Latest news with #Bula
West Australian
16 hours ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Sorensen's tackle could be season-defining: Panthers
Penrith players believe Scott Sorensen's match-saving tackle against Wests Tigers could prove season-defining, with their bid for an NRL five-peat still alive. Sorensen provided a hero's play late in the Panthers' win over the Tigers on Sunday, rushing from the other side of the field to stop Jahream Bula inches from the line. Prop Lindsay Smith then provided a similar effort on the next set, getting back to help deny Bula again with the Panthers leading 18-14. The Panthers' win meant they finished the round in 13th spot but just one point out of the top eight, after a horror start to the season had them sitting last after 12 rounds. Penrith players saw similarities between Sorensen's effort, and Viliame Kikau's famed effort to hold Melbourne's Justin Olam up after the siren in the Panthers' 2021 grand-final rematch. Kikau's desperate play has for years helped Penrith set the standards for success, and teammates believe Sorensen's effort on Sunday can have a similar effect. "We'll look back on that as a pretty defining moment. It was huge," fellow second-rower Liam Martin told AAP. "I remember the (Kikau) one, where he slid and held (Olam) up over the line. "It's just those little plays that you just value ... They're just little plays that probably not a lot of people notice, but they get so valued in our team. "It gives you so much confidence when you see stuff like that happening, your teammates doing that, and you just build energy off it." Penrith face a tough run ahead to keep their season revival on track, with a trip to Auckland without State of Origin players after the bye. They then face Canterbury off a five-day turnaround, before having the Bulldogs again, Melbourne and Canberra on their run home. Martin admitted the Panthers may have lacked that kind of desperation in their game as they went 2-6 to start the season, a point Nathan Cleary agreed with. "That's probably been the difference between winning and losing games," Cleary, who was involved in both tackles on Bula with Sorensen and Smith, said. "At the start of the year we weren't doing that at all and it was biting us in the butt a fair bit. "That's what we want our DNA and identity to be like. And we definitely applaud plays like that. "Then it starts to become something that happens just by DNA ... there were even a few of those last week (against Parramatta) as well." Sorensen, for his part, dodged the praise after Sunday's win. "It's no different to anyone else in this team," he said. "It's just doing your job, and tonight was my time to do my job. It's as simple as that."
Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Sorensen's tackle could be season-defining: Panthers
Penrith players believe Scott Sorensen's match-saving tackle against Wests Tigers could prove season-defining, with their bid for an NRL five-peat still alive. Sorensen provided a hero's play late in the Panthers' win over the Tigers on Sunday, rushing from the other side of the field to stop Jahream Bula inches from the line. Prop Lindsay Smith then provided a similar effort on the next set, getting back to help deny Bula again with the Panthers leading 18-14. The Panthers' win meant they finished the round in 13th spot but just one point out of the top eight, after a horror start to the season had them sitting last after 12 rounds. Penrith players saw similarities between Sorensen's effort, and Viliame Kikau's famed effort to hold Melbourne's Justin Olam up after the siren in the Panthers' 2021 grand-final rematch. Kikau's desperate play has for years helped Penrith set the standards for success, and teammates believe Sorensen's effort on Sunday can have a similar effect. "We'll look back on that as a pretty defining moment. It was huge," fellow second-rower Liam Martin told AAP. "I remember the (Kikau) one, where he slid and held (Olam) up over the line. "It's just those little plays that you just value ... They're just little plays that probably not a lot of people notice, but they get so valued in our team. "It gives you so much confidence when you see stuff like that happening, your teammates doing that, and you just build energy off it." Penrith face a tough run ahead to keep their season revival on track, with a trip to Auckland without State of Origin players after the bye. They then face Canterbury off a five-day turnaround, before having the Bulldogs again, Melbourne and Canberra on their run home. Martin admitted the Panthers may have lacked that kind of desperation in their game as they went 2-6 to start the season, a point Nathan Cleary agreed with. "That's probably been the difference between winning and losing games," Cleary, who was involved in both tackles on Bula with Sorensen and Smith, said. "At the start of the year we weren't doing that at all and it was biting us in the butt a fair bit. "That's what we want our DNA and identity to be like. And we definitely applaud plays like that. "Then it starts to become something that happens just by DNA ... there were even a few of those last week (against Parramatta) as well." Sorensen, for his part, dodged the praise after Sunday's win. "It's no different to anyone else in this team," he said. "It's just doing your job, and tonight was my time to do my job. It's as simple as that."
News.com.au
03-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Never seen that before': Jahream Bula try stuns NRL as Tigers topple Dragons
The Wests Tigers have taken down the St George Illawarra Dragons 34-28 after some Jahream Bula magic at Suncorp Stadium. In a blistering first half display, the Tigers ran riot over their rivals but it was Bula who produced a moment that left jaws on the floor in the dying stages of the opening half. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of Magic Round, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The Dragons looked set to cross for their third try of the half and shrink the gap, but Jaydn Su'A inexplicably dropped a ball over the try line in the act of scoring without being touched. Bula found himself in the right place at the right time as he scooped up the ball and hesitantly began to take off. After realising the whistle was never coming he put the foot down and scorched his way across the turf as he produced a coast-to-coast try. Watch the blistering try in the video player above 'I've never seen that ever,' Greg Alexander said on Fox League. 'That was a big moment and I don't think the Dragons can fight back from that. If they score that, they have momentum,' Cooper Cronk said. 'I felt so sorry for Jaydn. It should have been 20-16 at halftime,' Mal Meninga added. 'These things happen in the game of rugby league but you don't want it to happen to you. It's embarrassing in a way.' The Bula try handed the Tigers the 26-10 advantage but the Dragons weren't ready to go quietly into the night. Jacob Liddle dived over to give the Dragons a sniff of a miracle comeback. King-Togia then came up with another try assist to put Liddle over for his double as the Dragons closed to within four of the Tigers. Kyle Flanagan was pinged for a ruck infringement allowing Adam Doueihi to slot a penalty goal and push the lead out to six. Doueihi then pounced on a mistake from his own clever kick to score a try that all but sealed the result with seven minutes to play. Hamish Stewart scored with only a handful of minutes left on the click to close the gap but it wasn't to be for the Dragons.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bizarre runaway try puts Tigers on path to Magic win
Jahream Bula has shaken off a mid-game ankle injury and scored Wests Tigers' crucial length-of-the-field try in a hectic 34-28 win over St George Illawarra at Magic Round. The Dragons found some success with their call to drop Lachie Ilias for rookie Lykhan King-Togia but it was rival halfback Jarome Luai who had his fingerprints all over a match-defining first half on Saturday night. Already down 10 points, Saints had their spirits broken on the stroke of half-time after Jaydn Su'A dived over the line to score what would have been the Dragons' third try. But just before Su'A hit the turf, the ball inexplicably dropped from the second-rower's grasp without a defender touching him in the wet conditions. Bula collected the footy and sprinted from the in-goal to score under the posts just before the siren sounded. Bula turning up the MAGIC ✨ #NRLTigersDragons Telstra Moment of the Match. — NRL (@NRL) May 3, 2025 In a flash, the Dragons went from what could have been four points down had Su'A scored, to 16 points in arrears and hanging by a thread. The bizarre turn of events proved pivotal to the end result when the Dragons fought back into the game in the second half. Bench hooker Jacob Liddle crossed for two tries and closed the deficit to one score, continuing his excellent season to date. Bula's miracle try also came after he was left struggling to run when his ankle twisted awkwardly in a tackle from Clint Gutherson and Val Holmes. The sides traded four-pointers in the final 10 minutes as Adam Doueihi and then Dragons forward Hamish Stewart crashed over but the Tigers never gave up their lead. Replacing the axed Ilias at halfback, teenager King-Togia looked the goods early in his fifth NRL game, sending a flat pass to put Dylan Egan over for the game's first points. He blew the Dragons' next set in the red zone sending a no-look flick pass straight to Tigers winger Charlie Staines but put Liddle in for his second try after Saints made a break down the left side. King-Togia now has the same number of try assists for the season as Ilias managed in seven games, according to the NRL website. Four-time premiership-winner Luai continued to push his NSW State of Origin case laying on two tries in the space of three minutes in the first half. He put a kick on to the left side that Doueihi fielded uncontested, passing the ball left for Staines, who confirmed a tryscoring double. After a penalty in the set after points, the Tigers marched up the other end where Luai threaded a grubber kick past the line for Samuela Fainu to score. The result means that if highly-fancied Canterbury beat Gold Coast on Sunday, the Dragons will finish the weekend as the only side never to have won at Magic Round. Tigers centre Brent Naden left the contest early in the second half with a knee injury, with Dragons forward Emre Guler joining him on the sidelines with a shoulder injury later on.
Perth Now
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Bizarre runaway try puts Tigers on path to Magic win
Jahream Bula has shaken off a mid-game ankle injury and scored Wests Tigers' crucial length-of-the-field try in a hectic 34-28 win over St George Illawarra at Magic Round. The Dragons found some success with their call to drop Lachie Ilias for rookie Lykhan King-Togia but it was rival halfback Jarome Luai who had his fingerprints all over a match-defining first half on Saturday night. Already down 10 points, Saints had their spirits broken on the stroke of half-time after Jaydn Su'A dived over the line to score what would have been the Dragons' third try. But just before Su'A hit the turf, the ball inexplicably dropped from the second-rower's grasp without a defender touching him in the wet conditions. Bula collected the footy and sprinted from the in-goal to score under the posts just before the siren sounded. In a flash, the Dragons went from what could have been four points down had Su'A scored, to 16 points in arrears and hanging by a thread. The bizarre turn of events proved pivotal to the end result when the Dragons fought back into the game in the second half. Bench hooker Jacob Liddle crossed for two tries and closed the deficit to one score, continuing his excellent season to date. Bula's miracle try also came after he was left struggling to run when his ankle twisted awkwardly in a tackle from Clint Gutherson and Val Holmes. The sides traded four-pointers in the final 10 minutes as Adam Doueihi and then Dragons forward Hamish Stewart crashed over but the Tigers never gave up their lead. Replacing the axed Ilias at halfback, teenager King-Togia looked the goods early in his fifth NRL game, sending a flat pass to put Dylan Egan over for the game's first points. He blew the Dragons' next set in the red zone sending a no-look flick pass straight to Tigers winger Charlie Staines but put Liddle in for his second try after Saints made a break down the left side. King-Togia now has the same number of try assists for the season as Ilias managed in seven games, according to the NRL website. Four-time premiership-winner Luai continued to push his NSW State of Origin case laying on two tries in the space of three minutes in the first half. He put a kick on to the left side that Doueihi fielded uncontested, passing the ball left for Staines, who confirmed a tryscoring double. After a penalty in the set after points, the Tigers marched up the other end where Luai threaded a grubber kick past the line for Samuela Fainu to score. The result means that if highly-fancied Canterbury beat Gold Coast on Sunday, the Dragons will finish the weekend as the only side never to have won at Magic Round. Tigers centre Brent Naden left the contest early in the second half with a knee injury, with Dragons forward Emre Guler joining him on the sidelines with a shoulder injury later on.
