Match Preview: NRL Round 23

Wests Tigers will look to keep their finals hopes alive when they take on the Sydney Roosters in their Round 23 clash at Leichhardt Oval this Saturday night.

Having recorded three consecutive losses in their past three outings, Wests Tigers will be looking to deliver a strong performance in their penultimate home game of the season, and will be keen to make amends for a disappointing loss suffered at the hands of this week’s visitors when they met at Allianz Stadium in Round 9.

With finals hopes on the line, it’s shaping as a blockbuster match against the defending premiers at the suburban home ground, and one that Wests Tigers will be hopeful of drawing a strong crowd to as they seek to deliver a strong finish to the year.

Who will get the points when these two sides go to battle on Saturday night?

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

Click here to get your tickets to Round 23 and cheer on the boys as they battle the Sydney Roosters at Leichhardt Oval on August 16.

Match Details

Date — Saturday, August 16

Time — 7:30pm AEST (gates open at 3:00pm)

Venue — Leichhardt Oval, Sydney

TV, Radio and Live Stream Details

TV — Fox Sports 1 (check local guides)

Radio — ABC Grandstand and 2UE (check local guides)

Live Stream — Fox Sports Go, NRL Digital pass (subscription required)

Twitter — Click here to follow Wests Tigers on Twitter for live scores and commentary

Confirmed Squads

Wests Tigers name a number of changes to their Round 22 team, which still sees the likes of Pat Richards and Luke Brooks unavailable due to injury. Tim Simona has been ruled out with injury and is replaced in the centres by Cory Paterson. That pushes Adam Blair from lock to the second row and Sauaso Sue into the starting team.

The return of Keith Galloway sends Ava Seumanufagai back to the four-man bench, which also includes Sitaleki Akauola as he returns from a one-game suspension.

The Roosters, meanwhile, have named the same side that won in Round 22, with the only change being Sam Moa’s return to the starting side, replacing Dylan Napa. Regulars Daniel Tupou, Sonny Bill Williams and Jake Friend are all still unavailable due to injury.

Last Five Matches

Wests Tigers

R18 — Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40 def. Wests Tigers 8

R19 — Wests Tigers 46 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18

R20 — St. George-Illawarra Dragons 28 def. Wests Tigers 12

R21 — Melbourne Storm 28 def. Wests Tigers 6

R22 — North Queensland Cowboys 64 def. Wests Tigers 6

Sydney Roosters

R17 — Cronulla Sharks 30 def. Sydney Roosters 28

R19 — Sydney Roosters 32 def. Penrith Panthers 12

R20 — Newcastle Knights 16 def. Sydney Roosters 12

R21 — Sydney Roosters 30 def. St. George-Illawarra Dragons 22

R22 — Sydney Roosters 26 def. Gold Coast Titans 18

Match History: Played 25, Won 8, Lost 15, Drawn 2

Last Time They Met

Round 9, 2014: Sydney Roosters 30 def. Wests Tigers 6

Missing Robbie Farah, Liam Fulton, Braith Anasta and James Tedesco due to injury, Wests Tigers were quickly put to bed by the Roosters when they met in Round 9. Michael Jennings and Daniel Tupou both scored doubles for the hosts, while Mitchell Pearce and Boyd Cordner also crossed the line, with Chris Lawrence’s try off a deflected grubber from Luke Brooks the only consolation for the visitors on the night.

Number to Know — 6

The Roosters hold an impressive record over Wests Tigers, and even more so in recent times as they won eight of the past nine meetings between the two. Perhaps more interesting than that, though, has been their starts, with the Roosters leading at half-time in each of the past six meetings — most of which have come about in convincing fashion. In the last six games between the two sides, the Roosters have won the first half by a combined score of 102-18, with Wests Tigers failing to score on three occasions. Moreover, Wests Tigers have been leading at half-time in just one of their past 10 matches, and will certainly need to start much stronger than they have done in recent weeks if they are to push the defending premiers come Saturday night.

Coach’s Comment

“We need to make sure we control the ruck [and] account for their big people in the middle. They’re not impossible to break down; they’ve got a couple of good halves and a good kicking game that I think we can manage with. We need to come up with a couple of plays that will pull their numbers in and stop them sliding out, and try and create some space that way. I’m really pleased this game is at Leichhardt Oval. Our season hinges on this. We need a result and the fans coming along can help this..." (NRL Head Coach, Mick Potter)

Individual Stats Leaders

Key Player Stats

• Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ranks fourth in the league for total runs (308)
• James Maloney ranks first in the league for line-break assists (17)
• Mitchell Pearce ranks third in the league for line-break assists (15)
• Robbie Farah ranks first in the league for dummy-half runs (102)
• James Maloney ranks equal first in the league for charge-downs (5)
• Anthony Minichiello ranks first in the league for support plays (232)
• James Maloney ranks first in the league for total handling errors (22)
• Shaun Kenny-Dowall ranks fifth in the league for total handling errors (13)
• Luke Brooks ranks first in the league for most missed tackles (89)
• James Maloney ranks third in the league for most missed tackles (74)
• Jared Waerea-Hargreaves ranks second in the league for penalties conceded (22)
• James Maloney ranks fourth in the league for total try-assists (18)

Team Stats