It was a huge result for the Victorian outfit against the home team it only beat 11-7 on Friday night.

Halfway through the second period it was 3-1 to the Tigers, who then produced a shutout with excellent defence while raining in the goals from eight different players.

The Tigers have plenty of games in hand but seem assured of a top-two finish when the preliminary rounds resume next week after the Easter break and finish on April 6.

Wests Magpies, holding on to the sixth and final qualifying spot on the ladder currently, beat 10th-ranked UWA Torpedoes 12-7 at Ashfield Pool.

Sydney University Lions women, No 2 in the pecking order, worked tirelessly to fend off No 5 Victorian Tigers at the Peter Montgomery Pool. Internationals Nikita Cuffe (Lions) and Rowena Webster (Tigers) scored five goals each for their respective teams.

Results:
Men:
In Sydney: Wests Magpies 12 (D Swinnerton, C Eames 3, S Cody, R O’Brien 2, T Blewitt, P Jacobson) UWA Torpedoes 8 (B Mercer, J Balczer 3, B McGhie, P Gaunt), Victorian Tigers 14 (L Gavin 4, T Curwen 3, T Neesham 2, J Gilchrist, A Edwards, I Lark, J Thompson, J Disken) Sydney University Lions 1 (T Franklin).
Women:
In Sydney: Sydney University Lions 14 (N Cuffe 5, T Gofers 3, A Brightwell, J Whitehorn 2, M Hammond, S Cuffe) Victorian Tigers 12 (R Webster 5, A Van Ommen 3, EL Baldwin, E Rossato, R McGuinness, K Wilkinson).
Progress points (in ladder order with games played in brackets):
Men: Fremantle Mariner 48 (17), Victorian Tigers 33 (13), KFC Queensland Breakers 45 (19), Sydney University Lions 29 (13), Drummoyne Devils 37 (17), Wests Magpies 30 (15), Hunter Hurricanes 30 (16), Brisbane Barracudas 30 (18), Balmain Tigers 25 (15), UWA Torpedoes 18 (11), Cronulla Sharks 21 (14), Adelaide Jets 22 (16).
Women: Balmain Tigers 39 (14), Sydney University Lions 32 (12), Cronulla Sharks 29 (12), Brisbane Barracudas 37 (16), Victorian Tigers 25 (11), Fremantle Marlins 34 (15), UWA Comets 15 (9), KFC Breakers 27 (17), Adelaide Jets 22 (14), Hunter Hurricanes 24 (16), UNSW Killer Whales 16 (14).


Balmain Tigers racing to minor premiership
Sydney (March 16).—
Balmain Tigers’ minor premiership hopes were further boosted in the women’s National Water Polo League with an 11-5 win over Perth’s UWA Comets at the Dawn Fraser Pool yesterday.

It was Balmain’s 14th victory from 16 matches with one drawn, an amazing season for a team that contains only one current international in Bec Rippon.

Balmain had to work against the seventh-raked Comets until halftime, leading by only two goals, but swam away with the match in the second half.

Third-ranked Cronulla Sharks had the better of Victorian Tigers, winning 12-5 thanks to a five-goal haul from Mia Santoromito.

Drummoyne Devils, fifth on the men’s ladder in their debut season, beat Hunter Hurricanes 10-6 at Newcastle.

The Hurricanes are desperate to make the finals but need  to pick up a fe more wins to break into the top six.

Balmain Tigers eclipsed UWA Torpedoes 14-5 and the Victorian Tigers raced through Cronulla Sharks 13-5 in Sydney matches.

Results:
Men:
In Newcastle: Drummoyne Devils 10 (A Roach, G Richardson, S Avallone 2, M Emery, T Martin, S Boyd, J Ramirez) Hunter Hurricanes 6 (P Reid, R Sinclair 2, M Baird, N Campbell).
In Sydney:  Balmain Tigers 14 (C Dyson 3, C Wright, J Davis, G Woods, M Lazic 2, I Calpin, M Saville, M Stewart) UWA Torpedoes 5 (B Mercer 4, J Balczer), Victorian Tigers 13 (L Gavin 4, T Curwen, S Lewis 3, A Edwards 2, C Gronow) Cronulla Sharks 5 (S Mackenzie 2, B Matthews, M Timilty, C Rourke).
Women:
In Sydney:  Balmain Tigers 11 (R Rippon, B Smith 3, L Simms 2, L Varlow, Y Schmid, L Higlett) UWA Comets 5 (S Welch 3, C Rechichi, G Hadley), Cronulla Sharks 12 (M Santoromito 5, J Santoromito 2, B Appel, P O’Neill, J Liessmann, N Zagame, A King) Victorian Tigers 5 (K Wilkinson 3, L Baldwin, R McGuinness).

Cuffe in hot form for Sydney Uni Lions
Sydney (March 15).—
Olympian Nikita Cuffe proved the difference as two finals contenders went head to head in the National Water Polo League last night.

Cuffe (pictured), in line for her second Olympic campaign later this year, scored six goals as second-ranked Sydney University Lions beat fifth-placed Victorian Tigers at the Peter Montgomery Pool.

The powerful centre forward scored in all quarters as her team led each break by only by one at the last before pulling away with two goals in the last 19 seconds.

After leading 4-0 10 minutes into the game, the University of New South Wales Killer Whales women survived a late scare to defeat the University of Western Australia Comets 10-8.

The game was 8-all midway through the final quarter until Kara Mirabito fired in two goals to assure the home team of only its second victory of the season while the Comets are placed four rungs higher on the ladder.

In men’s action, ninth-rated Balmain Tigers bested 10th-ranked UWA Torpedoes 13-6 at  the Dawn Fraser Pool.

Results:
Men:
In Sydney: Balmain Tigers 13 (M Lazic 4, J Falzon 3, N Falzon, C Wright, C Dyson, M Stewart, J Davis, G Woods) UWA Torpedoes 6 (J Balczer 4, B McGhie 2).
Women:
In Sydney: Sydney University Lions 13 (N Cuffe 6, A Brightwell, T Gofers 2, F Hammond, M Hammond, S Cuffe) Victorian Tigers 10 (R Webster, L Baldwin 2, J Hanson, K Dowling, C Banks, R McGuinness, K Wilkinson EJ Grahame), UNSW Killer Whales 10 (C Schaeffer 5, A Carter, K Mirabito 2, S Grunberger) UWA Comets 8 (S Welch 3, C Ainsworth, A Anderson, G Hadley, C Rechichi, M Earl).

Six of the best from Santoromito against Tigers
Sydney (March 14).—
Aussie Stinger Mia Santoromito set the pool alight at Sutherland last night with a six-goal haul in Cronulla Sharks’ 10-9 National Water Polo League defeat of Victorian Tigers.

Santoromito, a leading candidate for the Olympic Games in Beijing, had four goals by halftime as the Sharks led 7-4.

The Tigers struck back in the third period to level the game at 8-all and again had the game on level pegging in the final period until Emmajo Grahame threw the winner with three minutes still remaining.

The win solidifies Cronulla’s third position on the ladder with the finals looming while theTigers are fifth-ranked with the top six advancing early next month.

The Sharks men were not so lucky, going down to No 2 Victorian Tigers 18-11 despite five goals from Scott Mackenzie. The Tigers contain at least eight internationals are a hot tip for the grand-final series.

Results:
Men:
In Sydney: Victorian Tigers 18 (J Gilchrist, I Lark 3, T Curwen, L Gavin, C Gronow, T Neesham, S Lewis 2, A Edwards, J Disken) Cronulla Sharks 11 (S Mackenzie 5, T Brown 3, R Tracy 2, C Batty).
Women:
In Sydney: Cronulla Sharks 10 (M Santoromito 6, J Liessmann 2, P O’Neill, N Zagame) Victorian Tigers 9 (R Webster 3, E Rossato, R McGuinness 2, L Baldwin, E Grahame).

Hurricanes women in huge form reversal
Woy Woy (March 13).—
In an amazing form reversal, Hunter Hurricanes turned an eight-goal loss into a one-goal victory in women’s National Water Polo League action here last night. Coming off a 16-8 loss to Perth’s UWA Comets on Tuesday night in Newcastle, the Hurricanes held on for a spirited 15-14 win in Woy Woy.

The Comets lost heavy scorer Jemma Dessauvagie in the third period for her third major foul leaving United States import Shana Welch to score a hat-trick in the final period for a match-high six goals but one short of a draw.

The Comets drew to within a goal inside the last two minutes but captain Elly Goodwin scored put Newcastle two up in the last minute.

A late penalty goal by Welch narrowed the margin to one but Hunter had the better of the game throughout with two and three-goal margins at the breaks.

The Hurricanes men made it two from two against the UWA Torpedoes, winning 16-8 in Woy Woy following an 18-7 trouncing the night before.

The Hurricanes can take pride from the big wins, because even though the Torpedoes are missing some of their main players they still had national goalkeeper Luke Quinlivan in fine form.

In Melbourne the Victorian Tigers men went back to back against Brisbane Barracudas, winning 9-8 and 14-8.
The Tigers women were not so lucky, losing 10-7 and 15-6 to a team studded with Olympic contenders.

Results:
Men:
In Newcastle: Hunter Hurricanes 18 (P Reid 5, M Bartlett, R Sinclair 3, S Berry, E Deloraine, J Johnston 2, N Campbell) UWA Torpedoes 7 (B Mercer 4, L Swanson, H Brown, A Stacey).
In Woy Woy: Hunter Hurricanes 16 (R Sinclair 6, M Baird, N Campbell, D Robinson 2, S Berry, P Reid, E Deloraine, J Johnston) UWA Torpedoes 8 (B Mercer 4, L Swanson 2, R Whaitiri, P Szilagyi).
In Melbourne: Victorian Tigers 9 (C Gronow, S Lewis, J Thompson 2, T Curwen. L Gavin, M Bridgeman) Brisbane Barracudas 8 (D Young 4, R Howden 2, BJ Howden), Victorian Tigers 14 (T Curwen, C Gronow, S Lewis, M Corr, J Disken 2, L Gavin, A Edwards, M Bridgeman, J Thompson) Brisbane Barracudas 8 (R Howden, D Hicks 2, K Smoker, W Williamson, D Young, B Edwards).
Women:
In Newcastle: UWA Comets 16 (S Welch 5, J Dessauvagie, A Anderson, Z Hadley 2, M Hausmann, C Ainsworth, A Brock, C Rechichi, G Hadley) Hunter Hurricanes 8 (C Ta’avale, E Goodwin, C Ellis, J Bendeich, T Elliott, B McConville, B Russell).
In Woy Woy: Hunter Hurricanes 15 (E Goodwin, J Bendeich, B Russell 3, S Jones, C Ellis 2, N McJannet, C Ta’avale) UWA Comets 14 (S Welch 6, J Dessauvagie 4, G Hadley 2, C Rechichi, Z Hadley).
In Melbourne: Brisbane Barracudas 10 (J Moran 3, K Gynther, M Rippon 2, S Smith, E Keogh, C Miller) Victorian Tigers 7 (R Webster, R McGuinness 2, J Hanson, A Van Ommen, C Henderson), Brisbane Barracudas 15 (S Smith 6, A Russell 4, J Moran, K Gynther, E Keogh, C Miller, M Rippon) Victorian Tigers 6 (R McGuinness 3, A Van Ommen, R Webster, E Rossato).