This Saturday, the Wests Tigers Lisa Fiaola Cup side will take on the Central Coast Roosters at Blacktown’s HE Laybutt Field in the second week of Finals.
After finishing the regular season in eighth position, the Tigers kept their campaign alive with a commanding 32-6 victory over the fifth-placed Panthers at Henson Park.
Head Coach, Latu Fifita said he’s pleased with his team’s performance over the weekend and how they’ve developed into a complete side throughout the season.
“It was a good game… it’s just finally good to see it click,” Fifita said.
“The message at halftime was simple – complete our sets and stick to what we’ve been building all season.”
Leading 12-0, Fifita said the team had a good mindset going into the second half.
“The vibe was really positive. It was about going back out there and trusting what we do,” the coach said.
He saw last weekend’s match as a culmination of the hard work the side had put in throughout the season.
“It was a whole team effort. It was very hard to choose a top three this week.
“We celebrate the little things, the efforts off the ball that people don’t always notice.
“It felt like a reward for the effort the girls have been putting in.”
Turning his attention to this weekend’s match against the Roosters, Fifita knows his team has learnt from their loss in the final round of the regular season.
“We’re excited but it’s about building on last week and growing,” he explained.
“We’ve played them before and weren't at our best, so it’s about sticking to our structure.”
They’re improving, but Fifita says the mentality hasn’t changed since the start of the season.
“Nothing changes with our prep; we’ve been the same since round one.”
“It’s about staying in that grind and being comfortable in the tough moments.”
Fifita is confident that, whatever is in front of his squad, they will be strong as long as they stick to the fundamentals.
“If we hold the ball, control the game, and stick to our structures, I don’t think there’s a team that can beat us.”
If you’re interested in following the match this weekend, click here.
