Tedesco states cases as Tigers remain undefeated

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JUST who will replace Jarryd Hayne at fullback for New South Wales this year? Previously all the talk had been about Matt Moylan.

But on Monday night Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco put his case forward for Origin selection, playing a starring role in the Tigers 22-4 victory over St George Illawarra.

The classy fullback scored a try and had a hand in three others in the first half as the home side raced out to a 20-0 lead after 27 minutes.

A Dane Nielsen try in the shadows of half-time stemmed the flow for the Dragons before the Tigers cruised home in the second half.

Tedesco said their second-half performance was disappointing, but the defensive effort would have pleased coach Jason Taylor the most.

"It was a good start; we got a bit loose in the second half, but we're really happy to only let in the one try," he said.

He was confident his combination with halves Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks would continue to improve as the season progressed.

"The more games we play the better our combinations will be," he said.

The fullback was confident he was over his injury setbacks which have punctuated his career over the last couple of years.

"I worked hard on injury prevention in the off-season coming off a few horror years, but the more games I play the better I'll get so I'm looking forward to the rest of the year," he said.

The 18-point victory follows their one-point win over Gold Coast last weekend and is only the third time in the club's history they have started the season with two wins from the first two matches.

Dragons coach Paul McGregor will continue to be concerned about his sides' attack which has yielded just two tries in two matches, ensuring it is the fewest points scored by a team in the first two games since the Bulldogs in 2000.

Next week the Tigers face the Rabbitohs on Sunday afternoon at ANZ Stadium while the Dragons clash with the Raiders in the nation's capital.

Match Details
Wests Tigers 22 St. George Illawarra Dragons 4
Venue: Campbelltown Stadium
Crowd: 11837
Halftime Score: Wests Tigers 20 St. George Illawarra Dragons 4


LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - James Tedesco
2 points - Kevin Naiqama
1 point - Aaron Woods

WESTS TIGERS (22)
Tries: Kevin Naiqama, Pat Richards (2), James Tedesco
Conversions: Pat Richards (2/4)
Penalty Goals: Pat Richards (1/1)

ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (4)
Tries: Dane Nielsen
Conversions: Gareth Widdop (0/1)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary


Campbelltown gets its first taste of NRL action for the 2015 season with first-up winners the Tigers hosting Monday night duds the Dragons.
Big changes for the visitors, they lose Josh Dugan and captain Ben Creagh. Peter Mata'utia will deputise at fullback with Jack de Belin standing in at lock. George Rose will revert to the bench in jersey 10, with Rory O'Brien to start in 14. Heath L'Estrange joins the bench with Jake Marketo omitted.
For the home side, just the one change with Matt Lodge out suspended - Jack Buchanan is his replacement on the bench.

The Dragons trot out in the Red V, with the Tigers not far behind in their mainly black strip. The visitors will kickoff, with the Tigers running to the left of your update screen.

1: KICKOFF - time to shine.

3: Nothing of note in the opening minutes, both teams just feeling each other out, testing the respective fullbacks with high kicks on the last.

4: First penalty, Aaron Woods has been penalised for a strip. Benji quick taps it for the Saints... then offloads for Nightingale who spills it. Tigers reclaim it.

5: VIDEO REFEREE - Tigers no try. We have the referee checking contact on a pass leading up. Galloway appears to have lost it into Peter Mata'utia and not grounded it properly.

5: NO TRY as expected. Mata'utia's knock on means the Tigers get a scrum 10m out though...

6: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Kevin Naiqama. Kick to come.
And score they do! Naiqama works off superb lead-up play by James Tedesco!

7: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards unsuccessful.
Richards - good line but it does push just wide. No goal.

9: Relieving penalty for the Dragons there, with Luke Brooks pinged for a high tackle. Attack starts 30m out for the visitors.

11: Good finish to the set for the Dragons, they trap Mitchell Moses in-goal to force the line drop-out.

12: Tedesco trapped this time, some great kicking by Marshall early in this clash. Another drop-out for the Tigers to withstand.

13: Rory O'Brien has spilled the ball on the first hit-up from that drop-out. Tigers scrum on their own 30m, which the Dragons compound by allowing a penalty.

14: VIDEO REFEREE - possible try for James Tedesco (Tigers).

14: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by James Tedesco. Kick to come.
Grubber goes through - Tedesco pounces. Pretty straight forward stuff - and lazy from the Dragons defenders.

15: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards unsuccessful.
Radar missing for Pat. This one off to the right, no goal.

18: Nightingale having a tough night at the office, he's made another error and it puts the Tigers on the attack!

18: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Pat Richards. Kick to come.
Richards in this time, Tigers just with too many numbers to the left and Tedesco again crucial.

20: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards successful.
Attempting to convert his own try... from the sideline, he's found his radar! Great conversion.

23: Not happy times for Dragons fans.

24: A penalty for the Dragons... but they don't find touch. Bad to worse for the Red V.

26: UNFORCED ERROR ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Tyson Frizell makes an unforced error.
Frizell spills it not far past halfway, an ordinary error really, and it's back in the Tigers' hands.

27: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Pat Richards. Kick to come.
Shut the gate. This side is on FIRE! Richards goes in again thanks to quick hands down the left.

28: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION WESTS TIGERS
Conversion attempt by Pat Richards successful.
He must only enjoy converting his own tries.

30: Dragons with a penalty, the ruling there is Mata'utia was held off the ball.

32: UNFORCED ERROR ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Eto Nabuli makes an unforced error.
Nabuli is ruled to have spilled it in trying to collect a loose Tigers' pass. As such, it's a Tigers scrum 20m out.

33: Simona with quick handssssss..... nope. Into touch AND forward. Dragons off the hook.

35: Marshall runs it to the line with numbers to the right, Simona's tackled him and seemingly knocked it down, but the Tigers claim it AND it's play on. Rough call on the away side there?

38: A clever last tackle kick from Widdop to Nabuli's wing forces the Tigers to tap it dead. Line drop-out.

38: VIDEO REFEREE possible Dragons TRY, we're checking obstruction. Dane Nielsen the apparent scorer.

39: TRY ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Scored by Dane Nielsen. Kick to come.
Nielsen's four-pointer is ruled good and the visitors are finally on the scoreboard.

39: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Conversion attempt by Gareth Widdop unsuccessful.
Widdop from out wide... brings it back around but no dice.

40: That will do us for the first half. Utterly dominant by the hosts.

41: We have go for the second half. Dragons trail by 16 and they'll have the first shot at the ball here.

43: Double knock-on at the end of the Tigers' first set. Dragons handover on their own 10m.

44: L'Estrange concedes a penalty for hanging around in the ruck. Tigers attack from the 40m.

46: UNFORCED ERROR ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Peter Mata'utia makes an unforced error.
Mata'utia spills a kick just as Moses looked to put on a chip and chase for the Tigers. As a result the Tigers have it back 10m out!

49: Dragons benefit here from a high ball contest ruled to have been knocked on first by Kevin Naiqama. Scrum Dragons.

50: First play off the scrum is a penalty to the Tigers, Farrell taking out a defensive player as the ball goes to the right.

51: Richards in the corner...... NO! He couldn't quite pick up the last pass. Dragons ball.

53: Up and back at the moment, the latest whistle comes from Klein who's not happy with the Tigers' speed getting off defenders. Dragons on halfway at tackle one.

54: Farah penalised for getting his hands in the ruck too much. Dragons attack now.

56: Widdop's kick finds Naiqama in the corner in-goal for the Tigers, he's ready to make it a 20m restart but it turns out he leapt from the field of play. Forward pass as a result, line drop-out.

56: They try the same thing the following set, but Nabuli wasn't ready for it and Naiqama fields it safely and makes a few metres off the ensuing run.

57: Look, Mick might have a point here...

60: Promising right side attack from the Tigers comes to nothing, and Heath L'Estrange pounces on the scraps. Time starting to dry up for the Dragons if they were planning a late comeback...

63: Naiqama is well and truly up to this task, Benji puts in a hanging bomb and Kev lunges at it, catching with aplomb. That said, the replay suggests a bit of a bobble. Lucky!

65: Repeat penalties for the Dragons on the Tigers' line. A try here and they're a faint hope of salvaging this...

66: Poor last tackle grubber lands in the breadbasket of Tedesco - and he makes a good 30m with a neat break. No imagination in attack from the Dragons.

68: Seen it all. Nightingale plays it, and then... well, collects it himself at dummy half.

AND the ref calls play on!

70: Utterly lacklustre second half - no points after thirty minutes despite a 24-point haul between these sides in the first forty minutes. Tigers the latest to commit an error on the attack.

72: Dragons spill it too, putting the home side back on the attack. The Tigers' social media team sum it up quite well:

74: SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL WESTS TIGERS
Penalty goal attempt by Pat Richards successful.
A penalty 10m out right in front and to add to the score they opt for two. Now well out of reach for the visitors.

78: Penalty Dragons here. Keith Galloway is ON REPORT for dangerous contact.

79: Dragons will get one more shot at points after forcing a dropout.

80: Martin Taupau is down in backplay. He's clearly concussed getting to his feet. Poor tackling technique.
NOPE - O'Brien (SGI) on report for raised knees. Tigers penalty with seconds left.

80: That's all she wrote from Campbelltown Stadium, a pretty rotten second half in terms of entertainment. Stay tuned for the match report.

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