Broncos v Tigers preview

Brisbane Broncos v Wests Tigers
Suncorp Stadium - Sunday 4:00pm

Tigers fans beware of the onslaught that awaits.

In one of the most mismatched matches of the season, the high-flying Broncos take on a Wests Tigers side that has lost its roar. Notching up their sixth straight win against Canterbury in the wet last Saturday night, the Broncos will be well aware of the danger posed by the Tigers, but if Brisbane play to their potential a score in excess of 50 points is not beyond realistic expectations. Justin Hodges returns in the centres, forcing Jordan Kahu onto the wing, in a move that also sees Daniel Vidot forced out of the side. With Josh McGuire unavailable for the remainder of the season, Wayne Bennett has named an otherwise full-strength side which ten internationals in the starting side.

Once again the Tigers will be without the services of inspirational captain Robbie Farah, however boom halfback Luke Brooks will return after missing the loss to Parramatta through injury. Tim Simona is also back for the visitors in the centres, while Keith Galloway comes onto the bench in place of Jack Buchanan. The Tigers boast a terrible record at Suncorp Stadium, managing just three wins at the venue since 2003, while the last time they defeated Brisbane was in 2010. Dene Halatau will play his 150th game for the Tigers after debuting back in 2003.

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2014 - Wests Tigers 14 Brisbane Broncos 16

Who to watch: Bagging a double in his last appearance against the Tigers, interchange utility Corey Oates will be looking to keep up his strong form in the run up to the finals. Having shifted between the backline and forward pack throughout his career, Oates has been in tremendous form under Wayne Bennett's guidance, providing an energetic spark off the bench so far this season. With the Broncos expected to be too strong, Oates may well see an increase in his game time allowing the 20-year-old to prove he is capable of playing big minutes in the forwards if required at the back-end of the season.

While he endured an afternoon to forget against Penrith three weeks ago, overall Kyle Lovett has delivered a series of polished performances in his rookie season so far. Averaging over 30 tackles a game, the backrower has worked hard to fill the void left by Curtis Sironen in recent weeks, but will be keen to show his attacking prowess against the more-fancied Broncos lineup.

The favourite: Unsurprisingly the top-of-the-table Broncos are expected to account for the lowly-placed Tigers.

My tip: Brisbane will win, the biggest issue will be how large the margin is. Broncos by 24.

1. Darius Boyd 2. Lachlan Maranta 3. Jack Reed 4. Justin Hodges 5. Jordan Kahu 6. Anthony Milford 7. Ben Hunt 8. Sam Thaiday 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Adam Blair 11. Alex Glenn 12. Matt Gillett 13. Corey Parker
Interchange: 14. Jarrod Wallace 15. Mitchell Dodds 16. Corey Oates 17. Matt Parcell 18. Daniel Vidot

1. James Tedesco 2. Kevin Naiqama 3. Nathan Milone 4. Tim Simona 5. Pat Richards 6. Mitchell Moses 7. Luke Brooks 8. Aaron Woods 9. Dene Halatau 10. Sauaso Sue 11. Kyle Lovett 12. Chris Lawrence 13. Martin Taupau
Interchange: 14. Manaia Cherrington 15. Ava Seumanufagai 16. Keith Galloway 17. Brenden Santi 18. Jack Buchanan

Referees: Henry Perenara, Gavin Reynolds; Sideline Officials: Michael Wise, Clayton Sharpe; Video Referees: Steve Chiddy, Luke Phillips;

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