Tigers bag fourth straight minor premiership

JOE Joshua scored three tries in the Lae Tigers’ 16-12 win over the Goroka Lahanis yesterday.
The hat-trick also helped the Tigers secure their fourth consecutive minor premiership in their Digicel Cup round 14 clash at the Lae Rugby League Ground.
The match was interrupted at one stage when a Lahanis official ran into the field and attacked referee Max Simon for not stopping the game after a Goroka player was injured.
Played in wet and muddy conditions the home side got on the board when Rex Yallon got an offload away for Joshua to score the first try.
The Lahanis replied through hooker Charlie Buka who scooped up a loose ball to dive under uprights with halfback Robin Soga converting for the visitors to take a 6-4 at halftime.
Joshua found the line again after some neat play opened up space on the edge.
The Tigers played a waiting game grinding out the metres up the mioddle and waiting for a mistake from the Lahanis which came mid-way through the half.
Joshua notched his third four-pointer linking up on a second play where he stepped past several inept attempts at tackle to put his side in a winning position.
Tigers five-eighth Edwin Ipape put icing on the cake when sold a dummy and strolled through the Lahanis defence to extend his side’s lead to 16-6 with less than 10 minutes left on the clock.
The Eastern Highlanders toiled away and were finally rewarded with Buka getting his second try and reducing the margin to four points with the successful conversion.
Tigers 16 (Joe Joshua 3, Edwin Ipape tries) Lahanis 12 (Charlie Buka 2 tries; Robin Soga 2 con) HT: 6-4 (Lahanis) at Lae rugby League ground.
Round 14 results: Sat, Aug 19 – Mioks 15 Wigmen 15; Sun, Aug 20 – Tigers 16 Lahanis 12, Muruks 10 Gurias 12, Vipers 40 Tumbe 10.