Tigers hold out Dragons in NRL thriller

Wests Tigers veteran Robbie Farah set up all three of his team's tries in their 20-16 upset over St George Illawarra.

Robbie Farah of the Tigers in action against the Dragons.

A Robbie Farah-inspired Wests Tigers have beaten St George Illawarra in their vital NRL clash. (AAP)

Robbie Farah and Benji Marshall have turned back the clock to deliver the Wests Tigers a thrilling 20-16 upset over St George Illawarra.

Playing their first game together in 1772 days, Farah set up all three of his team's tries while Marshall pulled off a number of key plays in both attack and defence at Jubilee Oval.

Marshall said it was special to be back alongside his 2005 premiership-winning teammate.

"The good thing was it didn't feel different, it felt like we were on the same page. In my opinion I thought he was the best player on the field today," Marshall said.

"Picked his moments when to run, a couple of repeat sets, and just kept the team calm.

"There were moments there where it could've gotten away and just in the huddle he pulled everyone together and his talk and his experience rubbed off on everyone."

The win ensures the Tigers remain in 10th spot, four points adrift of eighth-placed Brisbane, with seven games remaining in the season.

The Tigers were leading by six when Farah sold Tim Lafai a dummy and then grubber-kicked astutely for winger David Nofaoluma in the 59th minute.

The Dragons then looked buried when Gareth Widdop's line dropout sailed out on the full to gift the visitors an extra two points with 14 minutes remaining.

But a Widdop try off a Ben Hunt chip kick spurred the home crowd to life, and a comeback loomed when Matt Dufty zoomed over from a Luciano Leilua pass in the 75th minute.

However the visitors held on to send the Dragons, who had all five of their State of Origin stars backing up, to back-to-back defeats for the first time this year.

And while they have also dropped to a season-low third spot on the ladder, coach Paul McGregor refused to panic about their drop in form.

"I think every team goes through different stages of being in the competition where you're playing your best footy and you're a little bit off your best," he said.

"I thought Paul Vaughan had his best game of the season and others didn't. When we were at our best, we had all 17 playing coming together."

The Tigers looked likely early, and cashed in on field position when Farah feigned a kick only to send Luke Brooks through for first points in his 100th match.

The Dragons replied through the neat stepping of Hunt, however that was how the score remained in a tightly contested first half where they lost Nene Macdonald to a foot injury.

Marshall, in his first game back from a calf injury, was also denied a highlight by a dubious forward pass ruling in the opening 40 minutes.

Instead it was the 33-year-old Farah who produced all the magic plays, including a well-timed inside ball for Moses Mbye to put Corey Thompson over soon after the break.

The win may have come at a cost however, with co-captain Chris Lawrence failing to finish the match due to a hamstring injury.


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Source: AAP



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