A double to Justin Matamua has helped Wests Tigers fight back to beat Canberra Raiders 32-24 at Leichhardt Oval in Round 22 of the Jersey Flegg Cup.
Match: Wests Tigers v Raiders
Round 22 -
home Team
Wests Tigers
4th Position
away Team
Raiders
7th Position
Venue: Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
The team now sits third on the competition ladder with 28 points, and with a game in hand over fourth-placed Penrith Panthers.
An early try from recent NRL debutant Matamua put the home side in front, before Canberra scored three unanswered tries in quick succession to jump out to a handy lead.
A four-pointer to teenage winger Joseph Delle halted the Raiders' run of tries, however it was short-lived, with Josh Billing crossing to give Canberra a 20-10 lead at half-time.
Both sides traded tries in a tight second period through Cayne Nicholas and Livai Kaloutolu.
The match then turned in Wests Tigers' favour when the Raiders were reduced to 12 players. Manase Kaho was put in the sin bin on the hour mark, and the home side made the most of it.
Matamua and skipper Kade Hill, scored in the 63rd and 66th minute respectively to snatch a victory that could go a long way to securing Wests Tigers a place in the Jersey Flegg Cup finals.
