One of the more intriguing matches of the round, purely because both teams won last week yet few footy followers came away too convinced by either performance.
The Tigers did what they were supposed to do, gradually wearing down the Sea Eagles in a mostly dour contest, while the Warriors scored some nice tries en route to putting 40 on the Bulldogs with minimal fuss.
So what should we expect from both sides this week?
Tigers coach Michael Maguire will be seeking improvement in certain areas and Warriors coach Stephen Kearney will try to keep his side focused on defence and let their offence take care of itself.
Let the chess game begin.
Match: Wests Tigers v Warriors
Round 2 -
home Team
Wests Tigers
1st Position
away Team
Warriors
8th Position
Venue: Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney
The Rundown
Team news
Wests Tigers: Moses Mbye will start at fullback following a late re-shuffle of the Wests Tigers' backline. Paul Momirovski is out of the team, with Corey Thompson moving from fullback to the wing and Robert Jennings from the wing into the centres. Momirovski and Chris McQueen were the two players left out an hour before game time.
Warriors: Issac Luke (No.22) will start at hooker, with Jazz Tevaga on the interchange bench. This follows the withdrawal of Nathaniel Roache from the team on Saturday. Gerard Beale and Ligi Sao were the two players omitted an hour before kick-off.
Match: Wests Tigers v Warriors
Round 2 -
home Team
Wests Tigers
away Team
Warriors
Team Lists
Backs
-
Fullback for Wests Tigers is number 18 Moses MbyeFullback for Warriors is number 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
-
Winger for Wests Tigers is number 1 Corey ThompsonWinger for Warriors is number 2 David Fusitu'a
-
Centre for Wests Tigers is number 4 Esan MarstersCentre for Warriors is number 3 Peta Hiku
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Centre for Wests Tigers is number 5 Robert JenningsCentre for Warriors is number 4 Solomone Kata
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Winger for Wests Tigers is number 2 Mahe FonuaWinger for Warriors is number 5 Ken Maumalo
-
Five-Eighth for Wests Tigers is number 6 Benji MarshallFive-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Adam Keighran
-
Halfback for Wests Tigers is number 7 Luke BrooksHalfback for Warriors is number 7 Blake Green
Forwards
-
Prop for Wests Tigers is number 8 Ben MatulinoProp for Warriors is number 8 Agnatius Paasi
-
Hooker for Wests Tigers is number 9 Robbie FarahHooker for Warriors is number 22 Issac Luke
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Prop for Wests Tigers is number 10 Alex TwalProp for Warriors is number 10 Bunty Afoa
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2nd Row for Wests Tigers is number 11 Ryan Matterson2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Adam Blair
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2nd Row for Wests Tigers is number 12 Luke Garner2nd Row for Warriors is number 12 Tohu Harris
-
Lock for Wests Tigers is number 13 Elijah TaylorLock for Warriors is number 13 Lachlan Burr
Interchange
-
Interchange for Wests Tigers is number 14 Russell PackerInterchange for Warriors is number 14 Jazz Tevaga
-
Interchange for Wests Tigers is number 15 Thomas MikaeleInterchange for Warriors is number 15 Sam Lisone
-
Interchange for Wests Tigers is number 16 Josh AloiaiInterchange for Warriors is number 16 Leeson Ah Mau
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Interchange for Wests Tigers is number 17 Michael Chee KamInterchange for Warriors is number 17 Isaiah Papali'i
Match Officials
- Referee: Ashley Klein
- Referee: Matt Noyen
- Touch Judge: Peter Gough
- Senior Review Official: Henry Perenara
Last updated:
Key match-up
Blake Green was superb for the Warriors last week, orchestrating tries with kicks and ensuring his team stuck to the game plan. Veteran Tigers five-eighth Benji Marshall played an important role in the win over Manly and his duel with Green could prove decisive.
For the Tigers to win
After a somewhat patchy start the Tigers got better the longer the game went. That's a good sign they are prepared to work for wins without letting impatience get in the way. A lot of that comes down to the poise and leadership of playmakers Marshall, Luke Brooks and Robbie Farah. Maguire will be banking on the trio to lead the way on Sunday.
For the Warriors to win
Green knows he has to bring his A-game every week for the Warriors to succeed. It's a tough gig but he has the personality to handle such an important responsibility. On the days when Green doesn't fire, the Warriors need first-year five-eighth Adam Keighran to step up. Keighran will have his down moments like any rookie but showed last week he's not out of his depth in the NRL.
Brett Kimmorley says ...
This is the game I’m most excited about watching. Robbie Farah tucked the Tigers under his arm and built that composure and pressure for Wests Tigers against Manly. They played wet weather football with some good game management from the No.9. The Warriors had the same level of game management from Blake Green in their win over the Bulldogs. They have found a new five-eighth in Adam Keighran who took over from Shaun Johnson and did well. Warriors by 2
Tigers Stat Attack
Robbie Farah showed he's anything but washed up against the Sea Eagles. Not only did the 35-year-old hooker lead his team with 45 tackles, he kicked seven times for 168m and kept Manly under pressure with three forced drop-outs.
Warriors Stat Attack
Adam Keighran shrugged off a poor start with the boot to finish with a personal haul of 16 points in his eye-catching NRL debut against the Bulldogs. After hooking his first conversion attempt from wide out, Keighran nailed his next six shots, some of which were near the sideline.
Head-to-head
Played 29, Wests Tigers 15, Warriors 14
At Campbelltown Stadium
Played 6, Wests Tigers 4, Warriors 2
And another thing ...
This is the 20th season for the Wests Tigers in the NRL. The club started competing as a joint venture club after the merger between Balmain and Western Suburbs. The Tigers won the 2005 premiership but otherwise haven't had too much too celebrate. The club has reached the finals on only two other occasions (2010, '11) and finished ninth five times.
