Expert
The Wests Tigers are looking to bounce back after a horrific performance last week when they travel north to take on the Newcastle Knights. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 6pm (AEST).
While the Tigers were in the eight early on this year – and are still on the cusp of it now – they have fallen down the ladder after some awful losses.
With Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah now at the club, things seemed to have turned a corner as they beat the St George Illawarra Dragons and South Sydney Rabbitohs back-to-back.
The pair of victories brought them right back into the finals picture, but a horrific loss last week to the Bulldogs has all but killed their chances.
While the Warriors are also struggling after a defeat at the hands of the Titans last week, they are still four competition points ahead and the Tigers need to both win and ahve results go their way if they’re to feature in September.
Last week, it was a mixture of poor defence and incompetent attack that saw the black and gold run up just one try on the boys from Belmore.
Even if the Knights have struggled defensively at times this year, they will have no problems shutting the Tigers down if a similar inept display with the ball in hand is put on the board.
With Kalyn Ponga and Mitchell Pearce back on the field together for the first time in months, Newcastle put on a much better display last week in Townsville.
The Knights failed to get the job done, putting up a terrible second half, but there were plenty of positive signs out of the first half, with their forward pack dominating and laying a platform for Pearce and Ponga to weave some magic.
They got mowed down, but plenty of positives can be taken. The Knights are always a tough team to beat in the Hunter as well, so that adds an extra element of difficulty for Wests.
Prediction
Newcastle might be at home, but it’s hard to see them stopping a Tigers outfit who simply have no choice but to be back at their best with finals hopes still remotely alive – more than remotely when you consider the team they are relying on to lose is the Warriors.
Tigers by 12.
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