Tigers see off Helas in dour affair

By LARRY ANDREW
THE Snax Lae Tigers got their 2019 Digicel Cup campaign off to a good start with a gritty 12-8 win over the Hela Wigmen yesterday.
The Lae Biscuit Company-sponsored side held off the Helas in an error-strewn match at the Lae Rugby League ground.
The Tigers opened their ledger in the ninth minute when East West man-of-the-match Sonny Wabo sliced through a gap on the right edge before passing to halfback Towari Kaneke who handed off to captain John Andy to score in the corner for a 4-0 lead.
The visitors hit back with a try in the 14th minute off a scrum through winger Gilmore Paul.
Hela No.7 Benton Leme missed the conversion leaving the scores tied at 4-4.
The Tigers reclaimed the lead (8-4) through a try by centre Jokedi Bire.
Skipper Andy capitalized off a good run by Wabo in the 52nd minute to score his second try pushing the Tigers’ lead to 12-4.
The Wigmen stayed in the hunt with a 62nd-minute try to centre Spiro Thomas narrowing the margin to four points at 12-8.
The match was not without some unsavory moments with referee Hanua Rupa sin binning Tigers Tikiko Noke and Wigmen’s Raymond Tia for professional fouls.
There were two times during the match when minor scuffles broke out as players took offence to tackles but thankfully the fixture ended without incident. Tigers 12 (John Andy 2, Jokedi Bire tries) Wigmen 8 (Gilmore Paul, Spiro Thomas tries) HT: 8-4 (Tigers) at Lae Rugby League Ground.