Every true Wests Tigers fan started to wonder when the 20-0 lead against Newcastle would be clawed back when the teams headed to the dressings rooms at half time.
This rollercoaster of emotions is one of the things you get to know when you follow the joint venture club for almost 20 years.
Getting a lead and blowing it seems to be in their DNA and their fans know it, so when the home side scored twice to reduce the margin to 12, Wests Tigers fans at the ground and at thousands of living rooms across the land nodded in understanding.
Head coach Ivan Cleary had a different explanation after his team hung on to win 33-12.
“We lost our way a bit in the second half, which happens when you haven’t been winning games and you’re down on confidence,’’ Cleary told the hacks covering what some of them had dubbed the battle for the 2017 wooden spoon.
Something else in the Wests Tigers DNA is a nervous start to games, and this was no exception.
In the first seven minutes Newcastle looked for all money the most likely team to win this match.
Wests Tigers supporters were holding their breath waiting for the first major blunder which would lead to points for the Knights.
But in fact it was the home side which spilled the pill, the Tigers pounced and it was 6-0 to the visitors.
When Kevin Naiqama and Lolhea butchered certain tries, followed by a Wests set of six from hell, fans would have again been thinking: here we go again.
But this was a different day and when young hooker Jacob Liddle scored next to the posts in the 23rd minute, and Naiqama raced down the side for a four pointer soon after, the Tigers were 18-0 up.
When they opted to take the two to make it 20-0 in the 31st minute, Wests fans everywhere were whispering: where has this performance been?
Skipper Aaron Woods, who will be a Bulldog next year, said after the match: “Good to see the boys get a reward for working hard at training.
“We know that if we put in an 80 minute performance we’re in with a chance of winning.’’
Maybe the injection of so many new faces by Cleary is starting to pay dividends.
Yesterday’s line up would have had some fans scratching their heads. Some of the unfamiliar names included Esan Marsters, Tui Lolhea, Matt Eisenhuth and Alex Twal, who was making his NRL debut on the day he was turning 21 years of age.
Happy birthday, Alex, and welcome to the bus.
Talking of happy, it was good to see Cleary smile instead of grimace at yesterday’s match.
“That was a strong first half from the boys; we’ve been building to that for a while,’’ Cleary said afterwards.
“The trick now is to keep them coming.’’
The boys now get to enjoy a free weekend as Wests Tigers have the bye.
In round 19 they will have a stern test when they take on the Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval from 2pm on Sunday, July 16.
A week later they will host the Mitchell Moses Eels at ANZ Stadium from 4pm.
