Match Preview: NSW Cup Round 17

Wests Tigers NSW Cup team will look to bounce back from a last-start defeat when they take on the Penrith Panthers at Leichhardt Oval this Sunday.

The Club blew a strong lead to lose in the final minute against Mounties on the weekend — bringing to an end their five-game winning streak — and they’ll no doubt be keen to right that wrong this weekend against the Panthers.

However, that certainly won’t be an easy task, with Penrith currently leading the competition in NSW Cup and already recording a 20-12 win over Wests Tigers when they met earlier in the year at Sportingbet Stadium.

Which team will emerge from the points this weekend?

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

Be there at Leichhardt Oval when Wests Tigers take on the Penrith Panthers this Sunday! Get your family tickets for just $50!

Match Details — NSW Cup, Wests Tigers vs. Penrith Panthers

Date — Sunday, July 6, 2014

Time — 11:00am (Gates open at 10:45am)

Venue — Leichhardt Oval (Mary Street, Leichhardt)

Confirmed Squads

Wests Tigers

1. Jy Hitchcox 2. Corey Brown 3. Asipeli Fine 4. Setefano Taukafa 5. Daniel Abou-Sleiman 6. Mitchell Moses 7. Michael Stevens 8. James Gavet 9. Dayne Craig 10. Michael Bullock 11. Brenden Santi 12. Jarred Farlow 13. Kyle Lovett (Interchange: 14. Nathan Brown 15. Andy Fiagatusa 16. Sam Hollis 17. Inno Inosesio 18. Sonny Bristow).

Penrith Panthers

1. Will Smith 2. Eto Nabuli 3. Waqa Blake 4. Wes Naiqama 5. Tom Eisenhuth 6. Tom Humble 7. Luke Capewell 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Kevin Kingston 10. Tim Grant 11. Ben Murdoch-Masila 12. Matt Robinson 13. Ryan Simpkins (Interchange: 14. Vaipuna Tia Kilifi 15. Liam Ayoub 16. Anthony Cherrington 17. Shaun Spence).

Last Five Matches

Wests Tigers

R11 — Wests Tigers 26 def. Newcastle Knights 22

R12 — Wests Tigers 52 def. Wentworthville Magpies 16

R13 — Wests Tigers 34 def. Newcastle Knights 12

R15 — Wests Tigers 32 def. Newtown Jets 16

R16 — Mounties RLFC 30 def. Wests Tigers 26

Penrith Panthers

R12 — Penrith Panthers 19 def. Illawarra Cutters 18

R13 — Penrith Panthers 32 def. Wyong Roos 24

R14 — Penrith Panthers 28 def. Illawarra Cutters 22

R15 — Penrith Panthers 32 def. North Sydney Bears 28

R16 — Penrith Panthers 20 def. New Zealand Warriors 14

Key Matchup — James Gavet vs. Tim Grant

Talk about a big key matchup! James Gavet will have a point to prove after being stood down last week and will make his first game back for the Club since suffering a hamstring injury earlier in the year. And on the other hand, Tim Grant will again be keen to restore himself to first-grade, having slipped down the pecking order at the foot of the mountains. Both teams will be looking to establish an early dominance in the middle, and it’ll be fascinating to see which of these two players will help give their team that added edge.

Coach’s Comment

“We haven’t lost at Leichhardt this year so hopefully we can keep that going, but it won’t be easy this week. Penrith are a really good side; they’re leading the competition so they’re the benchmark. When we played in that first round, it was a really tight game and I’m expecting the same again this week. It’ll be good to see Ben Murdoch-Masila again, I guess, but I want the boys to make sure that they focus and get the job done this week. Penrith have a really good forward pack and they have the skill in the halves and out wide to hurt us if we’re not good enough like we were last week…” (Paul Fletcher, NSW Cup Coach).

Team Stats