'Shocking' Tigers rout mars Sheens comeback

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Wests Tigers haven't played finals footy since 2011.

They won the woody spoon past year, and their archetypal proceedings lucifer of 2023 ended successful a 48-12 thumping astatine the hands of the Warriors astatine Mt Smart Stadium connected Thursday.

Although devoid of their stars - David Nofoaluma, Brent Naden, Adam Doueihi, Luke Brooks, Api Koroisau, David Klemmer and Isaiah Papali'i were each missing - acting skipper Stefano Utoikamanu was blunt successful his appraisal of his side's performance.

"It was beauteous shocking, I think. Our defence was beauteous poor," helium told Fox Sports.

"We played a beauteous young squad … we can't expect overmuch from that, but the lone happening we tin bash is determination connected to adjacent week and absorption connected what we tin bash to improve."

The Tigers conceded the archetypal points of the lucifer successful the ninth minute, and went into the sheds lone 14-0 down.

They conceded 2 much aboriginal tries successful the 2nd half, earlier back-to-back four-pointers chopped the shortage backmost to 14 points.

Warriors flyer slips done Tigers

But that was arsenic bully arsenic it got for the Tigers, who past conceded 4 precocious tries arsenic the scoreboard blew out.

The lopsided effect was a mediocre mode for Tim Sheens to people his return to the coaching box.

"We mislaid momentum successful the archetypal half, and that's what we needed successful the second," Utoikamanu added.

"There was a play we came backmost into it, and past we conscionable fell distant astatine the end."

A Marcelo Montoya hat-trick made the Tigers' close borderline look awful.

The Tigers volition regroup and instrumentality connected the Raiders successful different proceedings lucifer adjacent Sunday afternoon.

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