By Michael Nunn (QRL correspondent)
If you wanted a piece of the XXXX Rivalry Round action then Villanova Park was the place to be when the Ipswich Jets and Brisbane Tigers met in Round 4 of the Hostplus Cup.
Both teams were looking for wins but for different reasons: the Tigers are undefeated for the season and looking to continue the streak while the Jets were working towards their first win of the year.
Like all Tigers and Ipswich clashes, drama wouldn’t be too far away.
The Tigers got the point scoring started through Marion Seve.
From the scrum the Tigers went left and Seve barged over in the tackle of the Jets and then BJ Aufaga-Toomaga added two points to have the Tigers prowling at 6-0.
Ipswich had the perfect answer and got straight back in the game when a cross field bomb was snatched out of the hands of Gerard Beale by Dominic Macumboy.
The Tigers still had a two-point lead but if they were to keep it, it would be with 12 men when Marion Seve was sent off in the 15th minute.
Seve wouldn’t have even been out of the shower yet when the Jets were able to take advantage of the overlap, as Ratu Jope Rotavisoro stepped his way back inside and planted the ball down to give the Jets the lead.
Beale seemed intent on inspiring the Tiger faithful with his defence when – with blood pouring from a cut on his head – he bundled Denzel Burns into touch.
The Tigers then took the game away from the Jets with a 15 minute Tiger feeding frenzy.
The job wasn’t done for Beale when he showed slick hands and put winger Aufaga-Toomaga over in the corner to give the Tigers back the lead at 12-8.
Tigers went down the other end and again came away with points when a simple ball found Jack Svendsen running at the posts and the Jets couldn’t stop him for his first try for the season.
The Tigers were building momentum at 18-8 with 10 minutes until halftime.It was more of that straight hard running that brought more points.
The Jets were stuck on their line and Svendsen took advantage, grabbing a double.
The 12-man Tigers were winning 24-8 at halftime.
The Tigers got straight back to business in the second half when big red-headed Dan Russell busted the Jets on the right-hand side.
The Tigers went left and exposed the Jets, which led to points again when Jayden Nikorima scored two minutes into the half, back on the inside from a Solomona Faataape run down the sideline.
The Tigers went back to the right-hand side and no slick passing was required this time, with Beale scoring himself in the corner.
The Tigers could find an overlap all afternoon and when they busted the Jets up the middle and then went left it was Faataape who scored and super kicker Toomago who nailed his seventh goal for a 42-8 victory.
Tigers centre Gerard Beale knew a chance was on offer in Round 4 to do something special.
“I said behind the line when the Jets scored just after the send off that we are not getting Seve back so we have a chance to do something today,” Beale said.
“We are settling into the season, we get some Storm guys back so it’s hard to work on combinations but we are getting there.
“To win with 12 men gives us something in the bank to go back to if it happens again.”
Main photo: Jayden Nikorima pictured by Capture One Photography
