Vipers record first win of the season

The Central Vipers have secured a thrilling 28 – 24 victory over the Wanderers Tigers in Game 3 of the SGNRL Championship 2026, prevailing in a high-octane encounter that kept supporters on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.

The Vipers laid a dominant foundation in the opening half, withholding a ferocious second-half onslaught from the Tigers, and ultimately held firm to claim a vital win in the tournament.

Central came out firing early, dictating the tempo and making their intentions clear from the opening whistle. Elliot Morgan opened the scoring in just the fifth minute, piercing through the Tigers’ defensive line. Hooker Pierre Marshall added the extras with a clean conversion to set the score at 6 – 0.

Morgan remained a constant threat on the wing and struck again in the 11th minute for his second try of the match, pushing the lead to 10–0. The Vipers kept up the relentless pressure, and just over a minute later, playmaker Pierre Marshall found space to score a try of his own to setup a 14 – 0 lead.

Refusing to let the match slip away completely, the Wanderers Tigers dug deep to regain momentum. Forward Sylvain Hirsch gave the Tigers a much-needed lifeline in the 18th minute, crashing over to put his team on the scoreboard at 14 – 4 and just two minutes later, lock, George Gadsby capitalised on sustained pressure to cross for another try, trimming the gap to 14 – 8.

Just as the Tigers threatened to turn the tide, Central’s Alan Castillo Lopez produced a decisive double to reassert control. Castillo Lopez scored his first try at 25th minute to make it 18 – 8, and Pierre Marshall nailed the conversion to extend the lead to 20–8.

Castillo Lopez struck again for his second try just minutes later, giving the Vipers a commanding 24 – 8 advantage that looked almost insurmountable.

The final quarter provided high drama as the Tigers launched a desperate fightback. Connor Adams kickstarted the rally with a try, and fullback Rhodri Davies converted to bring the score to 24–14.

The Tigers immediately pressed forward again, resulting in winger, Herith Aqid, crashing over just three minutes later. Another conversion from Davies put the Tigers within striking distance at 24 – 20.

The match took another major turn when Herith Aqid was shown a yellow card and sent to the sin bin, leaving the Tigers a man down during a pivotal stretch of the match. Taking full advantage of the extra space on the field, Vipers’ Martin Cesbert crossed the line at to deliver what would prove to be the match-winning try, stretching the lead to 28 – 20.

The Tigers refused to go quietly, and George Gadsby bagged his second try of the contest in the closing minutes of the match to bring Wanderers back within four points at 28 – 24. However, Central managed to lock down their defence to secure the victory.

CENTRLA VIPERS 28 DEFEATED
Tries: Elliot Morgan 2, Alan Castillo Lopez 2, Pierre Marshall, Martin Cesbert
Goals: Pierre Marshall 2
Squad: Dane Gilmore, Fynn An Postlethwaite, Elliot Morgan, Steven Wood, Lagier Arthur Guy, Oliver Mckimmie, Andy Kelleher, Harresh Krishnan, Pierre Marshall, Ishaan Sivasriaumphai, Nicholas Lydon-Smith, Alex Fuchs, Tokelau Akama; Interchange: Neil Best, Alan Castillo Lopez, John Wong,
Martin Cesbert, Quentin Andre, Ito Ryo, Aathithya Jegatheesan, Takahito Saig, William Callum Finlay, Davis Tan
WANDERERS TIGERS 20
Tries: George Gadsby 2, Sylvain Hirsch, Connor Adams, Herith Aqid
Goals: Rhodri Davies 2
Squad: Rhodri Davies, Corentin Balmet, Kyle Abourizk, Jordan Riwai, Herith Aqid, Ricky Nurdin, Jonathan Cox, Connor Adams, Tom Chamberlain, Henry Aisi, Luca Mori, Sylvain Hirsch, George Gadsby; Interchange: Sean Lim, Alfie Thomas, Caelan Lesao, Danial Hardy, Bryant Wong, Elmo Doorn, Thomas Chen, Oliver Manzi, Fynn Marshall, Kieran Price, Daryl Chua