Benjamin double sees Tigers edge Gurias in Lae clash

By LARRY ANDREW
CENTRE Emil Benjamin’s double helped Lae Tigers claw Rabaul Gurias 14-12 in the main game of the Morobe capital’s round-15 Digicel Cup double-header on Sunday.
The win keeps the Lae Biscuit Company-sponsored franchise in the top-four as the country’s premier rugby league competition nears the business end of the season.
The Tigers were kept at bay as Gurias forwards Badi Koso, Steven Bruno, Isaac Patrick, Garry Lo and Francis Takai dominated hosts Roy Kela, Tommy Moide, Micah Tom, Doa Tapako and Cedric Maima.
But the Gurias failed to turn the majority of possession into possession early in the match at the Lae Rugby League Ground.
After the first quarter of the game, the Gurias made changes which saw substitute Daniel Pai rampaging through the Tigers’ defence to score next to the upright for an easy Saki Peter conversion 21 minutes in.
Pai’s run saw Tigers captain Roy Kela come off second-best as he was helped off the field with a suspected knew injury.
The absence of Kela ignited Tapako, Moide, Maima and Tom to lift their game for their backs to complete the sets.
A swing in momentum saw Benjamin scoring the first try of his double. Five-eighth Joshua Mire converted the try from the sideline to equalise 6-6.
Benjamin extended the Tigers’ tally to 10-6 with a runaway try off a scrum win after a Gurias mistake in the Tigers’ 20m. Mire failed to convert the try as the Tigers held on to a shaky lead at the break.
The second half was uneventful until the 61st minute when Mire put in a grubber for Aigaewa Palo to pounce on the ball in the in-goal for a 14-6 lead.
But the visitors re-grouped to put Joe Frank through for a try with Ase Boas adding the extras for the Gurias to trail 12-14 until fulltime.
Meanwhile, in the earlier match, Roderick Puname-coached Mendi Muruks regained the lead at the top of the 12-team ladder after a 23-16 win over Hela Wigmen.