Hoodoos are real and the North Queensland Cowboys one at Leichhardt Oval continues.
The Wests Tigers have not won at Leichhardt since 2000, though they had their chances in this one.
Despite a five-day turnaround, the Tigers clawed out a 20-12 win over the Townsville side.
The Cowboys had the early momentum but two tries to the Tigers had the score at 8-0.
First, Luke Brooks raced 90m after taking an intercept. Then Malakai Watene-Zelezniak capitalised on his recall with a try.
The Cowboys would hit back, as Te Maire Martin reacted quickest to a Shaun Fensom bat-back.
Fensom would soon play no further part in the game suffering a nasty elbow dislocation.
The Tigers scored again, as Esan Marsters and David Nofoaluma combined.
Marsters left his kicking boots at home, though, as that try made the scores 12-6.
Antonio Winterstein then scored for the Cowboys as Johnathan Thurston coolly slotted a sideline conversion.
Though the Tigers delivered the killer blow, as Marsters produced a quality solo effort to score a try of his own.
Cowboys coach Paul Green lamented his side’s woeful completion rate and admits they may have been guilty of trying too hard.
“They are simple errors and they are the more experienced guys, but again they are probably the guys determined to try and lead us out of the slump,” Green said.
“We put a lot of energy into playing well tonight and I think we were in too much of a hurry. We are trying a bit too hard. That was the case in the second half.
“We have to relax a bit, trust our game and be prepared to build pressure…but we weren’t able to do that tonight, in that second half, in particular.”
Tigers coach Ivan Cleary praised new recruits Corey Thompson and Mahe Fonua, two of his side’s best.
“Not everyone wants to do that, not everyone wants to come to a rebuilding team; most players would prefer to go to a team that is already established and doing well.
“For those guys, they were looking to get back into the NRL so we probably suited them and they probably suited us.”
Player of the Game:
3. Esan Marsters
2. Mahe Fonua
- Coen Hess