Waratah Tigers have kept their fight for top spot alive after a 48-26 win over Tullibigeal Lake Cargelligo at Exies Oval on Saturday afternoon.
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The Sharks started the game like a house on fire and were able to get across the line with basically their first touch of the footy as Brent Pike found the try line in the second minute.
The Malie Ngu show got underway soon after as three minutes later he scored his first of the day before Sam Rauluni gave the Waratahs the lead with another ten minutes later.
Ngu scored another two to wrap up his hat-trick before halftime while Mitchell Monaghan found his way across the line to see the home side holding a 26-6 lead.
The Waratahs continued their try-scoring form in the second half as Alifeleti Ngahe scored just two and a half minutes into the second half before Ben Vearing crossed under the post in the following set to see the home side starting to move out of sight.
The Sharks were able to get one back when Jock Potter was played into space by a Jaden Kelly cut-out pass, but the Waratahs were able to extend their lead soon after as Apenisa Driti crossed before Ngu scored his fourth to finish his try scoring for the day.
Both sides were reduced to 12-men after TLU’s Mark Bendall was sin-binned while the Waratahs had one sent off for the rest of the game after an altercation on the field.
The Sharks made the most of their advantage as Tyrone Johnston, Lincon Kirby and Pike crossed, but it was too late for the comeback from the visitors as they Waratahs walked away 22-point winners.
Coach Kose Lelei knows his side can’t afford to keep travelling the path they have been with their ill-discipline.
“I said to the boys at the end of the game we can't keep doing that,” he said.
“ I told them that if that was the grand final and the game was a tie, and we are one man down we would have lost that game.”
Despite the finish to the game, Lelei was happy with the way his side played most of the game.
“We started off strong in the opening 40 minutes. We did really well to complete our set,” he said.
“In the second half, I think we were just pushing it too much, and we got ahead of ourselves when we had 30 plus points.
“I thought we were really strong through the middle. The boys really got us moving forward, and the backs were able to finish it off.”
Still sitting two points behind Yenda, the Waratahs now prepare to take on DPC next Saturday while with back-to-back losses TLU is at risk of being drawn into the fight for a top five spot.