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Brent Naden became the first Wests Tigers player sent off in 20 years for a horrific spear tackle on Jake Trbojevic as Brett Kimmorley’s start to life as a caretaker coach ended in disaster with a 30-4 loss to Manly at Campbelltown on Sunday.
Naden, who made a bizarre mid-season switch from the Bulldogs last month, was marched for a second-half tackle on the Manly captain, who thankfully bounced straight back to his feet as teammates shouted at referee Peter Gough the tackle could have broken his neck.
There was no complaint from the Indigenous All-Star centre with the referee, who immediately told bunker official Ashley Klein the tackle “looks pretty bad” before calmly sending Naden from the field.
It was the low point of a bad day for the Tigers at the end of the week in which they sacked coach Michael Maguire.
Naden was the fourth player sent off this season after Newcastle’s Mitchell Barnett, Cronulla’s Will Kennedy and Manly’s Karl Lawton.
The 2020 grand finalist had earlier been taken from the field for a concussion test after reeling out of a first-half tackle on Manly wrecking ball Haumole Olakau’atu, who bagged a crucial second-half try and tormented the Tigers’ defence all day.
Martin Taupau fends off Luciano Leilua during Manly’s big win over Wests Tigers.Credit:Getty
Surprisingly, Naden returned to the field after half-time, but was partly culpable for two tries down his channel before the 65th-minute moment of madness.
Kimmorley would have been happy with the Tigers’ effort in the first half into a strong breeze, trailing only by two points - and they could have led if Naden didn’t fumble the ball over the line in a bid for first points.
But they couldn’t make an impression after the break, and surrendered any chance of doing so once Naden lifted Trbojevic and planted him on his head with the visitors leading 16-4.
If ever there was a picture of the where the Tigers are, it was the half-time transition when exhausted players walk up the tunnel and the half-time entertainment starts. It’s usually some sort of circus to give the fans a laugh.
Brent Naden tackles Jake Trbojevic.Credit:FoxSports
This time, the Tigers rolled out a presentation to Western Suburbs’ premiership-winning Harold Matthews side, who slowly walked a lap of honour to the applause of the concourse. It was a sign of club desperate to fast-track its future, and forget about the recent past so evident in the first half.
You can rarely accuse the Tigers of not trying, but simply trying doesn’t win too many NRL matches. They more than matched the intensity of a Sea Eagles side missing captain Daly Cherry-Evans and talisman Tom Trbojevic, and still trailed at the break after botching several gilt-edged chances, most notably when Naden bobbled the ball in the act of scoring.
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The grass has never been so green for ex-Tiger Josh Aloiai, who was told 18 months ago he would be mowing the lawns at Leichhardt and Campbelltown over a contract dispute. He didn’t, and came back to score his second try in as many games against his old club off a neat Trbojevic pass.
Soon-to-be-Panther Luke Garner replied for the Tigers in the shadow of half-time, yet the prevailing emotion was: how were the Tigers behind at the break?
And with the win at their back in the second half, things only got worse with Garrick and Olakau’atu crossing down Naden’s edge before Tolutau Koula bagged his first NRL try with a scorching 50-metre solo effort.
Aloiai even had time to notch his first career double, and promptly looked to the heavens.
Kimmorley might need some divine intervention of his own.
MANLY SEA EAGLES 30 (Josh Aloiai 2, Reuben Garrick, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolutau Koula tries; Garrick 5 goals) defeated WESTS TIGERS 4 (Luke Garner try) at Campbelltown Stadium. Referee: Peter Gough.
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