Match Preview: NRL Round 13

Wests Tigers will look to end a run of three straight defeats when they take on the Gold Coast Titans in their Round 13 clash this Friday night at Leichhardt Oval.

Jason Taylor’s side haven’t won since a Round 8 thrashing of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and while they’ve certainly been competitive in their most recent matches and had opportunities to win the game, they’ll no doubt be desperate to bounce back with a win against a Gold Coast Titans outfit no doubt eager to put a rough week behind them.

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On the field, Neil Henry’s side have also lost their last three games — including a last start defeat to the Rabbitohs that went right down to the wire — and will come into Friday’s match knowing they must start winning to keep their finals hopes alive.

Having met earlier in the season, Wests Tigers fans will have fond memories of Pat Richards’ miracle 30-metre field goal right on full time to secure a 19-18 win, and they’ll be hoping being back at Leichhardt Oval help get their side back into the winners circle.

Who will walk away from Friday’s clash with the two competition points? Read on for a full preview including all the key details, team news, key statistics and much more!

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Match Details

Date — Friday, June 5, 2015

Time — 7:45pm AEST

Venue — Leichhardt Oval

Match Officials

Referees — Ashley Klein and Henry Perenara

Touch Judges — Rick Macfarlane and Russell Turner

Video Referees — Steve Chiddy and Luke Patten

TV, Live Stream and Radio Information

TV — Channel 9: Live 7:30pm (NSW), Delayed 9:30pm (QLD)

Radio — AM 702 ABC Grandstand, AM 2GB 873 (check local guides)

Live Stream — NRL Digital Pass (subscription required)

Confirmed Squads

David Nofoaluma returns into the centres for Tim Simona (knee), but the local junior is no certainty to start himself after battling an ear injury all week. Aaron Woods is back from Origin duties and will captain the side in the absence of Robbie Farah, while Matthew Lodge and Keith Galloway have both been named on an extended interchange bench that also includes rookie hooker Manaia Cherrington. For the Gold Coast, powerful forward David Taylor is back in the starting side, moving Ben Ridge and Mark Ioane to the bench.

2015 Recent Results

Wests Tigers

R7 — Canberra Raiders 30 def. Wests Tigers 22

R8 — Wests Tigers 38 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14

R9 — Sydney Roosters 36 def. Wests Tigers 4

R10 — Newcastle Knights 22 def. Wests Tigers 12

R11 — North Queensland Cowboys 8 def. Wests Tigers 0

Gold Coast Titans

R7 — Gold Coast Titans 32 def. Penrith Panthers 6

R8 — Gold Coast Titans 32 def. New Zealand Warriors 28

R9 — Canberra Raiders 56 def. Gold Coast Titans 16

R10 — Cronulla Sharks 23 def. Gold Coast Titans 22

R12 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 22 def. Gold Coast Titans 16

Match History

•      Against the Titans — Played 14, Won 7, Lost 7

•      At Leichhardt Oval — Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1

Numbers to Know

•    39 — Points scored by Pat Richards in his last three games against the Titans

•    3 — Wins by Wests Tigers from their last four Friday games at Leichhardt Oval

•    7 — Wins by the Gold Coast Titans from their last 10 games in Sydney

2015 Key Player Stats