The Tigers scored 46 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Warriors 50-6. Photo / Getty Images
Wests Tigers found form with a vengeance to totally destroy the New Zealand Warriors 50-6 in their 12th round National Rugby League match at Campbelltown in Sydney tonight.
The seventh-placed Warriors led 6-4 with barely three minutes until halftime, but tries to Lote Tuqiri and Robbie Farah gave the eighth-placed
Tigers a handy 16-6 lead at the break.
Auckland-born Tiger Geoff Daniela then cut loose in the second spell, crossing for a hat-trick of tries in the first 16 minutes after the restart.
The tries just kept on coming, as the Warriors' defence, which had looked solid for the opening 37 minutes, totally disintegrated. Chris Lawrence, Mark Flanagan and Tuqiri completed the Warriors' humiliation as the Tigers ran in six second-half tries.
The win continued the Tigers return to form after a 40-point loss to South Sydney in round 10 a fortnight ago,
Kiwis' captain and Tigers halfback Benji Marshall's form had been under scrutiny recently, but he played with renewed confidence and vigour tonight, sparking the Tigers' first try after he elected to run the ball at the last play after eight minutes,
A well-timed pass found Daniela, who flicked on for fullback Beau Ryan to touch down in the corner. Marshall missed the extras, but the Tigers were looking ominous.
Barely two minutes later, Marshall was in the thick of it again, pulling off a try-saving tackle after Warriors winger Kevin Locke broke free down the right after a turnover.
The Warriors didn't get on the board until the 26th minute when they finally found some penetration, halfback Brett Seymour's combination with replacement standoff Joel Moon giving the Warriors a lead they held until the 37th minute.
Missing forward Micheal Luck and standoff James Maloney, the latest to fall in a horrendous injury run, the Warriors looked bereft of ideas as the second half progressed and the full-time whistle came as a relief.
Until tonight, the Warriors had won six of their past seven encounters with the Tigers and averaged 35.4 points per game at Campbelltown.
Wests Tigers 50 (Geoff Daniela 3, Lote Tuqiri 2, Beau Ryan, Robbie Farah, Chris Lawrence, Mark Flanagan tries; Benji Marshall 7 goals) New Zealand Warriors 6 (Joel Moon tries; Brett Seymour goal)
- NZPA
