Match Preview: NYC Round 16

It’s been an impressive run of form lately for the junior Wests Tigers, and they’ll look to continue their winning streak this week against the Canberra Raiders.

The junior Wests Tigers have won their last five NYC games — including several big wins over competition heavyweights Brisbane Broncos and Newcastle Knights — and will fancy a return to Campbelltown Sports Stadium this weekend, where they are let to lose in 2014.

However, as is common with NYC football, any team is capable of piling on the points and producing an upset on the day, with the Raiders’ strong halves certainly capable of causing some problems for the hosts on the day.

Who will walk away from Campbelltown Stadium with the two points in hand?

Read on for a full preview of the match including all the key details, live stream and TV information, team news, match analysis and more.

Match Details — Wests Tigers vs. Canberra Raiders

Date — Saturday, June 28, 2014

Time — 1:15pm (Gates Open at 11:25am)

Venue — Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Rose Payten Drive, Leumeah

Secure your seat when we take on the Canberra Raiders this Saturday — get your GA Pre-Sale tickets for just $15!

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. Andrew Kazzi 17. Jeremy Marshall-King 19. Matthew Lodge 24. Daniel Rakvin).

Canberra Raiders

1. Andrew Heffernan 2. Thomas Cronan 3. Jono Kent 4. Jack Creith 5. Lachlan Hurst 6. Lachlan Lewis 7. Matt Frawley 8. Brett Solomon 9. Ricky Harard 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Jack Williams 12. Scott Doyle 13. Jules Webley (Interchange: 14. Dylan McGrath 15. Jordan Aiono 16. Thoren Fidow-Kele 17. Kilu Pangai 18. Cleveland McGhie).

Last Five Matches

Wests Tigers

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

R14 — Wests Tigers 28 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 18

Canberra Raiders

R10 — Canberra Raiders 34 def. Penrith Panthers 16

R11 — North Queensland Cowboys 44 def. Canberra Raiders 30

R12 — Sydney Roosters 30 def. Canberra Raiders 29

R13 — Brisbane Broncos 34 def. Canberra Raiders 28

R15 — Canberra Raiders 44 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 26

Player to Watch — Watson Heleta, Wests Tigers

After injuries to Delouise Hoeter and Marion Seve early in the season saw a back-line reshuffle, Watson Heleta has been one of the stars to step up and fill the void. Also capable of playing lock forward, the bullocking centre has played eight games for the junior Wests Tigers this year, and has crossed for a try in every single one of those games. He’ll fancy his chances at extending the streak again this weekend, and will also look to develop his promising combination out on the right edge with John Tohi, who’s also impressed lately.

Coach’s Comment

“If the Raiders get the ball, they can be a very dangerous team. They had a good win over the Bulldogs on the weekend so we’ve got to make sure that we keep the ball away from them, and when we do kick the ball, we kick to the corners. We’ve got to get plenty of linespeed in defence, and it’ll be up to our spine to control that. Particularly Manaia Cherrington — he needs to pick his time when to run because there will be some opportunities to take advantage of the space behind those big men. Canberra had some exciting players from the under-18’s come up and they’ve just given them a bit of spark. So we’re expecting them to use the ball a little bit; we’ve just got make sure that we’re watching their threats and also worry about our own backyard too…” (Andrew Webster, NYC Coach).

Team Stats