New Tigers recruit Lote Tuqiri scored with his first touch of the ball against Manly. Photo / Getty Images
SYDNEY - Lote Tuqiri provided the dream start and his teammates the fairytale finish as the Wests Tigers came back from the dead to beat Manly in a thriller in Sydney.
The Tigers looked gone when trailing 20-4 just before the hour mark, but four tries in 16 minutes -
including Gareth Ellis' first for the club five minutes from fulltime - capped a stunning comeback after Tuqiri had scored with his first touch in the NRL in more than seven years.
While the cheap shots and late hits looked like something from the 1970s - with three Manly players put on report for high shots and George Rose finishing the game in the sin bin - the Tigers' skill and razzamatazz looked like something from the future.
The Sea Eagles seemed home and hosed when leading by 16 points, but a mounting penalty count and two tries within two minutes to Blake Ayshford and Liam Fulton put the Tigers back in the hunt.
Manly regathered their composure to halt the charge, and Jamie Lyon scored an easy two points for the Sea Eagles after Chris Heighington gave away his third penalty of the night.
But the Tigers weren't done with yet - Benji Marshall brilliant in putting Chris Lawrence over eight minutes from time before a deft Robbie Farah kick - with his right foot - set up Ellis for the match-winner.
Tuqiri, after more than seven years in rugby union, touched down after just four minutes to give the fans hopes of a rout, but it was the opposition who soon started piling on the points.
Michael Robertson got the Sea Eagles' first when he reeled in a Jamie Lyon bomb on 25 minutes before Glenn Stewart and then George Rose scored tries within five minutes of each other to all but bury the home side.
Manly discipline went out the window after the break with Keiran Foran and Brent Kite both put on report for high tackles.
The Tigers' comeback stunned the visitors before Manly's frustrations boiled over when Rose was binned for a high tackle which sparked a melee on the fulltime siren.
- AAP
