Justin Olam has powered Wests Tigers to a drought-breaking NRL win, snapping a run of nine straight losses to claim an 18-10 victory over the Gold Coast Titans. Olam kept the Tigers in Saturday's game with a try-scoring double, before youngster Fonua Pole sealed victory for Benji Marshall's men with a 76th-minute winner. The nail-biting victory in front of 8392 fans at Leichhardt Oval marked the first time since April 1 that the Tigers had won an NRL match.
And the result lifts the Tigers off bottom place, with Gold Coast now occupying last spot. Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion. Captain Api Koroisau, playing out of position at halfback, was a standout for the Tigers in a team that boasted two debutants and three players with fewer than 10 NRL games.
But Olam, who has been battling a knee injury all season, stood tall with two tries after the Titans eased to a fifth-minute lead through Jojo Fifita. The PNG international finished off a well-worked backline move by weaving past a handful of Titans defenders to send the crowd on the hill into a frenzy. But there was a collective groan from the legion of Tigers supporters when Kieran Foran drifted through a Pole tackle to set up an on-rushing Jayden Campbell.
Olam pulled off a last-ditch tackle on Titans livewire Keano Kini to restrict Gold Coast's halftime lead to 10-6, before clattering the Titans fullback in trademark fashion early in the second half. Neither side was able to.
