Round 21: Dragons v Wests Tigers preview
Spoonbowl, MMXXIII edition
The St George Illawarra Dragons and the Wests Tigers have engaged in a number of epic encounters etched in the annals of history since the turn of the new millennium.
Thursday night in Wollongong is unlikely to be one of them.
Entrenched at the bottom of the ladder in 16th and 17th respectively, the two joint ventures have endured dismal campaigns marred by off-field drama and even greater on-field mediocrity.
Returning to WIN Stadium following a bye last weekend, the St George Illawarra Dragons will be intent on stiffening their defensive resolve after conceding 45 points on average in their past three appearances.
Losing their past three matches in Wollongong, including a 36-26 defeat at the hands of the Raiders prior to last week's bye, interim coach Ryan Carr will welcome back Ben Hunt and Tyrell Sloan in the spine, while Jack Bird has been recalled on the bench with rookie Daniel Russell starting in the second-row for the first time.
Enduring a horror run since June with their only points over the past seven weeks coming via a bye, the Wests Tigers will be desperate to avoid falling into irreversible danger of collecting a second straight wooden spoon.
Winning five of their past seven clashes against the Dragons, coach Tim Sheens has responded to last week's 34-18 defeat at the hands of the Knights by elevating David Nofoaluma, Daine Laurie and Tallyn Da Silva into the side in place of Asu Kepaoa, Will Smith and Jake Simpkin.
Shawn Blore will start at lock ahead of Fonua Pole, while Stefano Utoikamanu will make his 50th appearance in first grade in the front-row.
Facing the Dragons in Wollongong for the fourth year in succession, the Tigers hold a strong record at WIN Stadium with four wins from six appearances over the past two decades.
Last meeting: Round 10 2023 - Wests Tigers 18 Dragons 16
Who to watch: St George Illawarra hooker Jacob Liddle will have no shortage of motivation when he comes up against his former club for the first time on Thursday evening. Playing 74 games for the Wests-Balmain merger over the course of seven seasons, the 26-year-old Central Coast junior has been a solid contributor in his first year wearing the Red V with four try assists and 31 tackles on average each week. Penning an extended deal with the club for the next three seasons, a strong performance from Liddle will be vital if the Dragons are to avoid the prospect of claiming their first wooden spoon.
Making an impact since returning to the top grade last month, Tigers second-rower Shawn Blore will be hoping to taste the spoils of victory for the first time in 23 months. Beginning the year with high expectations after missing the entirety of 2022 with a knee injury, the 22-year-old Penrith junior has made his presence known with reduced minutes off the bench over the past fortnight. Currently contracted until the end of next season, Blore, named at lock for the first time, shapes as a key figure in the Tigers bid to post their fourth win of the season.
The favourite: Despite winning just two out of seven matches since parting ways with Anthony Griffin mid-season, the Dragons are expected to account for their lowly opponents.
My tip: Thursday is the moment millions of fans from around the world have been waiting for with anticipation - the release of Barbie. Also, one of two mediocre teams will fail upwards to a win. Dragons by 10 (but your time would be better spent seeing Barbie, and following along with our live update instead).
