Tigers keep finals dream alive

v BYE

The Wests Tigers have kept their finals hopes alive with a 23-8 victory over the Parramatta Eels at ANZ Stadium tonight in front of 14428 spectators.

Both teams got off to a solid start in the opening exchanges before the Eels worked their way into an attacking situation and were awarded a penalty. Despite being out of finals contention, the home team elected to take the two points on offer through fullback Michael Gordon in the 6th minute.

The decision from the Eels to turn down an early attacking chance would ultimately come back to bite the home team after the momentum swung the way of the Tigers through a try to wing-man David Nofoaluma in the 11th minute. Backing up an offload from second-rower Josh Aloiai, five-eight Mitchell Moses broke the line before sending his winger over for the opening try.

The boom pivot proceeded to add the extras from out wide handing his team a 6-2 lead.

From the ensuing set of six, the Tigers would go back to back with Aloiai's good footwork seeing him burst into the clear from halfway before drawing the opposition fullback in and passing to a flying James Tedesco to score under the posts in the 13th miniute, with Moses conversion sending the lead out to ten points.

The match went into a grind for the next 15 minute period before Moses added another two points through a penalty goal in the 30th minute.

It would be the Eels who had last say in the opening half through a try to winger Vai Toutai in the 37th minute after a long ball from half Jeff Robson opened up space on the left edge for Clinton Gutherson and Michael Gordon to show quick hands in the lead-up. 

The successful conversion out wide from Gordon reduced the deficit to just six heading into the sheds for halftime.

In a mostly lackluster second half of football, the Tigers had the better of field position but missing halfback Luke Brooks who failed to re-enter the match after halftime with a medial ligament strain to his knee, couldn't prise open a gallant Eels defensive outfit. 

Penalty goals from Moses in the 64th and 70th minutes looked like being the only scoring plays of the second stanza until bookend Sauaso Sue came up trumps for a rare try after Toutai failed to clean up a grubber in-goal from man of the match Mitchell Moses.

Moses missed the conversion attempt from out wide, but nailed a field goal for good measure moments later to ice the victory.

The win sees the Tigers join the Titans, Warriors and Panthers on 22 competition points, though they remain in tenth place on percentages.

They will be sweating on scans to Brooks' knee through the week before they host the North Queensland Cowboys on Sunday afternoon at what should be a packed Leichhardt Oval.

The Eels meanwhile, will look to lift again when they host arch-rivals the Manly Sea Eagles in Friday night footy at Pirtek Stadium.