Eden Tigers RLFC News Article

Tigers suffer big lose at Cooma

The Eden Tigers made the pilgrimage up the mountains to take on the Cooma Stallions.With several key players unavailable it was always going to be a tough assignment, and so it proved to be. Eden opened the game in a positive manner and Matt Creswick scored the first try after Eden received a penalty for a strip. Matt Bell set the try up with a well timed ball to Matt who scored out wide and Eden led 4-0. Cooma struck back after a further 10 minutes when Clark scored his first try following a Cooma penalty for holding down, and the scores were even for about 1 minute until Clark scored his second try. A blatant forward pass escaped the attention of the officials and with the conversion it was 10-4 to the home side.
Cooma was dominating possession and the Tigers were forced to defend for 5 consecutive sets before Eden got their hands on the ball, only to drop it after 2 tackles, and Cooma then held the ball for 4 more sets and scored another try, this time by Steve Dunn. When Ty fallon converted the Stallions held a handy 16-4 lead. Cooma received possibly the softest high tackle penalty ever awarded and scored again through sam Gilbert. Another Cooma try just before half time saw Cooma with a handy 26-4 lead at the break.
Captain Coach gerke was not impressed with the efforts of his charges and urged them to show more intensity in defence. Unfortunately the second half opened with Cooma receiving a penalty for a high tackle and flying winger Matt Silvestro scored a try to take the score on to 30-4. A Tigers comeback looked unlikely, but was almost on the cards until what appeared to be a fair try was disallowed by the officials. Cooma scored on the next set through Fraser Hamar and the score was 36-4. Sam Gilbert scored the next for Cooma following another penalty to Cooma for a high tackle, and Fisti Alawasaki's try took Cooma to 44-4 and the score was becoming embarrassing for the Tigers.
Brad Chatfield scored next for the Tigers to take them to double figures before Cooma's Steve Dunn scored his second to rack up the Stallions' half century.To the Tigers credit they battled on gamely and Ian Smith scored next to add some respectability with the score 50-16. Dane Bamblett crossed for a well deserved try before Cooma's Mikey Taleopa scored off the kickoff to finish the scoring at Cooma 56 Eden 22.
Special mention must go to young Corey Stewart and Robert geraghty, who played a full game of 18's and backed up on the bench for both reserves and first grade. Both these guys have a very bright future in the game and did not look out of place when they got on the field in the top grade.
The Tigers are now faced with the challenge of winning their last two games against Tathra and bega to make the finals and defend their title .