NRL, MAGIC ROUND , MAY 7th, 2023, WEST TIGERS v ST GEORGE
SUNCORP STADIUM,BRISBANE
Plenty riding on the battle of the joint ventures as Wests Tigers aim to parlay last week’s stunning boilover into back-to-back wins and St George Illawarra Dragons desperate to avoid a fifth straight loss.
Remarkably, the 1-7 Tigers will likely climb off bottom spot on the ladder with a win here and draw level with the Dragons.
They shocked Penrith 12-8 last Saturday, with maligned half Luke Brooks and rookie fullback Jahream Bula the unlikely heroes in a win underpinned by valiant defence.
The 2-6 Saints’ four-match slide has come by a combined margin of just 11 points.
That’s not to say they haven’t grossly underachieved, backing up a highly encouraging one-point defeat to the Roosters on Anzac Day with a bumbling 20-18 defeat to the depleted Bulldogs in Round 9.
Tommy Talau comes into the Tigers’ starting team for suspended centre Brent Naden, while Asu Kepaoa returns on the bench.
Anthony Griffin has swung the axe, with Zac Lomax and Jacob Liddle dumped. Max Feagai moves to centre with Mikaele Ravalawa returning on the wing.
Jaydn Su’a is back from injury in the second-row and Jayden Sullivan joins the bench, it could be one of the last line-ups he selects in the NRL.
After four straight losses to the Tigers, the Dragons won both encounters last season – 12-6 in Wollongong and 24-22 at CommBank Stadium, seven of the teams’ past nine encounters were decided by 1-10 margins.
The Tigers’ head-to-head price has been slashed to $2.02 after last week’s heroics. They have covered in their last three, while the Dragons have covered in just two of their last seven.
Ben Hunt could just about get this done for the Saints on his own, but Griffin’s kneejerk selections are a high chance of having an adverse effect and the Tigers are a huge chance if Brooks can build on what he did in Bathurst.
After failing to win any of their prior games this season, Wests Tigers finally got off the mark for the campaign with a shock win over Penrith Panthers. The Tigers edged the game in horrendous conditions against the reigning premiers and will be eager to build on that. Their build-up play has been good for a few weeks now and if they can turn that into more points, they will have a great chance of going back-to-back. St. George Illawarra Dragons have lost their last four after being edged by Canterbury Bulldogs last week and while this could go either way, preference is just for Wests who will be on a high after their pressure-relieving victory in round 9.
Tigers team:
1. Jahream Bula 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Starford To’a 4. Tommy Talau 5. Junior Tupou 6. Brandon Wakeham 7. Luke Brooks 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. John Bateman 13. Fonua Pole 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Joe Ofahengaue 16. Alex Twal 17. Asu Kepaoa 18. Alex Seyfarth 19. Justin Matamua 20. Daine Laurie 21. Shawn Blore 22. Triston Reilly
Dragons team:
1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Mathew Feagai 3. Moses Suli 4. Max Feagai 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Talatau Amone 7. Ben Hunt 8. Jack de Belin 9. Moses Mbye 10. Blake Lawrie 11. Billy Burns 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Jack Bird 14. Jayden Sullivan 15. Michael Molo 16. Ben Murdoch-Masila 17. Josh Kerr 18. Toby Couchman 19. Jaiyden Hunt 20. Jacob Liddle 21. Zane Musgrove 22. Viliami Fifita
Referee. Peter Gough
PREDICTION.
This is do or die for both teams and the game could go either way. I am going for the upset here. I believe Saints will go out as favorite, but I like the Tigers especially with a 2.5 points start paying good money.
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