The Warriors have managed to hold on, beating the Tigers 16-12, after winger Marcelo Montoya was sent to the bin with only ten minutes left in the game.
The Tigers threw everything they had at the New Zealand side but couldn’t cross for the win against a depleted defensive line, but Maguire’s men will be looking back at one key moment.
Luciano Leilua looked to have scored from a Luke Brooks grubber, but referee Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski waved it away without checking the play with the Bunker.
“This one here from side on, hand on the ball... that angle I am saying four points,” Warren Smith said on Fox League’s coverage.
“Given how often we refer things to the Bunker.. it’s stunning that wasn’t looked at.”
The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield also believed the Bunker should have been involved.
Earlier, James Tamou opened the scoring for Maguire’s side, courtesy of a nice Jock Madden inside ball, but only minutes later the Warriors hit back with a try of their own.
Marcelo Montoya flew high, knocking the ball backwards for Euan Aitken to scoop up and score in the corner.
Adam Pompey then scored the Warriors second before Zane Musgrove crossed for the Tigers on the stroke of halftime.
The only points in the second half came off the boot of Reece Walsh as the Warriors edged out the tight victory.
The Tigers failed to complete their final four sets of six whilst attempting to get on the scoreboard and record their first victory of 2022.
Read below for the three big takeaways from tonight’s clash!!!
ENGLISH IMPORT FINDING HIS FEET
Oliver Gildart was strong in the Tigers poor performance on Friday night after a shaky start to his career in Australia.
The 25-year-old made the move from English Super League side Wigan Warriors alongside playmaker Jackson Hastings, proving why the Tigers recruited him against the Warriors.
In Round 1, Gildart was solid, running for 102 metres with three tackle breaks, but like the rest of his team, struggled in Round 2.
Gildart managed only 87 metres, with three missed tackles in his side’s 26-4 loss to the Knights.
The centre bounced back against the Warriors, recording 177 run metres with five tackle breaks in his side’s 16-12 loss in Round 3.
English imports generally take time to find their feet in the NRL with the pace of the Australian top-flight being different to that of the Super League, but Gildart provided much of the Tigers attacking threat on Friday night.
The Tigers recruit made two late errors which only came from attempting to create something for his side who were attacking against 12 men.
Gildart was clearly doing his best to try and record points for his side, which is all Tigers fans can ask as the Tigers begin the 2022 season with three losses.
YOUNG WARRIORS ANSWER COACH’S DEMANDS
The Warriors lost to the Titans narrowly in a tight encounter in Round 2.
Coach Nathan Brown called for his side to improve drastically after a “poor” performance, singling out his young outside backs for their simple errors.
“Our start to the game, both of our edges - the first two tries they got off slow play the balls, it was just really poor. Not good enough if you want to win games,” Brown said in the Titans post-match press conference.
“We’re past trying to develop players, we want to win bloody games of footy. It was not acceptable. Not a good enough start.
“Obviously a good effort to get back in the game, and again get in front like we did last week, but then we had two young outside backs drop the ball with the line wide open just purely and simply because they didn’t get deep enough. Again not acceptable,” Brown said.
“Not now with where we want to be as a football club. Really disappointing.
“Whether or not you deserved to win ... you get the ball with no one in front of you, you catch and put it down and score. We had two glaring ones. They took
everything they created, credit to them.
“We’ve got some talented young players, they need to understand the consequences of not getting it right... it costs you games and it makes us all feel down and sour.”
On Friday, Brown’s young outside backs proved the difference, with both the Warriors tries coming from edge backs and Reece Walsh kicking five from five attempts at goal.
In the dying stages, winger Marcelo Montoya was sent to the sin bin, holding Jock Madden down to stop a certain try.
It proved a masterstroke as the Warriors were able to hold on in the final ten minutes, defending with only 12 players.
TIGERS FAIL TO ANSWER CRITICS
Much has been made of the Tigers early season performance after a dismal display against the Knights in Round 2.
The Tigers showed shades of quality against the Storm in Round 1, but have again failed to fire against the Warriors, continuing their winless record.
Michael Maguire’s side lacked true threat in attack and sloppy errors cost them tries, with penalties being the difference as Reece Walsh tallied a pair of two-pointers to edge his side forward 16-12.
Prior to the game, Fox League’s Corey Parker called for the Tigers to step up and deliver amongst the noise.
“They need to take 100% accountability for their own personal pride and performance, because that is all you can control,” Parker said.
“The more times that they lose, the louder the noise gets.
“So they either rip the band aid off and get on with it or they put out a performance instead of tossing up the garbage that we have seen these first two weeks.
“You can train as hard as you want over the summer… and they turn up and they are poor in the areas which require absolutely zero talent.”
Fox League’s Benji Marshall also called for Brooks to marshal his troops but was unable to deliver as his side looked disorganised and lacklustre in attack.
“If I’m Luke I’d be getting into my forwards and making sure they’re running as hard as they possibly can and playing the ball quick for me to take a bit of pressure off me,” Marshall said on Fox League.
“Then all the guys around me, I’m setting you up in positions where I need you to be but the key is effort.
“He just needs to get all the boys together and say ‘as a team let’s do this together’ and that will help solve a lot of the problems because at the moment they’re doing a lot of things individually.”
Despite the loss, Tigers fans will be pleased their side showed glimpses of heart and desire, eventually being unable to get the victory late in the second half.
