Marshall magic keeps Tigers in the hunt | Thebigtip

Having been in doubt all week for the NRL semi-final against the Canberra Raiders, Benji Marshall has gone on and produced a career defining performance to help guide the Wests Tigers to within one game of the Grand Final.

Playing against arguably the NRL’s form team in front of a crowd record 26,746 fans, the Tigers gave every indication that the heroics of their first premiership victory in 2005, looks set to repeat itself five years on.

Indeed the Tigers were not favoured to beat a Raiders side which had every reason to believe they would replicate Parramatta’s fairytale run to last year’s NRL decider.

Coming into the match against the Tigers, Canberra had won nine of their past ten matches, including the last six in succession, to storm into the semi-finals.

In comparison, the Tigers had to endure the pain of last week’s agonising finals defeat to the Roosters, where they held a 15-2 advantage late on, only for the chooks to conjure a miracle and escape with a victory right at the death.

This time however, the Tigers managed to hang on and record a 26-24 victory against the Green Machine, which has now set-up a massive preliminary final against Minor Premiers, the Dragons.

Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall was the architect in the Tigers win, setting up three of his sides’s four tries in a performance worthy of his standing as one of the NRL’s genuine superstars.

Marshall’s showing in the first half in particular was sublime. The Kiwi Test star produced a marvellous flick pass to set-up Chris Heighington’s four pointer, while a superb flat ball allowed a rampaging Gareth Ellis to score under the posts untouched.

For all of Marshall’s brilliance however, the Raiders managed to hang on, despite losing captain Terry Campese to what appeared to be a serious knee injury.

Raiders forward Bronson Harrison played a large role in keeping Canberra’s finals hopes alive late on, scoring a try and setting up another for Joel Monaghan to round off a mammoth performance from the Kiwi international.

In the end, it took a missed penalty goal from sharpshooter Jarrod Croker to confirm the Raiders finals exit.

Having endured yet another nervious finish to a match, the Tigers approach next week's tussle against the Dragons filled with the belief that took them to Premiership glory back in 05.

And with Marshall once again at the peak of his powers, it remains to be seen whether or not the Dragons defensive qualities will be enough to contain the flair and skill of a Tigers side capable of conjuring the attacking brilliance necessary to secure another Grand Final birth.