Crownbet Match Preview: Round 10

Feeling fresh after a week off with the Representative Round, Wests Tigers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs will go head-to-head this Friday night at ANZ Stadium as both teams look to bounce back from contrasting but disappointing last-start defeats.

It was another determined showing from Wests Tigers against the defending premiers last fortnight at Leichhardt Oval — coming within a whisker of stealing the win despite losing representative stars Aaron Woods and James Tedesco to injury during the match. The performance showed again the resilience growing in the side since the appointment of Ivan Cleary as Head Coach, and the home side will no doubt be looking to carry on their strong run of form this weekend when they take on a hard-to-read Rabbitohs side.

In the last month, South Sydney showed tremendous character and fight to almost knock off the Brisbane Broncos in a match they probably should have won, but followed that up against the Sea Eagles with a disappointing defensive effort, going down 46-8.

With Greg Inglis sidelined for the season, Michael Maguire’s men haven’t been able to capture the attacking potency they’ve been known for in the past three seasons, coming into this week’s match with the fifth worst attack and fourth worst defence in the league.

Matches between these two sides always carry plenty of emotion and feeling, and the occasion will be no different on Friday night as both teams celebrate Indigenous Round.

Wests Tigers will be looking to make it five wins in a row against the Rabbitohs for the first time in Club history on Friday, while South Sydney come into the match having won just three of their past 14 matches at ANZ Stadium and none so far in 2017 (four games).

Be there to cheer us on this Friday as we take on the Rabbitohs in our Indigenous jerseys!

MATCH DETAILS

Date — Friday, May 12, 2017

Time — 7:50pm AEST (Gates open 5:30pm)

Venue — ANZ Stadium, Sydney

TV, LIVE STREAM AND RADIO INFORMATION

TV — Channel 9, Fox League (Ch.502, subscription required)

Radio — FM 104.9 Triple M, AM 702 ABC Grandstand, AM 873 2GB (check local guides)

Live Stream — Foxtel Go, NRL Digital Pass (subscription required)

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referees — Henry Perenara and Chris James

Touch Judges — Rickey Mcfarlane and Jeff Younis

Review Officials — Luke Patten and Bernard Sutton

LATEST CROWNBET ODDS

Head to Head — Wests Tigers ($2.00), South Sydney ($1.84)

Line — Wests Tigers +1.5 ($1.92), South Sydney -1.5 ($1.92)

Latest odds via Crownbet.com.au (18+ only, gamble responsibly).

(Odds correct as of Wednesday, May 10 at 7:00pm AEST)

CONFIRMED SQUADS

Wests Tigers

1. James Tedesco 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Michael Chee Kam 4. Moses Suli 5. Kevin Naiqama 6. Mitchell Moses 7. Luke Brooks 8. Sauaso Sue 9. Matt McIlwrick 10. Ava Seumanufagai 11. Joel Edwards 12. Chris Lawrence 13. Elijah Taylor (Interchange: 14. Tim Grant 15. Josh Aloiai 16. Jacob Liddle 17. JJ Felise 19. Justin Hunt 21. Malakai Watene-Zelezniak).
 

South Sydney Rabbitohs

1. Alex Johnston 2. Braidon Burns 22. Aaron Gray 4. Hymel Hunt 5. Bryson Goodwin 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Thomas Burgess 9. Damien Cook 10. Kyle Turner 11. John Sutton 12. Angus Crichton 13. Sam Burgess (Interchange: 14. Robbie Farah 15. Jason Clark 16. Zane Musgrove 18. Anthony Cherrington 19. Robbie Rochow 20. Tyrell Fuimaono).
 

Team Lists Update

4:00pm, Tuesday — 21-man squads named

7:50pm, Thursday — Two players omitted from each team

6:50pm, Friday — Final 17-man team lists confirmed

RECENT RESULTS

Wests Tigers

Round 5 — St. George-Illawarra Dragons 28 def. Wests Tigers 6

Round 6 — Wests Tigers 26 def. North Queensland Cowboys 16

Round 7 — Parramatta Eels 26 def. Wests Tigers 22

Round 8 — Wests Tigers 18 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 12

Round 9 — Cronulla Sharks 22 def. Wests Tigers 16
 

South Sydney Rabbitohs

Round 5 — North Queensland Cowboys 20 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 6

Round 6 — South Sydney Rabbitohs 21 def. Penrith Panthers 20

Round 7 — Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 9

Round 8 — Brisbane Broncos 25 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 24

Round 9 — Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 46 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 8

THE HISTORY

·       Head-to-Head — Played 29, Wests Tigers 14, South Sydney Rabbitohs 15

·       At ANZ Stadium — Played 14, Wests Tigers 8 South Sydney Rabbitohs 6

·       Last Time They Met — Wests Tigers 34 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 18 (Rd.1, 2017)

TEAM MATCHUP

THREE FINAL FACTS

·       South Sydney have not won at ANZ Stadium this year (0 wins, 4 losses)

·       Chris Lawrence has scored more tries against South Sydney than any other team

·       Wests Tigers have won four of their last five games played on a Friday night