Match Preview: NRL Round 14

After outlasting the Newcastle Knights last weekend, Wests Tigers will look to post back-to-back wins this Friday as they take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

With a victory over the Rabbitohs already in the books for this year, Wests Tigers will look to repeat the process at ANZ Stadium against one of the competition heavyweights, with both teams missing players due to State of Origin selection.

The hosts will be without a number of players including star fullback Greg Inglis, while the visitors will be without captain Robbie Farah and inspirational forward Aaron Woods — two big omissions against a side with one of the most dominant forward packs in the league. However, with plenty of depth at the Club, handy replacements are available in Joel Luani and Martin Taupau, as well as Dene Halatau — who will play his first game of the year.

It shapes as one of the key battles of the round, and with both teams heading into the bye next weekend, the match represents a huge “four-point” game for both teams.

Read on for a full match preview including all the key match details, live stream and TV info as well as player analysis, statistics and much more.

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Match Details

Date — Friday, June 13

Time — 7:45pm AEST (Gates Open 5:15pm)

Venue — ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park

TV and Live Stream Details

Live coverage of the match is available via Channel 9 (check local guides), with a live stream also available via the NRL’s Digital Pass (subscription required).

Confirmed Squads

Wests Tigers

1. James Tedesco 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Tim Simona 4. Chris Lawrence 5. Pat Richards 6. Braith Anasta 7. Luke Brooks 8. Martin Taupau 9. Joel Luani 10. Keith Galloway 11. Curtis Sironen 12. Bodene Thompson 13. Adam Blair (Interchange: Dene Halatau 15. Sauaso Sue 16. Blake Austin 17. Ava Seumanufagai 18. Sitaleki Akauola 21. Keith Lulia)

South Sydney Rabbitohs

1. Nathan Merritt 2. Alex Johnston 3. Bryson Goodwin 4. Kirisoma Auva’a 5. Joel Reddy 6. John Sutton 7. Adam Reynolds 8. George Burgess 9. Isaac Luke 10. Dave Tyrrell 11. Kyle Turner 12. Sam Burgess 13. Ethan Lowe (Interchange: 14. Apisai Koroisau 15. Jason Clark 16. Joe Picker 17. Thomas Burgess)

Last Five Matches

Wests Tigers

R8 — Gold Coast Titans 22 def. Wests Tigers 6

R9 — Sydney Roosters 30 def. Wests Tigers 6

R10 — Wests Tigers 22 def. Cronulla Sharks 20

R11 — Brisbane Broncos 16 def. Wests Tigers 14

R13 — Wests Tigers 23 def. Newcastle Knights 20

South Sydney Rabbitohs

R9 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 40 def. Gold Coast Titans 18

R10 — Melbourne Storm 27 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 14

R11 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 18 def. Cronulla Sharks 0

R12 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 29 def. St. George-Illawarra Dragons 10

R13 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 34 def. New Zealand Warriors 18

Last Time They Met

Round 3, 2014: Wests Tigers 25 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 16

Coming into the match as heavy underdogs, Wests Tigers’ forward pack stood up and tore down their opponents’ attempts to intimidate their way to victory — allowing the hosts to post a stunning upset on the night. Going behind early due to a try to Ben Lowe, Wests Tigers hit back through Bodene Thompson, Tim Simona, Pat Richards and James Tedesco to take a commanding 25-6 lead into the final few minutes of the match. Souths hit back with two late consolation tries to reduce the margin on the night.

Match History: Played 24, Won 10, Lost 13, Drawn 1

Number to Know — 9

James Tedesco returned from injury last weekend to star at the back once more for Wests Tigers — scoring a try and setting two others up as well — to take his season tally to five tries from six games. The game in which he didn’t score, Tedesco was taken from the field with a serious ankle injury and didn’t play most of the second half; every game he’s finished, he’s crossed the white line. Adding four tries in his final four games of 2013, the Italian international has now crossed for nine tries in his last 10 games, and will be looking to add to that tally against Souths on Friday, who he’s scored against in both his last two matches.

Player Stats

Team Stats