Match Preview: NYC Round 26

Wests Tigers will look to end the 2014 regular season with a win when they take on the Cronulla Sharks on Saturday at Leichhardt Oval for their Round 26 clash.

Andrew Webster’s side have guaranteed a spot in the finals following a strong season, and could still make the top four depending on how other results pan out.

They’ll be determined to bounce back from a close 28-24 loss to the Canberra Raiders in Round 25, and will be looking to make it back-to-back wins over the Sharks, following their victory over the two sides when they met back in Round 10 at Remondis Stadium.

The visitors won’t be an easy side to knock off, though, having gained plenty of confidence from a stunning upset over the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville last week.

David Howlett’s men are boosted by the inclusion of several NSW Cup players (who can still play this match given their NSW Cup side didn’t make the finals series) and will be desperate to take some momentum heading into the off-season.

It’s a must-win match for the hosts if they’re going to end the year with a top four finish, and they won’t want to head into the finals series on the back of two straight defeats.

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

Click here to secure your seat for our final home game of the year against the Cronulla Sharks at Leichhardt Oval on September 6.

Match Details

Date — Saturday, September 6

Time — 10:40am (Gates open at 10:30am)

Venue — Leichhardt Oval, Sydney

Broadcast Details

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

Live Stream — Live stream available via Foxtel Go (subscription required)

TV — Live coverage via Fox Sports 1 (subscription required)

Match Officials

Referee — Phil Henderson and Lawrence McDonnell (assistant)

Touch Judges — Ryan Jackson and Todd Smith

Confirmed Squads

Andrew Kazzi returns from injury and takes his place in the team at lock, while Jeremy Marshall-King moves to hooker to replace Manaia Cherrington (injured). For the visitors, Paul Simona, Brad Deitz, Jayden Clarke and Patrice Siolo all return to the squad, having spent time in NSW Cup and NRL over the past few weeks.

Last Five Matches

Wests Tigers

R21 — Wests Tigers 24 def. Melbourne Storm 22

R22 — North Queensland Cowboys 30 def. Wests Tigers 16

R23 — Wests Tigers 28 drew with Sydney Roosters 28

R24 — Wests Tigers 24 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 22

R25 — Canberra Raiders 28 def. Wests Tigers 24

Cronulla Sharks

R21 — Parramatta Eels 34 def. Cronulla Sharks 21

R22 — New Zealand Warriors 40 def. Cronulla Sharks 0

R23 — Cronulla Sharks 20 def. Melbourne Storm 10

R24 — Canberra Raiders 38 def. Cronulla Sharks 16

R25 — Cronulla Sharks 18 def. North Queensland Cowboys 16

Coach’s Comment

“We need to improve on that concentration period coming out of half-time this week. We created plenty of opportunities against the Raiders, and could have won the game if we executed better, so we’ll be looking for an improvement there as well. I just want the boys to be really confident this week. I know how good they can be, so this week I just want them to concentrate on themselves and focus on doing what they do well, and take some momentum heading into the playoffs. I don’t want to be heading in there with a loss; I’d like to go in there with a positive, which I’m confident we will do…”

(NYC Head Coach, Andrew Webster)

Key Player Stats

·       Te Maire Martin ranks first in the league for line-break assists (26)

·       Joshua Addo-Carr ranks second in the league for turnover tackles (15)

·       Dallas Wells ranks first in the league for intercepts (5)

·       Tyler Cassel ranks first in the league for charge downs (4)

·       Te Maire Martin ranks first in the league for handling errors (22)

·       Te Maire Martin ranks second in the league for try assists (24)

·       John Ogden ranks fifth in the league for tries (20)

·       Watson Heleta ranks fifth in the league for tries (20)

·       Dallas Graham ranks third in the league for tackles made (727)

Team Stats