Tigers reach final

Gurias go back to drawing board, Wigmen end Vipers’ title hopes

By PARKER TAMBUA
REIGNING premiers Lae Tigers rebounded from two-straight losses to book the first Digicel Cup grand final spot with a 30-10 win over the Rabaul Gurias in Port Moresby yesterday.
The Tigers came into their Sir John Guise Stadium major semifinal on the back of successive losses to the Hela Wigmen and Port Moresby Vipers, and many thought that they had run their cycle.
But coach Stanley Tepend’s men re-grouped and proved their doubters wrong with a 20-point crushing of the minor premiers in front of a sizeable crowd.
The Gurias will now play last year’s runners-up Wigmen, who knocked the Port Moresby Vipers out of the title race with a 12-8 win in the minor semifinal, in the preliminary on Sunday.
The Gurias had the Tigers on the ropes despite the Lae-based side holding a 12-10 lead in the 60th minute.
But with Papua New Guinea utility Edwin Ipape and Charlie Simon at the Tigers’ helm, the Gurias weren’t able to defuse their attack in the last 15 minutes as the defending champions ran in three unanswered tries.
Gurias’ Wartovo Puara Jr stabbed in a kick for Edward Goma to open the scoring with a converted try.
But the Tigers levelled the scores in the 34th minute when Ipape crossed over from dummy half.
Tuvi Lepan’s sin-binning in the 37th minute didn’t help the Gurias as the Tigers used their numerical advantage to put Sylvester Namo into space to score on the stroke of halftime.
The Tigers’ extended their lead in the 61st minute when Roderick Tai chased a Simon kick to score after Gurias winger Lucas Kapinias failed to secure the ball which was still in play.
Centre Jokedi Bire extended the Tigers’ lead to 24-10 after he scored on the right flank.
The Tigers put the icing on the cake when Ipape sent Simon over to score under the posts after Kapinias had spilled a kick.
SP Hunters halfback Simon scored 14 points in the win which ensured their place in the Oct 18 grand final.
Resuls: Sun, Oct 4 — Lae Tigers 30 Rabaul Gurias 10, Hela Wigmen 12 Port Moresby Vipers 8.