Some things in life you hope never change; your mum’s lasagne, your favourite pub’s beer garden and Marmin Barba scorching down the Ipswich Jets' left hand wing after taking an intercept.
The Jets travelled to Langlands Park to take on the Easts Tigers while the Jets were hurting from an after-the-siren loss last week. The Tigers were bringing in some great form and at their home ground.
When the Tigers play the Jets, it is always a game of twists and today was another chapter. The Jets fashioned close to a perfect half of football, the Tigers came back showing plenty of Tiger fight and the Jets pulled away in the end.
The game started with the Jets applying plenty of pressure and both sides sorting each other out.
On the back of a penalty, the Jets went down to Tiger territory and set up camp. Ben White poked his head through the line with his arm free. White got a quick play the ball and from there Kierran Moseley took over.
It took eight minutes for Jets hooker Moseley to bounce out of dummy half and in to a Tiger then back to another Tiger and finding the line to slam the ball down for the Jets' perfect start up 4-0.
Twenty minutes later, it was time for Barba to score try number 75 for the Jets. The Tigers came to their right, Solomone Kata threw the ball and Barba took the intercept and ran 90 metres down the Jets’ left hand side to score.
Goal kicking was proving problematic and the Jets only led 8-0 after 27 minutes.
It was a run-away Huskie Teutau that scored the Jets' third try and his fourth career try, when the Jets went to their right and found the forward running straight and hard after being turned under by Jayden Connors.
The half ended with Jets' Julian Christian and Easts' Solomone Kata earning an extra 10 minutes half time with a disagreement happening as the hooter sounded.
At half time, the Jets led 14-0.
Match: Tigers v Jets
Round 17 -
home Team
Tigers
6th Position
away Team
Jets
9th Position
Venue: Totally Workwear Stadium, Brisbane
The Jets did not continue their perfect football in the second half, kicking out on the full from the kick off gifting the Tigers a penalty to start.
The Tigers took advantage of the penalty and recent Melbourne Storm debutant Billy Walters had his fourth try in 2019 on the Tigers' right hand side.
Five minutes later Jets fans were getting flashbacks to one week ago when Kelma Tuilagi scored and the Tigers were down by two.
In the 55th minute, the Tigers took the two points on offer and the score was equal. Kata scored his third try in his second game for the Tigers and the Tigers were now in front 18-14.
Michael Purcell corrected the Jets cause when he pounced on the bouncing ball from Christian and Barba added the extras to give the Jets back the lead, 20-18.
Blake Lenehan was not interested in bouncing balls or intercepts, just running straight and hard and he gave the Jets an eight-point lead with eight minutes to go.
Barba finished the Jets' day out and his 10-point haul with a penalty goal and a Jets 28-18 win.
Walters was named Easts' first winner of the Alan Currie Medal for best on ground for Easts during the Indigenous Round.
The medal was named in honour of outstanding former Tiger lock-forward Alan Currie, who played with the Tigers in the 1970 and was a member of the famous 1977 and 1978 premiership sides.
The Jets take on Northern Pride in next week's 'Get in the game' Country Week.
Match: Pride v Jets
Round 18 -
home Team
Pride
12th Position
away Team
Jets
9th Position
Venue: Ken Brown Oval, Thursday Island
Tigers will face PNG Hunters.
Match: Hunters v Tigers
Round 18 -
home Team
Hunters
13th Position
away Team
Tigers
6th Position
Venue: Aipus Oval, Wabag
