Brisbane Tigers have claimed a 34-18 victory over the PNG Hunters at Totally Workwear Stadium on Sunday afternoon, keeping their season firmly on track with back-to-back wins.
The Tigers came into the game off the Easter break and it showed early, with Leon Te Hau crossing inside the first two minutes to set the tone. Kea Pere added a second in the 22nd minute, Zach Lamont converting, to give Brisbane a comfortable 10-0 buffer before the Hunters hit back to close the gap to four at the break.
It was a milestone occasion for Papua New Guinea, who celebrated their 250th Hostplus Cup match, and they made a real game of it in the second half. The visitors hit the front at 12-10 not long after the restart and for a moment it looked as though the Tigers might let a good first half go to waste.
That did not happen. Tahj Wood crossed in the 55th minute to nudge Brisbane back in front, and from there the Tigers did not look back. Zac Miles got himself on the board four minutes later, Lamont converting both, before the Hunters grabbed one back to set up a tense 22-18 with 17 minutes left on the clock.
Tahj Wood put the result beyond doubt with his second try of the afternoon in the 67th minute and Miles sealed it in the 72nd, with Lamont finishing the afternoon with five conversions from six attempts.
Wood was named players’ player for good reason, finishing with two tries, five tackle breaks, and a try assist and line break to top off a full 80 minutes at five-eighth. He was the player who wrestled back control when the Hunters threatened and his combination with Lamont through the middle was the difference between the two sides.
Miles was dangerous all afternoon from fullback with two tries and 106 run metres, while Kea Pere was a workhorse in the centres with 157 run metres and 42 post-contact metres across the full game.
There was extra meaning in the win for hooker Judah Rimbu, who lined up against his former club after 78 games in a Hunters jersey. He repaid the faith shown in him with a committed defensive effort, leading the Tigers with 31 tackles. Jacob Sykes was equally reliable up front with 118 run metres and 23 tackles across his 54 minutes, and Zane Dunford was the standout from the back row with 136 run metres and 61 post-contact metres.
The Tigers now sit at four wins from five games and will look to build on that record when they host the Wynnum Manly Seagulls at Totally Workwear Stadium this Saturday.
