh Aloiai, 17. Michael Chee-Kam.
Warriors: 1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2. David Fusitu’a, 3. Peta Hiku, 4. Solomone Kata, 5. Ken Maumalo, 6. Adam Keighran, 7. Blake Green, 8. Agnatius Passi, 22. Issac Luke, 10. Bunty Afoa, 11. Adam Blair, 12. Tohu Harris, 13. Lachlan Burr. Interchange: 14. Jazz Tevaga, 15. Sam Lisone, 16. Leeson Ah Mau, 17. Isaiah Papali’i.
