A week of heartache and legal threats finished in unbridled joy for Wests Tigers with a 32-18 NRL upset of Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.
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Without injured playmaker Luke Brooks, the Tigers showed pride in their jersey to rebound from Sunday's controversial, last-play loss to North Queensland to end a six-match home streak by the Broncos.
The boilover sees Brisbane, who rued too many uncharacteristic handling errors, drop out of the top four and lifts the Tigers off the bottom of the NRL ladder.
It was five-eighth Adam Doueihi, in an 18-point display, who stood tallest for the visitors and fittingly iced the game with the final try.
After giving premiership contenders Penrith, Parramatta and the Cowboys a fright in their previous three starts, the Tigers showed from the outset they would again be up for the fight.
In a match of momentum swings, which was deadlocked at 12-all at halftime, it was two tries in three minutes early in the second half which proved pivotal for the Tigers.
They hit the lead in the 47th minute when Starford To'a crossed after Doueihi batted back a bomb, accidentally kneeing Adam Reynolds in the head in the process which forced Brisbane's playmaker off for a head injury assessment.
As Reynolds was being assessed, Zane Musgrove barged over Corey Paix and was awarded the try, despite the hint of a double-movement, for a 12-point advantage.
Reynolds blamed poor execution and discipline for the loss, admitting his side's handling let the Tigers off the hook at crucial moments.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters played down the defeat, praising his side's effort and recognising the visitors' resilience.
"In the critical moments the Tigers were just better than us," he said. "You don't have to be too far off (your game) at this level to lose.
"I think the Tigers' football of late has been very good, and I don't think they should be sitting where they are on the table."
Walters was relatively unfazed by in-form lock Pat Carrigan being put on report for an alleged hip-drop on Jackson Hastings.
"It was just the heat of the battle," he said.
Hastings was in immense pain and underwent X-Rays immediately after the match, with the Tigers fearing a serious season-ending ankle injury.
While angered by the Carrigan incident, Brett Kimmorley lapped up his first win as Tigers coach after the emotional loss to the Cowboys. .
"With the hard work the players have put in for a number of weeks, this has been coming," he said.
"I'd like to think this wasn't a fluke what we achieved tonight.
"The journey the team went on after Sunday night when things went against us and had all reason to fall into a heap now, I'm proud of these boys as a coach."
The Broncos managed to get themselves back on track just as Reynolds was cleared to return with Jordan Riki barrelling over three defenders to score but they wasted comeback opportunities with poor handling.
Young playmaker Jock Madden ensured Brooks wasn't missed in the first half, setting up one try and scoring the second for the visitors to hush the home crowd at halftime.
The Tigers were first to strike when Madden combined nicely down the short side to help put Brent Naden over in the corner in his 50th NRL appearance.
But the Broncos shifted momentum with a string of off-loads to gain field position before Reynolds worked his magic for two quick tries midway through the first half to Tesi Nui and Ezra Mam
Naden bombed a golden chance for a second try late in the first half by inexplicably stepping in to touch, but a juggling Madden ensured the Tigers went to the break level pegging by starting and finishing a rampaging break by Kelma Tuilagi.
Australian Associated Press
