Friday Focus: A couple of speedsters

Tim Sheens’ men held South Sydney to just eight points through the first seventy minutes of their clash in Round 11 before the Bunnies scored two late tries to seal victory.

Wests Tigers were without Charlie Staines that afternoon, but the man nicknamed the ‘Forbes Ferrari’ is set to make his long-awaited return from a serious bowel injury.

Staines will be hoping to match the efforts of his opposite number Alex Johnston, who continues to inch towards Ken Irvine’s try scoring record.

Ahead of this evening’s match, we’re taking a closer look at the two speedsters set to take flight on the left wing in Tamworth.

Having made the move to the Zurich Centre from Penrith in the off-season, Charlie Staines was quick to make an impression on the Wests Tigers faithful.

The nimble outside back floated between fullback and winger in his seven appearances this season, registering at least 120 running metres in every game.

In a freak incident during the joint-venture’s Round 8 clash with Manly at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Staines perforated his bowel and required urgent surgery.

Just fourteen weeks later, the firm advocate for country rugby league will be looking to put on a show in front of the New England locals and increase his career-tally of 25 tries.

On the other side of the field, Alex Johnston has continued his incredible try-scoring strike rate with fifteen tries in eighteen appearances this season.

His career record is imperious, having scored 181 tries in just 209 matches while holding the title as the only player to score 30 tries in back-to-back seasons.

Johnston has crossed the line on fourteen occasions against Wests Tigers and has developed a habit of collecting multiple four-pointers, with four doubles and a hat-trick.

With Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker back fit and firing on his inside, the 28-year-old La Perouse Panthers junior will need to be contained if the home side is to pull off an upset victory in Tamworth.