Round 9: Wests Tigers v Gold Coast preview
Season defining game for two clubs
The Wests Tigers and the Gold Coast Titans will face off on Saturday evening, each with plenty to prove coming into the contest.
The Tigers, coming off just their second win of the season last week, will be looking to back up well and prove that their form can be sustained over more than just the one week.
The Titans are coming off a devastating loss to the Broncos last week, with the team again conceding over 30 points for the third week in a row.
After leading 22-0 not long into the contest and somehow letting it slip, Justin Holbrook will be hoping his team can put together a full 80 minutes against a revitalised Tigers outfit.
In team news, Tigers coach Michael Maguire has kept his faith in Joey Leilua and kept him in the team this week. Moses Mbye will come into the centres in place of Tommy Talau who is suspended due to a shoulder charge.
Rookie Zac Cini has held his place on the wing also. In the only other change, Jacob Liddle has been recalled into the top grade via the bench after being dropped.
For the Titans, Corey Thompson, who has been a standout performer for the team this year, is out injured, Beau Fermor comes into the centres, with Phillip Sami shifting to the wing to accommodate the loss.
Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is back from suspension to start in the front-row which is a huge inclusion for the struggling Gold Coast side. This sees Moeaki Fotuaika move to the bench. Erin Clark is also back in the 17, with Sam McIntyre dropping back to the reserves.
Interestingly, just a day after announcing his signing, the Titans have included new centre recruit Esan Marsters in the extended squad.
Last meeting: Round 4 2020 - Titans 28 Wests Tigers 23
Who to watch: Luke Brookssimply has to step up this week for the Tigers if they are to go back-to-back. He needs to really embrace the halfback role and take charge of his team who have for the most part this season been struggling tremendously. The Tigers can really start to give themselves a little bit of breathing room from the bottom of the ladder if they can come up with an upset victory over the Titans on Saturday. Luke Brooks needs to realise the importance of this game to the Tigers' season and come up with a big performance if his team are to get over the line.
The Titans are desperate for a win following three straight losses. They need to get back to winning ways or they could make it hard for themselves to get into the top eight. The Tigers are certainly not a team they would anticipate dropping the two points against and Jamal Fogarty will be key in ensuring that doesn't happen. The Titans don't need to do anything special or fancy to beat the Tigers. They just need to get back to basics, making sure they complete their sets, make their tackles and kick well. Fogarty, as captain and halfback will need to get this message through to his side, so look for him to lead with not only his words but his actions as well.
The favourite: The Titans are favoured to take down the Tigers at Campbelltown.
My tip: The Tigers were brave last week to get a win, but they were far from convincing. Up against a frankly dismal Dragons side, they had over 50 tackles in the opposition 20 and almost 60 percent of possession only amount to 16 points. Still though, their completion rate was good and they will need to continue that into this week if they are any chance against the Titans. The Titans will be desperate for a win given their recent form. They should have too much strike on the park for the Tigers in this one. In saying that, the amount of missed tackles and dropped ball in the past few weeks is simply unacceptable and they will have to fix that up, which they should. Gold Coast by 14.
