South Sydney Rabbitohs 6
The Wests Tigers have limped out of their casualty ward and handed out the medicine to South Sydney with a stunning 30-6 victory in their NRL clash at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Missing four stars and with captain Robbie Farah battling a nagging groin injury, the Tigers turned on the razzle dazzle against a Rabbitohs outfit lacking intensity, handing coach Tim Sheens his first win in 18 attempts against John Lang-coached sides.
The home side also had to contend with losing prop Keith Galloway for the second half with a groin injury of his own.
Outstanding backrower Simon Dwyer bagged a double, while Benji Marshall, Wade McKinnon and Mitch Brown also scored tries for the Tigers, with the Rabbitohs' sole four-pointer coming courtesy of Chris Sandow.
Marshall booted five from six, while Sandow managed one for Souths in front of a crowd of 22,677.
The Tigers could have been expected to go back to basics with their injury woes and after last week's 24-6 drubbing by the Sydney Roosters.
But, with Marshall or Farah having a hand in each of the Tigers' tries, they played hot potato football from the opening minutes.
They led 12-6 at halftime but two tries in three minutes after the break to Brown and Dwyer meant it was 22-6 at the 49 minute mark.
When the Rabbitohs opened the scoring in just the fourth minute through Sandow, the predictions that the depleted Tigers' season would be in strife looked on the money.
But a piece of Marshall magic, with the Kiwi maestro beating four on the way to the line, drew the home side even and from that point they totally out-enthused the Bunnies.
Farah proved his osteitis pubis was on the mend when he scooted 30m from dummy half to send McKinnon over before Moltzen sent a beautiful ball to Brown six minutes after the break and a rampaging Dwyer charged 40m in the 49th.
Dwyer added his second when he stormed onto a Marshall pass in the 70th minute
Souths prop Luke Stuart suffered a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury which could end his season and Souths face St George Illawarra, Canterbury and Cronulla in the their next three matches.
Sheens laughed off finally getting one over Lang, who he has battled with since 1995.
"One to me and 17 to him,"Sheens said. "He'll retire. I'll never catch him now."
A relieved Farah was pleased his injury had improved during the week.
"Tonight I was up for a big game," he said.
"I was pretty embarrassed with the way I played last week so I kind of had a point to prove on an individual level and I was happy with the way I bounced back."
Lang said the Tigers had shown his players where they needed to get to if they were serious about a finals campaign.
"The tigers were a top four side last year, they went within a whisker of being in the grand final," he said.
"And tonight they showed why they progressed that far and probably showed us the sort of standard and the sort of team you're going to have to beat if you want to be up there in the big games at the end of the year."
Tigers centre Geoff Daniela compounded the club's injury crisis with a suspected torn pectoral muscle, which would mean a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
Wests Tigers 30 (S Dwyer 2 M Brown B Marshall W McKinnon tries B Marshall 5 goals B Marshall 2 field goals) bt South Sydney 6 (C Sandow try C Sandow goal) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: Adam Devcich, Ashley Klein. Crowd: 22,677.
- AAP
