Attempts to throw a lasso? (5,2,1,5)

I believe the answer is:

gives it a whirl

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'attempts' is the definition.
(giving it a whirl is a kind of attempting)

'throw a lasso?' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'throw' could be 'give' (synonyms) and 'give' is located in the answer.
'a' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'to' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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