Expert
The Wests Tigers have kept themselves just barely in the finals race with a 12-point win over the New Zealand Warriors.
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Final score
Warriors 24
Tigers 36
It should be a high scoring and free flowing match when the New Zealand Warriors host the Wests Tigers with both clubs trying to keep fading finals hopes alive. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 2pm (AEST).
With the Gold Coast Titans going down to the Penrith Panthers yesterday afternoon, it has set the scene for this to be a match that ends one season and keeps another alive.
Essentially, the winner will move to 26 points, and with the Titans on 27 plus having to take on the North Queensland Cowboys away from home while the Tigers play the Canberra Raiders and Warriors take on the Parramatta Eels.
In short, the winners will fancy their chances of making the finals even having to rely on other results.
The Warriors have been in appalling form, particularly given the magnitude of the matches they have been playing, and the bearing it has on their season.
Their last two matches have included conceding 40 at home against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and then being absolutely thumped on the road at the hands of the North Queensland Cowboys.
Despite their form being patchy all season long, they can turn it on like nearly no other team and you would have to think they are due for a big performance.
The Tigers, on the other hand have been in better form since they took the decision to drop Robbie Farah with Luke Brooks, Mitchell Moses and James Tedesco playing strongly on the back of their forwards.
An injury to Tedesco cut short that run though and like the Warriors, they come into this match on the back of a smashing – 40-10 at the hands of the Penrith Panthers.
In team news, the Warriors welcome back both Tuimoala Lolohea and Solomone Kata with Ken Maumalo out through injury and Matthew Allwood dropped from the side. Bunty Afoa has also been added to the bench.
The Tigers have also added Michael Chee-Kam to their bench as 18th man.
The sides last met all the way back in Round 1, with the Tigers taking victory 34-26 at home. It was a high scoring game then, and with both teams desperate we shouldn’t expect anything different this time around.
Prediction
The Warriors can turn it on at a moments notice, and despite the form of Moses, the Warriors defence should be switched on at home in a high scoring match. Expect Shaun Johnson to have a blinder and turn around their form.
Warriors by 6.
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