Match Preview: NRL Round 17

Wests Tigers will look to build on a last start win over the Canberra Raiders when they take on the Penrith Panthers on Sunday afternoon at Leichhardt Oval.

Despite having a slew of injuries to contend with and players playing out of position, the joint-venture outfit were able to emerge with a gutsy one-point win, and they’ll no doubt take plenty of confidence from that match into this week’s clash against one of the form teams from the 2014 NRL season.

It’ll be a tough test for the hosts on Sunday, who will be without Origin stars Robbie Farah and Aaron Woods, but with a strong home crowd behind them on the day, they’ll certainly fancy their chances at making it back-to-back wins.

Who will emerge with the points in this battle of the West?

Read on for a full match preview including all the need-to-know match information, team news, live stream details, analysis and more.

Match Details

Date — Sunday, July 6, 2014

Time — 3:00pm AEST

Venue — Leichhardt Oval (Mary St., Leichhardt)

TV and Live Stream Details

Channel 9 will show the match on a one-hour delay (check local guides), with a live stream of the match available on delay via the NRL’s Digital Pass.

Confirmed Squads

Wests Tigers

1. Blake Austin 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Keith Lulia 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: 14. Dene Halatau 15. Ava Seumanufagai 16. Sitaleki Akauola 17. Jack Buchanan)

Penrith Panthers

1. Matt Moylan 2. Josh Mansour 3. Dean Whare 4. Jamal Idris 5. Kevin Naiqama 6. Jamie Soward 7. Peter Wallace 8. Sam McKendry 9. James Segeyaro 10. Brent Kite 11. Sika Manu 12. Elijah Taylor 13. Adam Docker (Interchange: 14. Tyrone Peachey 15. Jeremy Latimore 16. Lewis Brown 17. Nigel Plum 18. Bryce Cartwright)

Last Five Matches

Wests Tigers

R10 — Wests Tigers 22 def. Cronulla Sharks 20

R11 — Brisbane Broncos 16 def. Wests Tigers 14

R13 — Wests Tigers 23 def. Newcastle Knights 20

R14 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 32 def. Wests Tigers 10

R16 — Wests Tigers 19 def. Canberra Raider 18

Penrith Panthers

R10 — Penrith Panthers 26 def. Canberra Raiders 20

R12 — Penrith Panthers 38 def. Parramatta Eels 12

R13 — Penrith Panthers 36 def. Gold Coast Titans 14

R14 — Penrith Panthers 18 def. St. George-Illawarra Dragons 14

R16 — New Zealand Warriors 30 def. Penrith Panthers

Last Time They Met

Round 13, 2013: Wests Tigers 20 def. Penrith Panthers

A spectacular length-of-the-field effort from Tim Simona saw Wests Tigers emerge with a thrilling victory from the last time these two teams met. Penrith had led 18-8 at half-time in front of their home fans, but tries to Ava Seumnafagai and Simona after half-time saw the visitors sensationally pull in front with 10 minutes to go and hold on for the win.

Match History: Played 26, Won 11, Lost 14, Drawn 1

Number to Know — 880

Combined, Wests Tigers and Penrith Panthers have missed a staggering 880 tackles in 14 games this year — an average of 62.85 per game.  The Panthers have missed the fourth most tackles this year (31.7 per game), while the hosts have missed the fifth most (31.1 per game). That could lead to plenty of metres on the ground for both teams, and see a high-scoring match at Leichhardt Oval — particularly if the rain holds away as forecasted.

Coach’s Comment

“They’ve been consistent all year. They’re solid defensively and hard to break down. They’ve got some good news players and outside backs that are strong and evasive. They’ve got good halves and a hooker too that give them plenty of good direction — not to mention their big forwards. We’re going to need to play our best this weekend to trouble them…”

(Mick Potter, NRL Head Coach)

Individual Stats Leaders

Team Stats