It’s one small step for the Wests Tigers, one giant leap for Leichhardt Oval

1 week ago 9

On paper, the lucifer should person been a dud. The woody spooners versus the 2nd past successful the comp. Instead, Saturday afternoon’s wintry NRL match-up betwixt the Wests Tigers and the Gold Coast Titans astatine a muddy Leichhardt Oval had the aerial of a carnival. Something magical was successful the wind. All the Tigers had to bash was measurement into their powerfulness and instrumentality what was rightfully theirs.

And yet, they made the assemblage enactment for it. They made themselves enactment for it. Even among immoderate sloppy play, and the missed tackles successful the opening gambit of the match, the Tigers crowd, if not the team, grew stronger. Pulling unneurotic the achromatic and golden gear, pridefulness successful the jersey seemed to beryllium astatine an all-time high, contempt the nine-match losing streak.

Wests Tigers players observe a effort during their stirring triumph implicit Gold Coast Titans astatine Leichhardt Oval connected Saturday.

After all, lone successful the past fewer days had the authorities stepped in to prevention the illustrious crushed that sits successful the bosom of the interior west. Suddenly, connected this acold June afternoon, things were looking up.

The injection of currency into Leichhardt Oval volition beryllium a boon for the Tigers and the section schools that usage the grounds. But it’s besides a triumph for women’s sport. As Inner West politician Darcy Byrne said past week: “When the crushed is renovated, our extremity volition beryllium for 50 per cent of each of the contented present to beryllium women’s and girls’ sports.”

Now, telephone maine sentimental, but Saturday’s comeback from the Tigers was what everyone was determination for, and yet no-one dared judge it was possible.

The Wayne Pearce Hill was packed contempt cold, bedewed weather.

Even earlier, a peculiar feeling was evident arsenic fans streamed down Balmain Road, wending their mode done Callan Park and Lilyfield, with flags from the ’90s, beanies from the ‘80s and Balmain and Magpies jerseys from the ’70s starring the merry set connected their way.

Crammed connected the Hill nether the Wayne Pearce scoreboard, kids and parents and aunts and fanatics stood successful awe, and sometimes wide frustration, arsenic they watched their beloved Tigers claw their mode backmost into the match. The grey skies grew darker, rainfall threatened but ne'er truly arrived, and the misted breaths grew much pronounced arsenic the last siren grew closer.

In the end, the well-aimed doggerel from the punters astir maine was capable to entice the last match-winning effort from Fonua Pole successful the dying minutes and stifle the dreams of the Titans. And the tribe? We celebrated arsenic if we were holding aloft the Provan-Summons trophy ourselves. There was surely capable mud to recreate much peculiar moments.

Families retreated from the Hill, beaming. The merch van had been stripped bare, and an impromptu toboggan chute emerged, parting the assemblage connected the Hill. If this overmuch joyousness tin beryllium brought from truthful little, ideate the powerfulness of pumping up the teams successful this section country for the future.

We desperately request to guarantee (not slightest for my nieces’ and nephews’ sake) that determination is joyousness to beryllium gleaned successful not lone donning the Tigers’ cogwheel but successful supporting their wins. That determination is simply a aboriginal for women’s athletics successful Sydney, starting astatine Leichhardt Oval. And arsenic Roy and HG truthful eloquently enactment it, that the “heritage” toilet blocks tin beryllium updated “in the astir respectful way”.

And my family? While present we’re out-of-towners, the Tigers are portion of our household lore. Our father, a Palestinian refugee, lived successful Birchgrove erstwhile some helium and the suburb were working-class, erstwhile the rules of rugby league were beyond his ken. (We won’t speech astir mum’s passionateness for the Sea Eagles.)

Dad played hoops for the Balmain Leagues Club, but the foundations had been laid.

Now, successful my children’s books, I person galore subtle and not-so-subtle references to the Tigers and their colours. As a fan, I bash what I can. So, convey you, Tigers. It’s lone 1 match, but you earned your stripes this week and made the existent believers’ hearts bushed a small faster.

Yvette Poshoglian is simply a bestselling children’s author, teacher and lifelong Wests Tigers fan.