Match Preview: NYC Round 14

Wests Tigers’ NYC squad will look to make it five wins in a row when they take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.

Having posted a stunning 28-22 victory over the competition-leading Newcastle Knights at Hunter Stadium last Sunday, the junior Wests Tigers are full of confidence right now and will look to continue that this weekend against the Rabbitohs, whom they defeated earlier in the year when they met in Round 3.

The hosts, though, have been playing some inspired attacking football of late, with their grit and determination carrying them towards several important wins — including last week’s 28-22 upset over the New Zealand Warriors.

Led by playmaker Wallace Tangiiti, the Rabbitohs are a tough side to break down, and will certainly fancy their chances at back-to-back wins this week.

So, who will emerge with the crucial two competition points from Friday’s clash?

Read on for a full preview of the match including all the need-to-know details, latest team news, match analysis and much more.

Match Details — Wests Tigers vs. Newcastle Knights

Date — Friday, June 13

Time — 5:30pm (Gates Open 5:25pm)

Venue — ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park

Team News

Wests Tigers

1. Mason Farrell 2. John Tohi 3. Watson Heleta 4. Jayden Wheelhouse 5. John Ogden 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Eli Levido 8. Dallas Graham 9. Manaia Cherrington 10. Jordan Grant 11. Salesi Funaki 12. Lamar Liolevave 13. Matthew Woods (Interchange: 14. Hala Masila 15. Tyler Cassel 16. Andrew Kazzi 18. Tom Sattherthwaite 19. Matthew Lodge)

South Sydney Rabbitohs

1. Elliot Gorman 2. Tom Hughes 3. Tevita Cottrell 4. John Olive 5. Irae Simone 6. Brad Wall 7. Wallace Tangiiti 8. PJ Los’e 9. Aaron Booth 10. Eden Syme 11. Tulsa Saumamao 12. Jack Gosiewski 13. Cheyne Whitelaw (Interchange: 14. Devon Makoare-Boyce 15. Joe Gardiner 16. Ofa Felila 17. Zane Musgrove 18. Clayton Williams)

Last Five Matches

Wests Tigers

R8 — Gold Coast Titans 36 def. Wests Tigers 14

R9 — Wests Tigers 22 def. Sydney Roosters 18

R10 — Wests Tigers 34 def. Cronulla Sharks 24

R11 — Wests Tigers 42 def. Brisbane Broncos 10

R13 — Wests Tigers 28 def. Newcastle Knights 22

South Sydney Rabbitohs

R9 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 24 def. Gold Coast Titans 14

R10 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 36 def. Melbourne Storm

R11 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 def. Cronulla Sharks 26

R12 — St. George-Illawarra Dragons 36 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 24

R13 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 def. New Zealand Warriors 22

Player to Watch — Manaia Cherrington, Wests Tigers

Manaia Cherrington has moved between NYC and NSW Cup as he edges closer towards a first-grade debut, and it’s clear that the crafty hooker will again be key for the visitors this weekend. Cherrington was a standout man-of-the-match against the Knights and is starting to look a class above his opponents every time he takes the field. With a similar model to NRL captain Robbie Farah, Cherrington has touched the ball more than other played in NYC this year — despite missing NYC games — and is a constant threat out of dummy half. Watch for his sharp feet to dominate tired forwards late in the match.

Coach’s Comment

“They’re a team that play for the full 80 minutes. Across the park they’ve got a lot of workers — a lot of guys who properly don’t have the profile for other NYC teams — but they compete for 80 and they’ve got a lot of guys who get the job done. Their forward pack keeps rolling up their sleeves and get quick play-the-ball for their outside men. We’ve got to be really strong through the middle. For us, putting together a full 80 minute performance is the biggest key this week...." (Balin Cupples, NYC Assistant Coach)

Team Stats