![Tigers No 11 Dylan Keane gets serious. Picture by Gareth Gardner Tigers No 11 Dylan Keane gets serious. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/b72fddd2-0899-4107-8018-f3ba273b696a.jpg/r0_0_3414_2359_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Northern Tigers are ideally placed to advance to the semi-finals of the Laurie Daley Cup, after an arresting second-half surge propelled them to a 42-20 win over the Northern Rivers Titans at Scully Park on Saturday.
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It was the Tigers' third win of the annual under-18 competition, with them maintaining the momentum achieved via a last-start 34-12 defeat of the Central Coast Roosters.
The Tigers - who went into the match in second place on the Northern Conference ladder - play the Western Rams in a final round clash at Farrer's John Simpson Oval next Saturday.
After Saturday's games the Tigers lead the competition on six points. The second-placed Knights, who are on four points, play the Riverina Bulls on the road on Sunday. The Roosters and the Titans are also on four points.
Inspirational Tigers second-rower Logan Spinks, who crossed twice against the Titans, said the victory "pretty much" secured the side a finals spot.
"We've just gotta have a good performance next week and we're into the finals," he said, adding: "We're just jelling together."
On a sun-lit Scully Park, as the mercury rose to 28 degrees, the game was an arm wrestle until the home side's vaunted offence revved up en route to a four-tries-to-one flurry in the second half.
Leading 12-10 at the break, the Tigers found themselves trailing for the second time in the match when Titans substitute Ayden Byrnes regathered his own chip inside the Tigers' 20m and then beat several defenders - the virtuoso solo effort concluded with a spin on the tryline.
Read more:
Halfback Zane Harrison converted: 16-12 Titans, who have lost back-to-back matches after winning their first two games.
From there it was the Tigers show, with the try onslaught commencing in the 51st minute when centre Kaleb Hope beat his opposite number, Lachlan Offley, and than raced almost 20m to score. Hope converted: Tigers 18-16.
Three minutes later, Tigers five-eighth Jordan Hamlin broke a tackle and darted over from 10m out. Hope converted: 24-16 Tigers.
Six minutes after that, in the 54th minute of the 70-minute contest, Tigers front-rower Zane Groves barged over, before Hamlin dissected the defence up the middle to post a 60m stunner. Hope - who was perfect in kicking seven goals - added the extras: 36-16.
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Titans centre Offley scored a strong close-range touchdown - before Spinks crossed for his second four-pointer, in the final minute of the match.
Spinks said: "I think the first half was a bit scrappy. But the second half, we really put the pressure on them and got the result."
TIGERS 42 (Logan Spinks 2, Jordan, Hamlin 2, Keandre Johnson-Vale, Kaleb Hope, Zane Groves tries; Hope 7 goals) TITANS 20 (Taylor Withington, Creedence Kelly Donovan, Ayden Byrnes, Lachlan Offley tries; Zane Harrison two goals).
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