Wests Tigers will look to defy a poor recent history against the Sydney Roosters when they meet this Friday night at Allianz Stadium for their Round 9 clash.
Having won just one of their past 10 matches against the Tricolours, Jason Taylor’s side will look to build on a highly-impressive 38-14 win over the Bulldogs before the representative break that saw them end a run of two consecutive defeats.
Trent Robinson’s side come into the match without a win in their past four matches, but combined, the Roosters have only lost those games by a 15 points, and they’ll no doubt be keen to bounce back into the winners circle with a win in front of their home crowd. Halves James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce will also certainly looking to deliver a strong performance, as discussion about NSW’s State of Origin halves combination continues.
Will Taylor — a former Roosters NRL Assistant Coach — deliver an upset against his old club, or will the 2013 NRL premiers finally produce a winning performance on the night?
Read on for a full match preview including all the latest team news, analysis and more.
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Match Details
Date — Friday, May 8, 2015
Time — 7:35pm AEST (Gates open at 5:00pm)
Venue — Allianz Stadium, Moore Park
Match Officials
Referees — Jared Maxwell and Chris James
Touch Judges — Jeff Younis and Brett Suttor
Video Referees — Steve Chiddy and Luke Patten
TV, Live Stream and Radio Information
TV — Live coverage via Channel 9 (check local guides)
Radio — AM 702 ABC Grandstand (check local guides)
Live Stream —NRL Digital Pass (subscription required)
Confirmed Squads
Wests Tigers |
|
Sydney Roosters |
James Tedesco |
1 |
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck |
Kevin Naiqama |
2 |
Daniel Tupou |
Delouise Hoeter |
3 |
Michael Jennings |
Chris Lawrence |
4 |
Shaun Kenny-Dowall |
Pat Richards |
5 |
Nene Macdonald |
Mitchell Moses |
6 |
James Maloney |
Luke Brooks |
7 |
Mitchell Pearce (capt.) |
Aaron Woods |
8 |
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves |
Robbie Farah (capt.) |
9 |
Jake Friend (capt.) |
Keith Galloway |
10 |
Sam Moa |
Curtis Sironen |
11 |
Boyd Cordner |
Kyle Lovett |
12 |
Aiden Guerra |
Martin Taupau |
13 |
Isaac Liu |
Dene Halatau |
14 |
Mitchell Aubusson |
Ava Seumanufagai |
15 |
Sio Siua Taukeiaho |
Matthew Lodge |
16 |
Kane Evans |
Sauaso Sue |
17 |
Dylan Napa |
Jack Buchanan |
18 |
|
Jason Taylor |
Coach |
Trent Robinson |
Keith Galloway returns to the starting side, pushing Sauaso Sue back to the interchange bench. Tim Simona (ankle) is replaced in the side by Chris Lawrence, while Delouise Hoeter is also named in the centres. The Roosters welcome back Aiden Guerra and Mitchell Aubusson, replacing Lagi Satu and Willie Manu, while Dylan Napa drops back to the bench.
2015 Recent Results
Wests Tigers
R4 — Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 25 def. Wests Tigers 24
R5 — Wests Tigers 22 def. Parramatta Eels 6
R6 — New Zealand Warriors 32 def. Wests Tigers 22
R7 — Canberra Raiders 30 def. Wests Tigers 22
R8 — Wests Tigers 38 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14
Sydney Roosters
R4 — Sydney Roosters 34 def. Canberra Raiders 6
R5 — Cronulla Sharks 20 def. Sydney Roosters 12
R6 — Brisbane Broncos 22 def. Sydney Roosters 18
R7 — Melbourne Storm 17 def. Sydney Roosters 16
R8 — St. George-Illawarra Dragons 14 def. Sydney Roosters 12
Match History
• Against the Roosters — Played 27, Won 8, Lost 17, Drawn 2
• At Allianz Stadium — Played 14, Won 3, Lost 11
Three Key Facts
• Wests Tigers have won just one of their last 10 matches against the Roosters.
• The Roosters have completed the third fewest sets in the NRL this year (221)
• The Roosters rank second in the NRL for total kick metres this year (4589m)
2015 Key Player Stats
|
Wests Tigers |
Sydney Roosters |
Most points |
Pat Richards (77 points) |
James Maloney (62 points) |
Most hit-ups |
Aaron Woods (131 hit-ups) |
Boyd Cordner (90 hit-ups) |
Most metres |
Aaron Woods (1506 metres) |
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (1881 metres) |
Most tackles |
Robbie Farah (347 tackles) |
Dylan Napa (266 tackles) |
