The Canowindra Tigers clawed their way to a close 24-20 victory over the Orange Warriors in an elimination final that went right down to the wire.

In a game packed with drama, momentum swings, and large plays, it was the Tigers who stood tallest at the end.

The match began with intensity as both teams looked to establish early dominance.

The Warriors capitalised first, jumping to a 10-4 lead by the 25-minute mark.

Canowindra hit back with solid forward carries, especially from Lewis, whose powerful runs through the middle repeatedly cracked open the Warriors’ line.

Despite some handling errors and costly penalties that gave up field position, the Tigers stayed in the fight.

“They just needed to be a little more patient,” Barry Traves said.

“Kept giving Orange too much ball in our red zone.”

A high tackle later in the half saw an Orange player sent to the sin bin, opening a door the Tigers eagerly pushed through.

A clever grubber kick and swift hands out wide saw Sam Neale cross in the corner, bringing the score to 20-16.

Then, in the final minutes, the Tigers surged again, this time setting up Neil once more out wide.

Rob Burn slotted the sideline conversion, levelling the score at 20-all and sending the game into extra time.

In the added period, it was Canowindra who kept their composure.

They weathered an early push from the Warriors, then built pressure with strong sets through the middle.

With just few minutes remaining, they found space on the edge and crashed over to take the lead 24-20.

The Warriors had one final attacking chance, but the Tigers’ defence held firm.

“They’ve got through this,” Traves said.

“And people are wondering how they did it.”

The final moments were tense.

With seconds left, a desperate Orange pass went forward, ending the match and confirming Canowindra’s place in the next stage of the finals.

Canowindra Tigers will face off against Manildra Rhinos at Jack Huxley Oval on Saturday, 23 August.