NRL press conference: Benji Marshall relieved as Lachlan Galvin and Aidan Sezer guide Wests Tigers to thrilling win over Eels

Mark Molyneux

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NRL press conference: Benji Marshall relieved as Lachlan Galvin and Aidan Sezer guide Wests Tigers to thrilling win over Eels image

Lachlan Galvin and Aidan Sezer have combined to guide the Wests Tigers to a gritty 17-16 upset victory over Parramatta on Easter Monday.

The veteran slotted the field goal with seconds remaining on the clock after Galvin had returned from the sin-bin for an ugly hip drop tackle to turn the game on its head with his second try assist of the match.  

NRL press conference: Benji Marshall praises Lachlan Galvin as Tigers battle to thrilling win over Eels

Benji Marshall revealed he’d told Galvin he had nothing to prove on the big stage against his boyhood club when he took on the Eels.

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However, the teenage playmaker was clearly a man on a mission as he threaded a grubber through for Justin Olam to score the first try of the match in the breathless opening exchanges.

Things soon turned sour for the five-eighth though when he was penalised in the second half for a hip drop on Kelma Tuilagi which will likely result in some time on the sidelines.

Yet the Tigers, who had shown defensive resilience all afternoon, conceded just the two points from the penalty goal in his absence, before he and Sezer stole the headlines.  

The halfback executed a neat wrap-around play to send Olam over for his second, before Galvin sliced through his opposite number, Blaize Talagi, and then found an offload around the corner for Jahream Bula to score.

"To lose Lachie for 10 minutes and be down 14-6 – just the fight they showed to stay in it, for starters," Marshall enthused.

"And then when the kid came back on, that little moment of brilliance that he produced – that’s what we play the game for."

Marshall was keen to praise Galvin’s ability to bounce back from the disappointment of being sent to the sin-bin to produce such a big play in only his third game of first grade.

"He’s just a guy who gets on with his job and doesn’t want to let the team down - he’s so invested," Marshall continued.

"I’ve talked about him a lot, but we just love the way he plays and the way he is. To come back on after feeling a bit down about yourself and then produce what he did just shows his character."

Wests Tigers clinch one-point win as Aidan Sezer boots match-winning field goal

The win was the Tigers’ second on the bounce after they demolished Cronulla at Leichhardt Oval last week. 

However, the style of victory couldn’t have been more opposite as they were forced to defend their way to the two competition points.

The visitors took the lead through Galvin’s delicate grubber for Olam to pounce on for his first of the match.

But repeated errors out of yardage soon stemmed the Tigers’ momentum with Clint Gutherson making them pay when he combined with Morgan Harper down the short side to send Maika Sivo over upon his return from suspension.

The four-pointer ushered in a one-sided period where the Eels bossed possession and were camped inside the opposition’s half.

Brad Arthur had opted to return Junior Paulo to his starting side after previously using him off the bench, while he also moved Ryan Matterson into lock in the place of J’maine Hopgood.

And the decision to go with the bigger bodies was proven as the correct one with Stefano Utoikamanu more than a handful up front during the Eels’ onslaught.

"I thought Stefano was outstanding," Marshall said without prompt.

"Hopefully, he’s pushing for a rep jumper. The guys in the halves know without the platform he helps set, you can’t play."

In his first stint, the prop clocked 68 run metres and four tackle busts as he constantly bent back the defensive line and produced quick play-the-balls which Api Koroisau thrived off.

The hooker was at his best in last week’s big win over the Sharks, but it was opposition skipper Gutherson who threatened to be the star of the show on home soil.

The No.1 clocked just shy of 100 run metres, provided one assist and made a linebreak in the first half alone as the Eels enjoyed a mountain of possession in quality field position.  

But Parramatta were eventually forced into taking a shot at goal to level proceedings at 6-6 on the stroke of half time after coming up empty handed while having 29 tackles in the opposition’s 20m zone.

"We didn’t play the way we wanted to or the way we planned to," Marshall admitted.

"But it’s probably the most resilient performance we’ve had in a Tigers jersey in a long time."

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At the start of the second period, Gutherson got the try his performance deserved, however he was left with a bitter taste in his mouth as he missed a penalty after the siren to win the match.

The nail-biting moment arriving after Sezer thought he had booted his side to the win, only for a penalty to be awarded to the Eels from the kick-off.

"I don’t care about last year, this is now," Marshall responded when asked if the situation brought back a memory of the Tigers losing in similarly controversial and heartbreaking fashion against the Cowboys in 2023.  

"It doesn’t matter," Marshall continued.

"Last year is last year. People forget that. We’ve got a completely different roster with a lot of different players who we’ve brought in."

Mark Molyneux

Mark Molyneux Photo

Mark Molyneux is a freelance writer covering the NRL and UFC for Sporting News Australia. He has previously worked in the music industry and as a teacher around the world.