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
|
Wests Tigers |
South Sydney Rabbitohs |
Points |
Pat Richards (115 points) |
Adam Reynolds (93 points) |
Tackles |
Adam Blair (361 tackles) |
Sam Burgess (452 tackles) |
Hit-Ups |
Aaron Woods (147 hitups) |
Sam Burgess (190 hitups) |
Total Metres |
Aaron Woods (1540 metres) |
Sam Burgess (2245 metres) |
Team Stats
|
Wests Tigers |
South Sydney Rabbitohs |
Points For |
251 points (9th) |
295 points (3rd) |
Points Against |
262 points (9th) |
199 points (3rd) |
Penalties For |
86 penalties (5th) |
109 penalties (1st) |
Missed Tackles |
364 tackles (9th) |
255 tackles (1st) |
Completion % |
73 percent (3rd) |
69 percent (15th) |