Can you feel that? It’s the winds of change, and they’re blowing all the way from Leichhardt to Campbelltown.

After 15 years of false starts, heartbreak and a hell of a lot of sacked coaches, the Wests Tigers finally look like finals contenders. Hell, they currently sit joint top of the ladder alongside the Penrith Panthers.

Sunday’s 42-22 win over Newcastle at Campbelltown was the first time the Black, White and Golds have managed three straight wins since 2018 – and this time they don’t have an aging squad and a coach with one eye on a Panther-shaped exit.

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MATCH CENTRE: Tigers v Knights, score, stats, live blog

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Granted, Benji Marshall’s team isn’t perfect – they still have an error in them – but not since 2011, the year Wests last made the finals, have the players shown such a commitment to the cause.

Take Patrick Herbert. Six months ago, the former Warrior and Titan was sitting on an excavator, having not played first grade since 2022. Marshall threw him a lifeline during the off-season, and on Sunday night, he celebrated his NRL start in 1,330 days by scoring one try and setting up another for Sunia Turuva with a miraculous floated offload.

And then there’s unfashionable halfback Adam Doueihi, who continued his stellar season by shredding the Knights’ left-edge defence with a series of superbly timed passes. And what about the irrepressible Turuva, who scored a hat-trick after seamlessly shifting from the centre to the wing?

Ryles “Not gonna blame injuries” | 05:27

Backed by a crowd of 15,221, the Tigers pounced early, with tries to Turvua and Api Koroisau giving them a 16-0 advantage after just fifteen minutes. In-form winger Dom Young pulled one back for the Knights when he contorted his gangly frame to score in the corner, but the Tigers swiftly retaliated with Herbert and Jahream Bula putting them 28-4 ahead at halftime.

Despite running into a howling gale, the Tigers continued on their merry way during the second stanza. Turuva completed his treble in the 54th minute after receiving another classic Doueihi pass, and while Jeral Skelton’s in-goal error gifted Dane Gagai a try, Wests were far from done.

Bulla was bobbed up once again to make it 36-10 after 61 minutes, before Koroisau’s dummy-half trickery helped Terrell May grab a rare meat pie.

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Hannay: “We’re on a different journey” | 05:01

Trailing by 32 points, the Knights managed a couple of consolation tries to Fletcher Hunt and Trey Mooney, but this did nothing to curb the enthusiasm of the Campbelltown faithful, who stood as one to applaud the Tigers, who registered their first win at the venue since August 2024.

FOX SPORTS LAB STATS

– Tigers end 186 game streak not winning three matches in a row. First treble since early in 2018. Ends the third longest streak all time without a three match winning streak (South Sydney – 216 1994-2005 and Penrith 198 games 1975-1984). This was Wests 18th attempt at a three game winning streak since 2018

– Only the third time since 2000 the Tigers have been first or second on the ladder beyond round 5 of a season. First time since 2014.

– Tigers snap a five game losing streak at Campbelltown – just their third win in 18 games there since 2021.

– Second time the Tigers have scored 40+ points this season – the first season they have done so multiple times since 2019.

– Since last season, 12 of the Knights 20 losses have been by margins of 20 points or more.

Tigers led 42-10 after 76 minutes.

– Tigers has 60 percent possession, made 10 linebreaks to four and had 53 tackles to 10 in the opposition 20.

– Royce Hunt was placed on report for high contact on Tyson Frizell after Dom Young scored the Knights only try of the first half. He has not been charged since 2021.

– Alex Seyfarth was placed on report for a dangerous tackle on Fletcher Hunt before the Mooney try. He has four unrelated charges in the past year.

– Sunia Turuva scored his third career hat-trick. He has one in each of the past three seasons.

– Jahream Bula scored his fourth career double – first since 2024. Fourth game in a row he has run for more than 150 metres.

– Fox Lab POTM – Adam Doueihi maintained his running dominance, with another 170+ metre performance. He assisted three tries and had a hand in another.

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