“Just win, baby”

The catchphrase of the late owner of the Oakland/LA/Las Vegas Raiders NFL team Al Davis rang true at Bottomley Park after the Stara Easts Tigers claimed a 45-29 win over Bond University in Round 12 of the StoreLocal Hospital Cup.

The colourful and controversial Davis favoured substance over style. Winning was the only thing that mattered. Your job, was to get the job done. The bottom line was the scoreline. Simple.

Just like the NFL standings, the Hospital Cup ladder does not contain a column for how attractive a victory appears. Pretty doesn’t count. Gritty does.

After falling to their first loss of the season to Wests in Round 11 and with a bye looming large in Round 13, a victory over Bond in Round 12 was non-negotiable for the Tigers in the wider context of their 2025 campaign.

The Tigers can now enter the bye in Round 13 feeling good about themselves and their table-topping 10-1 record as the competition and its legitimate premiership contenders approach the home straight to Ballymore.

There is still work to do – no doubt – but a second consecutive loss heading into a week off would have been a significant confidence-denting blow to the men in blue-and-gold.

It was a see-sawing arm wrestle with Bond who enjoyed a 29-26 lead with 30 minutes left in the contest.

But the Tigers rediscovered their trademark defensive steel to emphatically shutdown the visitor’s attack with offensive defence and scored three tries of their own to surge away from Bond.

Wingers BJ Oates and Gus Godwin crossed along with impressive fullback Henry Holt in the dying minutes to seal the deal for the home side who led 19-17 at halftime after the sides scored three tries apiece.

Every time Easts scored in the first half, they dropped their guard soon after to allow Bond to respond with a five-pointer of their own thanks largely to indifferent exits from their own territory after scoring points or unforced errors.

Hard-working flanker Tau Tuisamoa, co-captain Eli Pilz and tireless openside flanker Alex Smit scored the tries for the Tigers in the opening 40 minutes with the sharpshooting goalkicking of Pilz proving to be the difference at the break.

Things looked as grim as the overcast skies as the Bullsharks scored twice in the first seven minutes of the second half to grab a slender lead entering the last half hour.

But the Tigers found an extra gear when challenged.

A sweeping backline movement handed the barnstorming Godwin his second try of the day with a tight putdown in the corner to put the Tigers back in front with Holt providing the last pass with a beautiful cut-out ball.

Oates then extended the home side’s buffer when he streeted the Bond cover defence after a blindside raid was started by Pilz who put his winger into space.

Pilz was heavily involved in Holt’s try when the young fullback sliced through the Bond defence to complete an eye-catching display at the back deputising for the injured Meli Dreu.

The Tigers will be in action again on July 5 when they travel to St Lucia to take on University with powerhouse no.8 Nuku Swerling expected to make his return from injury.