Tigers stun Roosters for best win of Benji Marshall era
Under fire from all quarters this week amid the exit of gun junior Tallyn Da Silva and a six-game losing streak, the Tigers overcame the absences of Jarome Luai, Api Koroisau and Jahream Bula and rode a stunning 20-0 lead to one of the year's biggest boilovers.
Latu Fainu had a career-best game to prove he's ready to replace Lachie Galvin in the halves, while new second-choice hooker Tristan Hope impressed in only his second NRL game by putting Sione Fainu over.
In his first appearance against the Roosters since being inexplicably cut, Tigers prop Terrell May was immense at Allianz Stadium with a team-high 199 run metres.
An admittedly undermanned Roosters side threatened to break the Tigers' hearts when James Tedesco burrowed over on the left side in the final 20 seconds, helping the Tricolours close to only two points behind.
But with seven seconds left, the Roosters were stifled by the Tigers' defence and the visitors held on, Adam Doueihi having landed his third penalty goal minutes before.
The Tigers' first defeat of the Roosters since 2018 puts the joint venture two wins out of the top eight to finish the weekend and vindicates Marshall's claims of improvement - albeit not always in results - during his second year as coach.
Marshall had been adamant the Tigers were better than their recent form slump suggested and would have been buoyed when Starford To'a offloaded to Charlie Staines down the short-side for first points.
Caught napping by that try, the Roosters were asleep at the wheel again when Savala spilt the ball cold on the 50-metre line, allowing Latu Fainu to regather and sprint to the line.
Hope's flat ball to bench forward Sione Fainu made it a 20-point game and gave Tigers fans another glimpse into the bright future promised by the trio of brothers brought over from Manly.
A rampaging Samuela Fainu! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FuVNf2iL26
— NRL (@NRL) July 6, 2025
The Tigers' defensive resolve was just as promising, with the visitors holding their hosts up over the tryline three separate times in the first half and withstanding 14 more red zone tackles than they enjoyed with the ball.
Marshall's side would've been nervous when Mark Nawaqanitawase bulldozed through four defenders for his second try, which cut the lead to only six with four minutes to play.
Tedesco's four-pointer pulled the Roosters closer than they'd been since Staines' opener, but time ran out to avoid an all-time Tigers upset.
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