Wests Tigers will look to end a run of two straight losses when they take on the New Zealand Warriors in their final home game of the year this Sunday afternoon.
Having fought back well to trail the Cronulla Sharks 24-18 mid-way through the second half, Jason Taylor’s side were unable to complete the comeback last week — eventually going down 40-18 in the end. While Taylor said after the match he was pleased with the effort shown to fight back, he’ll no doubt be looking for a much-improved performance this week as the Club looks to chalk up a win in their final home game of the season.
Wests Tigers have named a full-strength side for Sunday’s clash — a stark contrast to their opponents, who will be without the likes of Shaun Johnson, Manu Vatuvei, Jacob Lillyman and Ben Matulino, amongst others. Despite losing players to injury, the Warriors showed plenty of creativity and talent to take an early 16-0 lead over the North Queensland Cowboys last week, before letting in 50 unanswered points.
The visitors will be desperate to make amends for a poor finish to the match — making for an intriguing clash on Sunday between two sides both out of finals contention.
Typically poor away from New Zealand, the Warriors have continued that trend this year with just four wins from their 10 away games. These two sides have only met at Campbelltown Sports Stadium four times in their history — each winning two — with Wests Tigers emerging big 50-6 winners when they last met there in Round 12, 2010.
The Warriors have lost their last six games by a combined scoreline of 184-52, while Wests Tigers haven’t beaten the Warriors in an NRL match since 2012.
Be there for our final home game of the year when we take on the Warriors on Sunday, August 30! Click here to get your tickets!
Match Details
Date — Sunday, August 30, 2015
Time — 2:00pm (Gates open 11:45am)
Venue — Campbelltown Sports Stadium
Match Officials
On-Field Referees — Gavin Reynolds and Chris Sutton
Touch Judges — Russell Turner and Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Video Referees — Shayne Hayne and Luke Phillips
TV, Live Stream and Radio Information
TV — Live via Fox Sports 1 (subscription required)
Live Stream — Foxtel Go, NRL Digital Pass (subscription required)
Radio — AM 702 ABC Grandstand, AM 873 2GB (check local guides)
Confirmed Squads
Wests Tigers |
|
New Zealand Warriors |
James Tedesco |
1 |
Sam Tomkins |
David Nofoaluma |
2 |
Matt Allwood |
Kevin Naiqama |
3 |
Dominique Peyroux |
Tim Simona |
4 |
Solomone Kata |
Pat Richards |
5 |
Jonathan Wright |
Mitchell Moses |
6 |
Mason Lino |
Luke Brooks |
7 |
Tuimoala Lolohea |
Aaron Woods |
8 |
Sebastine Ikahihifo |
Robbie Farah (capt.) |
9 |
Nathan Friend |
Sauaso Sue |
10 |
Albert Vete |
Curtis Sironen |
11 |
Bodene Thompson |
Chris Lawrence |
12 |
Ryan Hoffman |
Martin Taupau |
13 |
Simon Mannering (capt.) |
Kyle Lovett |
14 |
Konrad Hurrell |
Keith Galloway |
15 |
Sione Lousi |
Ava Seumanufagai |
16 |
Charlie Gubb |
Dene Halatau |
17 |
Sam Lisone |
Manaia Cherrington |
18 |
John Palavi |
Jason Taylor |
Coach |
Andrew McFadden |
Martin Taupau moves back into the starting side, having come off the interchange bench last week, with Dene Halatau dropping back to the bench. Manaia Cherrington has also been named as 18th man, after playing NSW Cup last weekend. For the visitors, Matt Allwood replaces Ken Maumalo on the wing, while the absence of Jacob Lillyman sees Sebastine Ikahihifo move into the starting side. After coming off the bench last week, former Wests Tigers player Bodene Thompson also returns his starting spot in the back row.
2015 Recent Results
Wests Tigers
R20 — Sydney Roosters 33 def. Wests Tigers 8
R21 — Wests Tigers 34 def. Melbourne Storm 16
R22 — Wests Tigers 20 def. Canberra Raiders 18
R23 — Newcastle Knights 24 def. Wests Tigers 18
R24 — Cronulla Sharks 40 def. Wests Tigers 18
New Zealand Warriors
R20 — Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 32 def. New Zealand Warriors 12
R21 — Cronulla Sharks 18 def. New Zealand Warriors 14
R22 — St. George-Illawarra Dragons 36 def. New Zealand Warriors 0
R23 — Penrith Panthers 24 def. New Zealand Warriors 10
R24 — North Queensland Cowboys 50 def. New Zealand Warriors 16
Last Time They Met — Rd.6, 2015 (New Zealand Warriors 32 def. Wests Tigers 22)
In a milestone match for Manu Vatuvei marred by controversial refereeing decisions, Wests Tigers trailed 20-6 mid-way through the first half before cutting the margin to 26-22 late in the match, but were unable to complete the comeback. Tim Simona (2), James Tedesco and Pat Richards all scored tries for the visitors in the 10-point loss.
The History
· Against New Zealand Warriors — Played 24, Won 11, Lost 13, Drawn 0
· At Campbelltown Sports Stadium — Played 4, Won 2, Lost 2, Drawn 0
Three Numbers to Know
· 4 — Wins by the Warriors in their last five games against Wests Tigers
· 184 — Points conceded by the Warriors in their last five games (average 36.8)
· 11 — Tries scored by both both teams this year from more than 50m out
