ROUND: FINALS WEEK 3
PRELIMINARY FINAL (1st)
Saturday 24 September 2005
7:45PM

Scorers:
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS 12
Tries: Naiqama, Barrett
Goals: Ennis (2/2)
WESTS TIGERS 20
Tries: Halatau 2, Marshall, Heighington
Goals: Hodgson (2/4)

Aussie Stadium (SFS)
Crowd: 41,260
Referee: Tim Mander
Half Time: Tigers 16-6

Live commentary:

Tonight these very in form teams clash for the right to play in the 2005 NRL Grand Final.

Huge crowd in tonight.

0 min: Kickoff at Aussie Stadium!

4 min: TRY - Tigers
The Tigers run a great play off the scrum base and Benji Marshall scores. Hodgson misses the goal.
Tigers 4-0.

9 min: Whatiura takes a grubber kick and relieves pressure on the Tigers by running to nearly half way.

14 min: The Dragons look like a team that has played two games in a month. They are making plenty of rusty looking plays.

18 min: The crowd that was expected to be Saints dominated is very vocal, and there are tonnes of Tigers fans.

19 min: NO TRY - Dragons
Hornby puts in a kick, the Dragons chase through, regather and run away, but Mander has blown a penalty for being ahead of the kicker.

21 min: The Tigers are controlling possession very well at this early stage.

22 min: TRY - Tigers
Dene Halatau barges across next to the posts. Hodgson converts.
Tigers 10-0.

27 min: TRY - Dragons
Cooper finds space and offloads to Naiqama who races away and scores out wide. Ennis converts. 26 consecutive goals.
10-6 Tigers.

32 min: The Dragons have finally found their feet, and the Tigers continue the Globetrotters football. Very entertaining.

35 min: TRY - Tigers
The Tigers offload for what seems like hours, before Heighington crosses out wide. Hodgson converts.
Tigers 16-6.

HALF TIME: The Tigers have totally outplayed a lethargic Dragons team and lead 16-6 at half time.

Pat Richards is off with a suspected broken leg.

Can the Dragons put in another second half fightback and take the Grand Final place on offer?

40 min: The second half kicks off!

The Tigers regather the kickoff too.

46 min: The Dragons are looking a lot more capable in this half.

51 min: The Dragons are really not awake at the moment. A lot of basic errors letting them down.

53 min: TRY - Dragons
The Dragons run some smart ball movement and Barrett scores under the posts. Ennis converts.
16-12 Tigers.

55 min: Barrett is penalised in possession for running on after being tackled.

57 min: TRY - Tigers
The Tigers expose an overlap on the Dragons and Halatau scores on the left wing. Hodgson misses the kick.
20-12 Tigers.

61 min: Fitzhenry is forced into touch 10 out from the Tigers line.

63 min: The Dragons have had 3 repeat sets.

64 min: Cooper can't hold onto a pass 5 out from the line.

68 min: The Dragons are looking good when they have the ball, but can't hold on. Tigers scrum 35 out from the Dragons line. They lose the ball on tackle one.

70 min: Completions: Dragons 16/31, Tigers 27/38

72 min: Barrett puts in a kick that rebounds, he dives on it and the ball is turned over on the last tackle. The Tigers are looking VERY tired and are just holding on.

73 min: Hornby returns a kick nearly 40 metres. The Tigers players just snatch at him.

75 min: The Tigers come up with the ball when the Tigers look shot down the right wing.

78 min: The Tigers come up with the ball as the Dragons need to throw the ball around.

78 min: CROWD - 41,260

80 min: The Wests Tigers have shocked the competition favourites and they are going to the Grand Final.

The Wests Tigers are going to play in the NRL Grand Final.

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Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 - D Halatau (Tigers)
2 - J Skandalis (Tigers)
1 - R Farah (Tigers)
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